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Elliptical trainer

Exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate a variety of exercise motions. For example, treadmills allow a person to walk or run in place; stepper machines allow a person to climb in place; bike machines allow a person to pedal in place; and other machines allow a person to skate and/or stride in place. Yet another type of exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate relatively more complicated exercise motions and/or to better simulate real life activity. Such equipment typically converts a relatively simple motion, such as circular, into a relatively more complex motion, such as elliptical. Elliptical exercise devices are devices that allow the user to stand on pedals and to drive the pedals in a manner similar to driving the pedals of a stationary bicycle or stair climbing machine. Elliptical exercise devices provide a low impact aerobic form of exercise in which a user's feet move along a generally elliptical path of travel, which simulates a natural running and stepping motion. The action of such devices is generally superior to that achieved by stair steppers or ski machines; and as a consequence, elliptical exercise devices are in very wide use, and a number of embodiments of such devices are known. Elliptical exercise devices have increased in popularity in recent years and many varieties are now commercially available. These elliptical stepping apparatus provide advantages over other types of exercise apparatuses. For example, the elliptical stepping motion generally reduces shock on the users knees as can occur when a treadmill is used. In addition, elliptical stepping apparatuses exercise the user's lower body to a greater extent than, for example, cycling-type exercise apparatuses. In a typical elliptical exerciser, the pedals are mounted on elongate members. One end of each elongate member rotates about a crank connected to the resistance system; the other end of the elongate member is free to translate and pivot and is movable along either a reciprocating path or a closed path.

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