My Favorite Workout Machine
Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Friday, April 03, 2009 1:00 PM
I am so grateful to Lisa for opening up the conversation about fitness frustrations.
I was just waiting for an excuse to share about my favorite piece of fitness equipment ever: my beloved Gazelle Edge
A couple of years ago, when I tried to get back into the habit of running for fitness after Daniel was born, I quickly became a cripple.
After about two weeks of daily running, my knee, hip, and ankle joints were so stiff, sore, and swollen, I could hardly walk. And going up and down stairs became impossible. I tried fancy running shoes, more stretching, and less frequent workouts, but nothing worked.
I figured I was just old. But my doctor advised me that it probably had more to do with my many pregnancies than old age. Pregnancy hormones loosen your joints and leave your body susceptible to injury—sometimes even for years after (or forever?) after the baby is born.
I was seriously discouraged. Just when I had finally made a commitment to improving my fitness, this felt like a major road block. Swimming was low impact, but would cost money in a membership and would require me getting to a gym on a regular basis. I knew if I was going to commit to a regular workout, it would need to be something cheap and easy I could do at home on a moment’s notice, but the elliptical machines I looked at were prohibitively expensive.
But then my research led me to the Gazelle Edge
At less than $100 this little machine is a good deal. Dan approved the purchase, but smilingly suggested I would probably use it for just a few weeks before permanently retiring it. I didn’t argue with him, because some small part of me thought he was probably right.
But he wasn’t! Here I am, over two years later, and the Gazelle Edge
This machine has no resistance, so using it is quite different from something like a NordicTrack or treadmill. You’ll get out of it what you put in.
There are some workout DVDs
I am not perfect about sticking to my exercise routines, but by alternating Gazelle workouts with weight training during the week, I think I’ve found a pretty good balance and enough variety to keep me going and working out on a regular basis. The fact that I don’t need to leave home for any of it makes it even more likely that I won’t skip days during the week.
So there you go! If you are struggling with finding a reasonable, “mom-friendly” workout you do at home for not too much of an investment, I really do recommend the Gazelle Edge
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