TheHistoryOf.net

As people today become more and more health and fitness conscious, the fitness equipment industry must keep pace in designing better and better machines. And done that they have. But do you know where this technology came from? How did somebody come up with these ideas? Well, first, they had to start with a goal.

The goal of exercise

What exactly is the goal of exercise? Wouldn’t it be simply physical fitness? And what exactly is physical fitness? It’s been described as “the ability of the human body to function with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to engage in leisure activities, and to meet physical stresses.” So that was, and still is, the goal of exercise.

So physical fitness instructors and personal trainers recommended weight-bearing exercises like hiking or running, which help your circulation, burn fat, build healthy bones and create firm muscles. Unfortunately, this type of exercise took a lot of energy and usually led to great fatigue. Another disadvantage was the stress it caused to the body’s structure, like the back, feet and knee joints. So, like the aim of most technology, the fitness industry looked to improve by developing a machine that would give maximum benefit, with maximum ease.

Fitness technology

Fitness experts preached to consumers the need for good health. Disease was increasing and most was tied to poor physical fitness. This need to “be in shape” became so popular that a whole industry has grown around it. And with every industry, technology has produced some amazing machines to get the job done.

One of the oldest and simplest machines was the exercise bike or stationary bike. And that’s all it was – a bike you could ride in one spot. If bad weather was a factor then, of course, that was the preferred alternative to actual bike riding – a great way to exercise. NASA, the U.S. space program, recognized the use for this technology, too. They trained their astronauts on Skylab, using cycle ergometers, a form of stationary bikes.

And then, technology being what it is – always looking for a better way – a better way was indeed found. The fitness and exercise equipment experts started creating machines, and they continue to do so today. In fact now, it’s a billion-dollar industry. It’s main purpose was to develop machines that people could use throughout the year, no matter where they lived. And these machines had to achieve the goal of getting people fit and, thus, minimize their chances of developing disease.

One of the most destructive diseases was heart disease. To combat this, health experts promoted cardiovascular exercise as a wonderful deterrent. So now they needed machines that would get your heart racing. And what better way to get your heart racing than going up and down stairs. The machine that was invented to give this form of exercise was the stair stepper, which simulated the action of climbing stairs while remaining in one spot. But stair-climbers produced a straight up-and-down, regimented stepping, which had some “impact”. That was hard on the joints. An improvement was needed.

Elliptical technology steps in

Elliptical technology has been described as “the generic name for devices that incorporate various linkages and mechanisms in an effort to create a preferred pattern of movement for a pair of foot pedals.” The key to this definition is the “preferred pattern of movement”. That preferred pattern is where the word “elliptical” originates – egg-shaped, or oval. And that’s the pattern that’s created with an elliptical’s pedals.

So the first elliptical was created, by a company named Precor. In 1995, they introduced the first elliptical fitness crosstrainer. It was very successful because it was the first machine to deliver a minimal-impact cardiovascular workout. And it worked equally as well for the beginner, as it did for the trained athlete.

Next on the technology path was Reebok. They developed what they described as “the Personal Trec, the first low-impact, elliptical total-body striding machine”. It improved on the Precor model by adding an upper-body workout to the lower-body workout, thus burning more calories. It also created a more natural walking/striding movement than any other elliptical exercise machine.

Elliptical trainers are move advanced today

As we mentioned before, the fitness equipment industry was continually looking for ways to improve their machines to give more beneficial exercise to consumers. Ellipticals of today use handles that are pumped in combination with the foot pedals, more or less duplicating the motion of cross-country skiing and combining it with running – thus the term “crosstrainer”. Ellipticals offer such benefits as:

• Weight-bearing exercise that builds bone density and burns calories more efficiently. It also inhibits the onset of osteoporosis.
• No-impact exercise, which is gentle on ailing backs, knees, hips and joints.
• Low maintenance, resulting in less wear and tear.
• Small in size, taking up less floor space.

We all know the value of exercise. Some of us do something about it – many don’t. But if you want to life a healthy lifestyle, you need to include exercise as an integral part of it. An elliptical crosstrainer is a great machine to give you cardiovascular exercise at the same time as muscle strengthening and toning – but with ease.

There are other good fitness machines available, like treadmills and home gyms, but ellipticals are great for those who want the benefits of exercise, without the expenditure of too much energy. There are many fitness equipment sources online. Check them out and get in shape!

About The Author

Melissa Cameron is a writer providing tips and advice for consumers on risks of heart disease. Her numerous articles offer valuable insight on ways to exercise including Schwinn recumbent exercise bikes and the Horizon fitness ex-59 elliptical machine.