Find a good portable treadmill is not always easy, but it can be very rewarding once you find it. First and foremost you need to be sure to find the treadmill that is right for you and will do everything that you need it to - otherwise that piece of fitness equipment will become some thing in your garage to stuff boxes around and on.

The first thing you need to consider in purchasing portable small treadmills is the quality of the build. Many people look to purchase these because they are generally cheaper than other options. Sadly, when it comes to fitness gear, cheaper usually means lower build quality and no-quite-so-long-lasting equipment. Essentially, you can end up purchasing something that won't even last a year if you are a moderate runner (10+ miles per week), or if you are a little overweight.

If you are a little bigger than you would like to be just make sure that the treadmill is build for someone your size, and I'm not just meaning how much you weigh. You also need to be sure that the running mat dimensions are suitable for your height. Many times equipment that is build to be portable is also meant to be small. While not a bad thing for the general public, if you are over six feet tall then you will want to double check this quite thoroughly since nothing is worse than buying a treadmill that you can't even run on. If you are looking to purchase this online and you are tall, then it is worth your time to go to a store to find out what size of treadmill you need.


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I know sometimes it might feel a little strange to use a big inflatable ball in your exercising (especially in a gym with others watching) but it really is a great tool to help you get in better shape. They are very comfortable to use, give you good support while you do exercises and you don't need to worry about them giving out on you as they can handle 600-700 pounds. It is also quite cheap compared to some other exercise equipment and can be used by beginners and experts alike.

There are many great exercises you can do with the stability ball for developing your abdominal muscles as well as other areas. One of the great things about it is that it forces your body to stabilize itself while doing exercises as opposed to a machine which does it for you (hence the name, stability ball). You can do exercises that work out multiple muscles at a time, so you get the best results for the amount of time you spend. Almost any exercise you do on a bench, you could be doing on a stability ball and have the added benefit of your body balancing itself while doing your exercise.

If you do decide to purchase or use a stability ball, make sure that you get the right size for your body type. They can also vary how much air is inside to adjust firmness. There are many exercise you can perform with a stability ball, here are just a few:

- Ab Roll
- Hip Extension
- Ball Rotation
- Chest Fly
- Leg Curl
- Pike Crunch
- Ball Crunches



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Thinking about an Image elliptical trainer? Wondering if it's a good buy for you? Here's a few things to know before you buy.

Image is a budget line of elliptical trainers from ICON Health and Fitness - one of the largest fitness equipment manufacturers in the world. They also manufacture brands like Weslo, Reebok, Epic, Freemotion and Proform.

Each brand has their own particular strengths. In the case of Image, the main strength is that they are affordable. Most of these ellipticals come in under $500 and are sold through a variety of different discount chain department stores.

This fact alone makes them very popular. But are they really a good value? Here's an overview of some of their main strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

#1) Affordable - Since most of these units come in under $500, in this economy, it makes these machines very popular. Plus while they're big, they're not monstrously huge. So many people just choose to transport them home themselves, saving on shipping costs.

#2) Ramp - There are a few Image units - like the Image 9.5 elliptical - that do offer manual ramp. This is similar to incline in that it changes the slope of your elliptical motion and helps you crosstrain different muscles.

Note however that most Image units do not come with Ramp. The ones that do use manual (not power) ramp. This means you have to get off the machine to adjust it - which can be a pain.

3) EKG Heart Rate Monitor - Most Image home ellipticals do offer some sort of heart rate monitor. This helps you stay in your target heart rate zone while exercising.

Weaknesses:

Unfortunately these ellipticals do have several strong weaknesses:

#1) Flimsy Construction - No one, not even ICON with all of their resources, can make a strong, stable elliptical for under $500. Most Image ellipticals have poor construction with cheaper parts that can often break easily.

The user weight capacities are also very low (which means they aren't built to take a lot of strain). You can probably expect some wobbling on these units if you pick up the pace.

#2) Short Warranties- You don't get much in the way of warranty with these ellipticals, Most give you around 90 days - which should tell you something. And if you do have to buy parts after the warranty runs out it can cost you. So many people elect to buy a whole new elliptical at that point.

#3) Bare Bones - You don't get much in the way of workout programs or fitness options with these machines, they're extremely bare bones. You do sometimes get a few heart rate workout programs - but that's about it. No iPod docks, fitness tracking tools or adjustable strides, that you can get with other elliptical brands.

Summary:

Image elliptical trainers are affordable and do offer some simple basics like heart rate monitors and a few workout programs. However overall, they aren't know for having strong construction.

User reviews have been poor with many people complaining about parts breaking soon after purchase. Warranties are short and options are limited. Considering all of this, it's really hard to recommend these machines.

If you have the time to buy one, take it home, assemble it, and then truck it back to the store for a refund if something should go wrong, then go for it. But you may just want to save yourself the hassle and spend a few hundred more to get a longer lasting, more stable elliptical.



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Sole has given people this model with more than a few nice features, including the shaping of its foot pedals so that they slope. This can help take a great deal of strain off of knees or ankles, especially when it is used in a vigorous manner. This particular unit also is one step below the slightly more comprehensive e35 trainer made by the same company.

In terms of where this trainer fits in in the Sole lineup, it's the entry-level machine, with various other elliptical trainers running all the way up to the e95, which costs a relatively large amount of money (the e25 itself runs about $1100 before Internet discounts). For those who want a nice trainer in the home, the e25 seems a good choice.

One shouldn't be taken in by the so-called "entry-level" classification of this particular unit, though. Given its price, and the quality of its construction and materials, it is a very solid and well-performing machine. Most such entry-level units are those found in department stores or discount fitness stores, which this one most assuredly will not be found in.

For starters, it has a nice 20 inch stride length, whereas many so-called "entry level" machines come with, at most, 15 inches of stride length. That places it well above the entry-level competition right off the bat. Additionally, there are over 16 levels of resistance, which helps to ensure that even the most fit person will have nice resistance when and where needed.

There is also a well-working heart rate just strap that sends data to the digital display monitor included with the machine. Heart rate monitoring is one of the best biofeedback tools that a person can use to gauge the intensity and effectiveness of any given work out. It also helps a person to stay in the proper heart rate zone when exercising.



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