If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best recumbent elliptical trainer for seniors, then we recommend the Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross-Trainer as the best one.
When a lot of people get older, they have a tendency to think that fitness is just a thing of the past.
The truth is though, that regular exercise is important at any age; in fact, when you’re in your golden years, staying in shape is more critical than ever.
However, not all exercise is equal in terms of maximizing health benefits and recumbent ellipticals are often considered one of the best workout tools for the elderly to use.
Of course, there are a lot of different options out there, which is why I developed this guide to help you decide where to get the best recumbent elliptical trainer.
Here are the top recumbent ellipticals we’ll be reviewing:
- HCI Fitness Physio Step HXT
- HCI Fitness Physio Step LXT-700
- TreadLife Fitness Strider 1 (TL1)
- Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross-Trainer
- Teeter FreeStep LT1 Recumbent Cross-Trainer
Recumbent Ellipticals Are an Excellent Choice for Maintaining Senior Health
Elliptical trainer with seats are a relatively common piece of exercise equipment that can be found either in professional gyms or in a home setting.
Due to the many specialized health concerns that the elderly face, having something that can contribute to their physical well-being without putting too much stress on their bodies is vital for ensuring longevity.
A lot of exercises, whether or not they involve the use of machines, have a tendency to put strain on joints and certain muscle groups that can take very long to recover from or, in some cases, cause permanent injury.
These issues are heavily amplified in older individuals, but fortunately there are ways to stay in shape without risking long-term harm, which is where understanding what the best recumbent elliptical trainer is comes into play.
Importance of Exercise
For aging individuals, there are a multitude of benefits when it comes to routine exercise.
As people get older they begin to lose a significant degree of muscle mass. Much of this muscle is normally used to maintain balance and keep bone structure stable.
When it starts to decrease, it makes it much more difficult to do routine activities and causes the risk of disabling injury to increase exponentially.
Consistent, targeted exercise of certain areas of the body is always helpful for making sure your body has what it takes to handle whatever life throws at you.
Exercise is also important for treating major health conditions or even keeping them at bay entirely.
As people get older, health issues such as heart disease or diabetes can become serious problems.
Workouts help keep your body at the top of its game and prevent symptoms of various diseases from spiraling out of control.
In addition to physical benefits, exercise is very useful for boosting mental health.
Physical activity helps alleviate problems such as depression or anxiety and is a major contributor to endorphin production.
Endorphins are hormones that promote feelings of happiness and are useful for encouraging uninterrupted sleep.
Exercise also has a social component. As adults get older, they become very susceptible to isolation and loneliness due to changes in life circumstances.
Exercise provides a mutually beneficial activity that people can do with each other that helps foster an environment of togetherness, preventing many of the negative repercussions associated with being separated from others.
How Recumbent Ellipticals Work
Recumbent ellipticals are exercise machines that are designed to imitate a natural walking motion, but have a seat attached to maximize comfort.
They are known for being “low impact,” which is to say that it causes less strain to your body every time it’s in motion.
When exercising on regular surfaces, your body has to absorb the impact of hitting hard ground or flooring, but a recumbent exercise bike elliptical machine distributes the force so that your joints are largely unaffected.
Recumbent ellipticals also provide a more complete workout than walking or jogging as it focuses on many different parts of your body, including your leg, arm, chest, and back muscles.
This not only saves time, but makes exercising simpler and gives your body a lot more strength and structure overall.
Ellipticals typically also have a bunch of highly customizable settings.
Depending on how hard you want your workout to be, which muscles you want to focus on, and the amount of time you have to workout, there are a slew of options available to give you the best experience possible.
Why Seniors Should Opt for Using Recumbent Ellipticals
Seated ellipticals provide a significant number of advantages for seniors.
Their low-impact structures make them relatively low-maintenance and are specially designed to meet the exercise needs for those with injuries or are at risk for injuries.
Recumbent ellipticals can accommodate the physical needs of elderly people with significant differences in ability and range of motion.
Workouts can be made to be more challenging in the event that your strength or endurance increase and can be lessened in intensity when a current workout is proving to be too much.
Adjustments in workout intensity come with the additional benefit of not risking injury or jeopardizing the effectiveness of exercise as the same muscle groups will be used and excess shock will not be absorbed by users.
The Top Recumbent Elliptical Trainer Reviews
Although there are a lot of seated ellipticals out there that would be sufficient for aging individuals, quality is still important, which is why I’m going to tell you about some of the best recumbent elliptical trainer options.
HCI Fitness Physio Step HXT
Coming in either grey or black, the HCI Fitness Physio Step HXT has a comprehensive attached LED screen that gives users information about their speed, time, calories burned, resistance level, and distance traveled.
Both the elliptical’s arms and seat are easily adjustable and the attached chair has a built-in heart rate monitor.
It’s designed for light to moderate use, automatically shuts off after 15 minutes of inactivity, has rotating hand grips, and the hand bars are somewhat short as to prevent arm strain during prolonged sessions.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Good value for your money
- Seat is comfortable
- Comes with foot straps
- Not super strenuous on your body
Cons
- A bit heavy
- Heart monitor doesn’t work very well
- Sometimes makes an odd noise
- Lacks accessories like a reading rack
HCI Fitness Physio Step LXT-700
Coming from the same company that produced the HXT, the HCI Fitness PhysioStep LXT-700 comes with the one of the few patented linear steppers on the market for recumbent ellipticals; giving it a similar quality to equipment you would find in a physical therapy office.
The attached chair is capable of 360 degree rotation and is outfitted with orthopedic foam.
The elliptical comes equipped with a color-coded LED display, a heart rate monitor, 19 different exercise programs, and 32 different levels of resistance.
Pros
- Legs, arms, and seat are easily adjustable
- Set up is simple
- Good value
- Good for weight loss
- Really comfortable seat
- Reliable customer service
Cons
- Spinning handles might be a problem for some
- Abrupt sound can form in the seat over time
- Very heavy
- Can sometimes lock up
TreadLife Fitness Strider 1 (TL1)
Designed to work your upper and lower body while remaining remarkably quiet, the TreadLife Fitness Strider 1 (TL1) has 16 different levels of resistance and emulates many of the features you would normally find in physical therapy settings for a fraction of the cost.
The machine works by adhering to a forward motion that makes it a lot easier to do workouts and is especially useful for people who have disabilities.
Pros
- Good for working out your arms
- Commercial-grade quality
- Doesn’t strain your joints
- Good customer service
- Comes with a child safety lock
- Very adjustable features
- Usually makes zero noise
- Assembly goes by quickly
Cons
- Some squeakiness can develop
- Occasionally there are return policy issues
- Awkward foot pedal angle
Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross-Trainer
Equipped with an extremely comfortable seat cushion, ball bearings that encourage a smooth follow through during leg movements, well-gripping foot pedals, and a secure gripping system that’s easy to clean, the Teeter FreeStep LT3 represents some of the best machine technology on the market today.
Resistance levels are determined by a system of magnets and the elliptical has a reclining option to maximize individual comfort.
Pros
- Provides very smooth motion
- Good customer service
- Quite Affordable
- Easy to assemble
- Sturdy design
- Very quiet
Cons
- Adjusting seat height can be difficult
- No arm resistance
- Not the best at shock absorption
- difficult to get on and off the machine
- Very heavy
- Can cause back issues
- Difficult to make arm and leg motions at the same time
> > Check out our full review of the Teeter Freestep Lt3 here < <
Teeter FreeStep LT1 Recumbent Cross-Trainer
Possessing zero-impact stride technology, the Teeter FreeStep LT1 recumbent cross-trainer is designed to provide a basic and simple recumbent elliptical experience.
It has an easily adjustable magnetic resistance system and has moveable parts for handle grips, seating, and foot pedals.
The machine comes with a water bottle holder and a digital tracking system that shows distance, time, speed, and number of calories that have been burned.
The elliptical is also reasonably sized, so it’s easy to move and assemble.
Pros
- Comparatively very affordable
- Starts to improve muscle very quickly
- Comfortable design
- Doesn’t make a lot of noise
- Quick installation
- Great for endurance exercises
Cons
- Quite bare-bones in terms of features
- Not the best at shock absorption
- LED display errors are common
- Arm positioning feels weird
- Seat could be better
- Return policy isn’t great
Which Elliptical Should You Go With?
When thinking of the best recumbent elliptical trainer available, there are a couple of considerations to make.
There are obviously a lot of personal preferences which go into which elliptical would be the best option.
Features such as aesthetic or exercise training options are going to be a big selling point for some, but in terms of universal value or appeal, there are going to be a couple key things to look out for:
- It’s easy on the joints (shock absorption)
- Workouts can be done consistently and for long periods of time, if desired
- Has a design that is easily approachable
Based on these criteria, I would have to say the best recumbent elliptical trainer would be the Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross-Trainer.
It’s not as fancy as some of the other models, which have a lot of customizable options by comparison, but it has enough variety to get people at least some of the bells and whistles they’re looking for.
More importantly though, the Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross-Trainer demonstrates a tremendous degree of quality.
It works out more parts of your body than other ellipticals, has great shock absorption ability, is reasonably quiet, can easily be augmented to accommodate your physical needs, the design is disability-compatible, and assembly is incredibly simple.
The only real drawback is that the foot pedal can sometimes be awkward to use, but this can easily be remedied through a little adjustment trial and error.
