Aerobic Riders

Aerobic riders are a new type of equipment that has appeared in recent years. They started as an infomercial product, but are now available in a number of retail outlets. The aerobic riders are a cross between a stationary bicycle and a seesaw. You pull on a handle and push against foot pads to raise your body up in the air. Riders promise a "total body workout" that is "non-impact" and "designed to burn fat."

Types:
There are two types of riders. The HealthRider is the orginal model. It uses your body weight as the basic unit of resistance. The HealthRider can also increase resistance by placing the front supports on a riser, thus increasing the incline. The HealthRider has recently installed a bracket underneath the seat where the user can add up to 40 lbs. of free weights for greater resistance. The Cardioglide is similar to the HealthRider in design, except that it uses a piston-style air cylinder to provide resistance. The force of the user's pulling causes air resistance, and workload, to increase. Resistance can be adjusted by a valve on the air cylinder. There are now a number of "no-name" copies of both the HealthRider and Cardioglide on the market.

HealthRider has recently introduced economy models to compete with the "clones." These have lower-quality materials in the frame, and lack the bracket to add additional free weights.

Price Range:The HealthRider costs $499, the Cardioglide $199. (The "economy" HealthRider is $299).

Recommendations: These machines are overpriced, and have a gimmicky design�long-term, they will probably not provide an effective workout. The Cardioglide design strongly resembles the old piston-style rowing machines.

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