Best Elliptical For Runners
3 Ellipticals For Runners That Give You More
Looking for the best elliptical for runners?
While most elliptical trainers are designed to simulate the natural motion of running, there are some new elliptical trainers that are giving you much more interesting – and effective – ways to train.
Runners need a bit more from their elliptical trainer especially when it comes to durability, stability and ergonomic design (to protect your knees, hips and back).
If you’re a runner you might also appreciate things like tracking options or virtual reality training programs.
With that in mind, here are some of the best ellipticals for runners along with a brief rundown of each:
Best Elliptical for Runners – 3 Great Options
#1 Nordictrack FS7i Freestrider
The Nordictrack Freestride Trainer elliptical series is different from a standard elliptical.
Instead of locking you into one set stride length (which – if it’s not the right stride length – can feel very uncomfortable), the Freestrider gives you an adaptable stride of up to 32 inches!
So the stride adapts to you – and your preferred stride length – not the other way around.
Because you can set your own stride by how hard to press down on the footpedals, you can also add a lot more crosstraining into your workouts.
You can do short, up-and-down strides like a stair climber, longer running strides like an elliptical or even longer hurdling-type strides like on a treadmill.
So you have a lot of stride variety with the FS7i Freestrider which frequent runners will appreciate as they can change up their running style whenever they want.
Plus the FS7i also comes with iFit coach. With iFit Coach you can choose to run trails all over the world – from Paris to the Swiss Alps.
As you run, you’ll see the actual landmarks pass you by in the full-color, HD console screen. This adds a lot of virtual reality fun to your workouts!
You can also stream high-energy workouts to your console with iFit – everything from yoga to stretching to HIIT training workouts!
Plus iFit can track your workout activity for you over time – so you can see your workout progress, set new goals and more!
And because the Freestride rides on belts rather than rails like a traditional elliptical this helps reduce impact on your joints even more.
Basically this is everything a runner needs on an elliptical – a stride that adapts to your body, proper ergonomics, tracking options and low impact.
Plus with iFit coach world workouts – you can run trails all over the world for extra virtual reality fun!
Click Here for More on the Nordictrack FS7i Freestrider
#2 Bowflex Lateral X Elliptical
While Bowflex is not as well known for their ellipticals (more their Treadclimbers and the Bowflex Max), they do make some very impressive elliptical trainers as well.
They’re solid, stable, well-designed machines with heavy flywheels and ergonomic pedals.
The Lateral X elliptical is their newest crosstrainer with something completely different – lateral, side-to-side motion.
So you can run forward or back and side-to-side as well.
This is great for crosstraining as it’s much closer to the movements you do in everyday life and it opens up a much deeper crosstraining experience.
Runners will also appreciate the Bowflex Lateral X App. It’s free to download and you can use it to track your workouts, set new goals and measure your progress over time.
There is also a shelf to hold your tablet. So you can set up your tablet and watch your favorites movies or shows as you run to get some great workout distraction.
There are currently 2 different Lateral X models – the LX3 and the LX5. While they both have a similar layout and design, you get more resistance levels with the LX5 model and a few more design upgrades.
Click Here for a Free Promo Code on any Bowflex Lateral X Elliptical
Honorable Mention: Matrix A50 Elliptical
Matrix makes some very impressive commercial-grade ellipticals and the A50 Ascent Trainer is their star machine.
It’s built with a wheel-and-track-free design (like the Freestrider above) to give you smoother, more consistent feel with less friction or dead spots as you run.
The construction is excellent – which you see in everything from the super-heavy 30-pound flywheel to the proper ergonomic footpedals and adjustable stride that closely mimics the way you run outside.
You also get the choice of 3 different consoles – from a basic (more affordable) console up to a premium console that includes a web-browser. So you can watch Netflix, YouTube or Hulu as you run.
The high-end consoles also give you virtual reality running trails (something similar to what you find with iFit on the Freestrider). So you can run and watch real-life landmarks pass you by in the console.
The downside?
The one downside to the A50 is that it’s not cheap. It starts around $3500 for just the basic console and goes up to around $4500, which is pretty pricey considering that you can get the other 2 ellipticals above for under $2000.
Still, if you want the ultimate commercial elliptical for runners, it may be worth considering.
Click Here for More on the Matrix A50
So those are some of the top choices when looking for the best elliptical for runners. Each one gives you proper (and even enhanced) ergonomics and a very comfortable fit. You also get strong construction and the option to add things like tracking or virtual reality workouts to your routine.
Overall, you have some amazing choices when it comes to the best elliptical trainer for runners. Take your time and consider what you really want in a trainer (for example, do you get bored easily and need entertainment? Do you want to track your workouts? etc.)
Then go for a trainer that gets you excited about using it – and have fun!
Want to learn more?
Here are more in-depth reviews of each elliptical mentioned above. You can see how they rate and everything they give you – plus how to save!
Nordictrack FS7i Freestrider Review
