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Photograph by John Urban

Who will like it

Runners who need a day off from the pounding gravitate toward this machine

like moviegoers to the concession stand. It’s also popular with walkers looking

for a more spirited workout and people who once used the cross-country

skier but can’t find one because NordicTrack has gone out of business. The

elliptical trainer is also popular among people who are bored with stair-

climbing or find stair-climbing hard on their knees.

Who will hate it

Suzanne! She finds the elliptical motion unnatural. She feels that if your feet

are going to be moving in a circular-type motion, you should be sitting down,

like on a bike; and if you’re going to be standing, your feet should be going up

and down or back and forth. But then again, Suzanne may be a poor judge of

this machine — she can’t pat her head while rubbing her tummy in circles.

Also, Suzanne finds it tough to read while using the elliptical trainer, and

because she uses her machine cardio time to peruse the TV section of USA

Today,this is a problem.

Figure 9-1:
Elliptical
trainers are
gentle
enough for
prenatal
workouts.

Chapter 9: Using Cardio Machines 135