Staying fit isn’t always easy.
Even when I’m really determined to work out, the reality is that sometimes it can be exhausting.
Muscle pain isn’t so much of an issue, but what really gets me is the aching feeling in my joints.
I eventually realized I needed to put some low-impact exercise into my routine and thought an elliptical would make a good choice.
I wasn’t sure where to look at first, but I came across the Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical and thought it would be perfect for what I needed.
What You Need to Know About Ellipticals
Ellipticals are exercise machines that mimic a combination of body motions, such as those made during walking or when climbing stairs.
Due to incorporating a low impact form of exercise, ellipticals are an appropriate option for those who feel like traditional exercise is too physically demanding or who have physical impairments that make exercising difficult.
Beyond just limiting the strain exercise has on your body, ellipticals provide users with a full-body workout that targets leg, arm, shoulder, and lower back muscles.
They’re a great way to stay in shape without having lots of unwanted discomfort.
While ellipticals are generally good for exercise, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with there being quite a few differences in terms of features.
Looking out for what you might need while avoiding products that are of sub-par quality is important.
When searching for an elliptical, you should keep the following considerations in mind:
Fitness Goals
Depending on how hardcore you want your workouts to be and what your limitations are, certain elliptical brands are going to have features that better suit you.
It’s common for ellipticals to focus on lessening physical impact to prevent users from experiencing joint pain, although for physically impaired individuals it might be better to get a product that looks to promote ease of movement, even if the effects of use aren’t as potent.
Type of Motion
Not all ellipticals use the same kind of motion.
The best ellipticals almost always have a smooth follow-through when used; any stops or jolts indicate its low-impact effect is limited.
Having an elliptical that feels like it properly imitates a natural walking motion and has both forward and backward movement capabilities is a definite plus.
Resistance
Having a proper level of resistance is key if you want you want to meet your exercise goals.
Ellipticals with a limited degree of resistance adjustment should be avoided as you could easily find that a machine only provides a level of difficulty that’s either not sufficient enough or too much.
Technological Features
In this day and age, technology plays a prominent role in our lives.
For some, having the newest technology on hand is an important part of any enjoyable experience.
There are certainly many different features available for ellipticals and when looking to purchase one, it’s a good idea to figure out whether you’re interested in something simple or an up to date version.
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical is a moderately advanced system that’s exceptionally durable and designed to provide users with a smooth workout experience.
This elliptical trainer comes with an associated training app and the attached LED display helps people reach their exercise goals through dispensing useful information such as calories burned, incline level, and speed of travel.
It’s is the perfect choice for those who want the most out of their elliptical experience.
It comes with a multitude of resistance levels, several exercise programs, free training, and a ton of extras that improve your workout experience such as a tablet rack and Bluetooth speakers.
Despite its many upsides, the elliptical isn’t a good fit for those who want a simple, low-footprint option.
Pros
- Has a decent warranty
- Comes with a payment plan
- Lots of exercise options
- Good, quality design
- Quite advanced
Cons
- Heavy
- On the more expensive side
- Takes up a lot of space
What Are Its Best Features?
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical comes with a bunch of features that would make it a good choice for most people and in many ways it goes above and beyond in terms of functionality and design.
Tech-Friendly
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical is one of the more technologically advanced elliptical models on the market today.
It comes with built-in Bluetooth speakers that provide a hassle-free way to listen to music while you work out.
It also accounts for other entertainment options such as the use of a tablet for reading or watching videos while you exercise, which is why it comes with an attached tablet stand.
If workouts become too intense, the elliptical also comes with a fan to cool you down and there are several fast-charging USB ports attached to the machine to let you charge any devices that you may personally be using.
It’s also quite a good option for those that are statistically inclined as it comes with Smart Fitness technology.
This not only allows users to control workout settings from their phone or tablet via Bluetooth, but can send your personalized workout statistics to apps such as FitBit or Under Armor to keep track of your progress.
Good Warranty
In an ideal world, machines would never have problems and would last forever, but reality often has other plans.
Fortunately, the Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical comes with an extensive multi-faceted warranty that ensures you won’t have to worry about a thing.
Both the overall frame of the device and its brake system come with a lifetime warranty that covers any replacement costs.
Any additional parts that might need fixing or replacement are also covered by a 3-year warranty and even labor costs, an often huge expense, are covered for the first year of ownership.
Easy to Use
Any company can design and produce an elliptical, but whether or not it’s comfortable or easy to use is a different story entirely.
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical takes into account different body types and comes with features that favor those with physical difficulties.
The elliptical’s pedals are low on the ground to make it easy for people to climb onto the machine.
It does a good job at copying a natural walking motion when in use and the spacing of different physical features, such as the handlebars, are perfectly placed to prevent any sort of unnatural strain when exercising.
Excellent Overall Design
The frame and various parts of the Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical are made of high quality material to ensure long-lasting use and none of its physical features awkwardly stick out to make placement in your home difficult.
It has a higher than average weight limit of 325 lbs. and the flywheel clocks in at 23 lbs., ensuring you’ll always have enough force to make every workout session count.
Comes with a Long List of Exercise Options
Doing the same old routine over and over again can get a bit boring and having options to up your device’s workout difficulty is always important for testing your limits.
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical comes with a ton of ways to mix things up.
There are 20 levels of magnetic resistance that let you control workout intensity, in addition to a very wide incline range that successfully mimics going up stairs or going down a hill at varying levels of difficulty.
There are a whole host of exercise programs built into the machine’s LED display, including ones designed to maximize calorie burn, programs that mimic a 5k run, and programs that focus on heart rate to maximize the effects of a cardio workout.
Many of these programs can be aided with the use of the accompanying training app that can help you achieve the results you want.
Public Opinion
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical appears to have a lot of features that would be considered attractive to most workout enthusiasts. While it certainly has a lot of appeal for me, I wanted to make sure it was the right fit for other people, which is why I looked to see what other people were saying about it.
Review #1 – BC
“So far so good! Smooth yet sturdy enough for a 250+ pound man.”
Review #2 – Mark
“Very smooth and quiet. A pleasure to operate! Quieter and actually feels more solid than many of the commercial units I’ve used in gyms.”
Review #3 – Helen
“So happy with my new elliptical. It’s a great machine. Instructions were very easy to follow and the machine assembled without any problems.”
Other Ellipticals Worth Taking a Look At
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical has a lot of good features, but like I said earlier, it’s not for everyone. Here are some good alternative models that might better fit your needs.
Bluefin Fitness CURV 2.0 Elliptical Cross Trainer
The Bluefin Fitness Curv 2.0 Elliptical Cross Trainer is a good middle-of-the-road model that incorporates a lot of modern technology options with a sturdy, long-lasting frame.
It has an integrated smartphone app in addition to numerous built-in training programs and resistance levels.
The Bluefin Fitness Curv 2.0 Elliptical Cross Trainer is an appropriate choice for those who want a decent product, but don’t want to have to spend too much for an exercise machine.
It doesn’t provide nearly as complete of an experience as the Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE, but it gets the job done.
Bluefin Fitness CURV 2.0 vs. Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical
- Is more lightweight
- Is less expensive
- Doesn’t have as good of a warranty
- Is less technologically advanced
- Has fewer features
XTERRA Fitness FS3.5 Elliptical
The XTERRA Fitness FS3.5 Elliptical is one of the more accessible models on the market.
It provides users with a basic workout experience with all the features they’ll need to do a simple workout with some room for customization.
The XTERRA Fitness FS3.5 Elliptical is one of the more bare-bones ellipticals you can get your hands on. It’s one of the cheapest, but lacks a lot of advanced or convenient features.
If you just want a basic elliptical, then it’s a pretty decent product.
XTERRA Fitness FS3.5 Elliptical vs. Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical
- Is much cheaper
- More lightweight
- Is much less customizable
- Has a lower weight capacity
- Lacks a cooling fan
- Has fewer programs
Nautilus E618 Elliptical
The Nautilus E618 Elliptical is one of the most advanced ellipticals available for at-home use. It comes with a ton of useful features and is pretty technologically advanced.
It comes with an LED display that lets you virtually hike through various global environments and comes with several heart rate monitoring options.
For those who find traditional exercise to be a bit understimulating, the Nautilus E618 Elliptical has a lot of options to keep you entertained.
It’s more expensive than a lot of brands, but comes with a lot of high-tech options and is of above-average quality overall.
Nautilus E618 Elliptical vs. Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical
- Is more expensive
- Has a higher weight limit
- Has more advanced options
- Doesn’t have as comprehensive of a warranty
- Has more training programs
- Has fewer incline options
Final Thoughts
Ellipticals are a great way to get most, if not all, of your exercise needs met while limiting the strain workouts have on your body.
They come in all sorts of varieties and there’s a little something for everyone.
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical is a great option for most people and can change exercise from being a burdensome chore to enjoyable experience.
If you think it would be a good fit for you, then check it out here.
