Stepper Buying Tips
Steppers are an excellent way to boost your fitness, drop some unwanted pounds and tone your leg muscles. By purchasing your very own stepper, you can enjoy all these benefits within the comfort of your own home. Unfortunately, deciding which stepper to buy isn’t an easy decision and there’s a lot to think about. In this article I’m going to guide you through the buying process and help you find the perfect stepper for you with four simple but effective stepper buying tips.
1) Determine How Much You Can Afford To Spend
The most important part of the stepper buying process is setting a budget. Before you even start looking at steppers, decide how much you can afford to spend and then don’t look at any steppers that exceed this price. By doing this at the very beginning, you’ll get a realistic picture of the type of steppers you can afford and won’t end up disappointed later on in the buying process.
2) Choose The Type Of Stepper Power You Want
Once you’ve set a budget for yourself, the next thing you need to decide is how you want your stepper to be powered; manually or electronically.
Manual steppers are generally cheaper than electronic steppers, so if you’re on a tight budget, they are an excellent choice. However, the resistance is generally more difficult to adjust on manual steppers, so if you are planning to change the level of resistance multiple times during your workout, an electronic stepper may be more suitable for you.
Electronic steppers are much more flexible when it comes to changing the resistance and speed. You simply press the buttons on the stepper and the resistance or speed adjusts while you carry on with your workout. Electronic steppers also generally place less pressure on your ankles and knees than manual steppers. However, this additional flexibility and reduced joint pressure does come at a cost and electronic steppers are more expensive than their manual counterparts.
3) Choose The Type Of Stepper Design You Want
The design of your stepper is another key thing to consider before making your final purchase. There are three main stepper designs to choose from; mini-steppers, regular steppers and stair climbers.
Mini-steppers generally feature just pedals and have no handles to hold onto. However, some mini-steppers do come with bands that you can attach to the pedals and use to get a full body workout. Mini-steppers are the cheapest and smallest of the three types, so if you don’t have much to spend or you have limited workout and storage space in your home, they’re a great choice. However, since there’s no handles to hold onto, balancing on mini-steppers can be difficult.
Regular steppers have the same pedal design as mini-steppers but also have a frame with handles to hold onto. As a result, balancing on mini-steppers is a lot easier which makes them more accessible and easier to use. Since the handles allow you to take some of the strain off your legs, you can also work out on regular steppers for much longer than you can on mini-steppers. However, the additional frame does come at a cost and regular steppers are more expensive to buy than mini-steppers.
Stair climbers are very different to mini and regular steppers. Instead of having pedals, they have a set of revolving steps which you climb like a regular set of stairs. Working out on a stair climber is much more intensive than the other two types of steppers and requires you to move your legs much more. However, stair climbers are generally the largest and most expensive type of stepper.
Deciding which of the three types is best for you will come down to two main factors – money and space. If you’re on a really tight budget or have limited workout space then a mini-stepper is what you need. If you have a bit more to spend and a reasonable amount of space, a regular stepper is a great choice. If you have a large stepper budget and a lot of workout space, you’ll want to go for a stair climber.
4) Make A Shortlist
After you’ve chosen your stepper design and the type of power you want, it’s time to make a shortlist. To do this, read the reviews on the steppers that match your criteria and then choose the five best models based on the features of the steppers and the customer feedback. Once you have your five, write down a list of pros and cons for each one and then make your final decision, based on which stepper has the most pros. If it’s a close call, pick one factor that’s most important to you (detailed tracking, quiet motor etc) and then go with the stepper that excels in that area.
Summary
Finding the right stepper can seem daunting at first. However, if you follow the tips listed above you’ll be able to find one that has all the key features you want at a price that’s right for you. So if you haven’t done so already, get online, put together your shortlist and find your ideal stepper today.
