Stamina Inmotion Compact Strider Foot Exercise Machine - Under Desk Elliptical - Standing or Seated Elliptical Fitness Equipment

I bought this mini-elliptical after reading all the reviews on this and other similar products. I bought this item for three main reasons:1 - Low price2 - Small size3 - PortabilityI like the elliptical movement because I have bad ankles, and treadmills and steppers hurt me after a short time working out. I don't have room for a full-size elliptical machine in my house, and this turned out to be the perfect size. Plus, it's small size made it easy to move around the house to be where I wanted to use it. I like to work out while watching TV to keep my mind elsewhere and work out longer, and I can pull this machine (about 25lbs) in front of the TV in the living room to watch TV with family (yes, they laugh at me, but it's worth it), and then pull in front of my bed in the bedroom to watch a chick flick that no one else wants to watch. I even put my elliptical in front of my computer to watch Netflix movies online! It's easy to carry around.Another great thing is that, because it's small, it is MUCH cheaper than a regular elliptical machine so, even it it only lasts a year or two, I can buy another one and still have not even come close to half the money I would have spent on a regular machine.Sure, it doesn't have the arm movement, but I find that no handles makes me work my core by staying balanced (really not very difficult, haven't ever fallen in the 2 months I've had it), and I can even carry small weights to really work my arms while I'm doing the cardio workout of the elliptical.I like the computer that tells you how long you've worked out, how many steps you've taken, and how many calories you've burned. Simple and straightforward. Another great feature: it's incredibly quiet to use!The best thing about this is that it is easy to stay motivated, because I can watch TV anywhere and still use it, and I don't have to go outside in the hot California sun to work out! It's really a great machine, and a real value for the money. I used Super Saver Shipping to get mine, so I get a great workout several times a week for the price of a couple of months at the gym and without the hassle of driving somewhere just to work out. I love it, and recommend it to anyone that wants to get in shape!

This elliptical is easy to assemble, smooth, quiet, & doesn't take up much space. It's perfect to replace a walk or jog when it's raining out. Excellent way to build up & maintain both stamina & leg muscle! I love it so much that I've now bought 2 of them - left one at my sister's in Maine & have one here at home in Florida.

I am writing this review after about a month of use. I am basically satisfied. I wouldn't say i have lost any weight from using this (at least not yet) but i'll be happy if it simply keeps me from developing blood clots from sitting watching too much tv.So far i only use the device while seated. I am a big man and fully clothed i would be approaching the weight limit (250 lb). Given what other reviews have said about the device becoming noisy or the wheels not tracking where they are supposed to, i suspected it may get damaged or go out of alignment easily and i don't want to push it to the limit by standing on it with my full weight. If i ever lose 30 pounds, then i might start using it standing.I have had a problem with squeaking which comes and goes. Even though so far mine is fairly quiet MOST of the time, i still would not suggest trying to use it in a quiet office environment as some questioners have asked about, since the squeak comes on suddenly for no obvious reason and it could be annoying or disturbing. In my case, the squeak arises from the wheels and not from the crank mechanism. Perhaps all it needs is some WD-40 on the wheels.I have found that the two rubber or plastic caps on the ends of the bar that forms one end of the base are not enough to keep it from slipping on a smooth hard floor. With the tension knob adjusted to give a reasonable resistance, i find that the device gradually slips further and further away from me until i have to stop and grab it and pull it back to me. I think the plate on which the wheels ride might benefit from having a rubber pad backing on the underside to create additional friction and help with this problem. A handy person might just improvise and apply something themselves for this purpose if it's a problem. On a carpet it's probably not as much of an issue. I am also somewhat worried about this same metal plate scratching my floor as the device repeatedly slips away from me while in use and has to be scooted back several times over the course of a one-hour workout.I was not too pleased by the range of motion that is induced in one's legs by using this in the seated position. In the seated position, your heels are right over the wheels while your toes are over the pedals. The wheels, and thus your heels, ride straight back and forth, they do not go up or down. So your knees hardly rise and fall either. The whole up and down motion is in the front of your foot, basically as if you rested your heel on the floor and lifted your toes up in the air and down. Your knees don't move. I have modified my use of it to actually dangle half my foot over the front edge of the foot platform so that my heels are closer to the cranks and i get more up and own action in my legs. This also means pulling the machine in a little closer to me, which in turn means that the force i exert is more downward rather than forward, and this helps reduce the tendency of the thing to slip gradually further away from me. Note that when used standing, you face the opposite way so that your heels are over the cranks and you do get the up and down motion then. It is not perfectly comfortable to dangle your toes like this because the edge of the foot platform has a raised ridge and the arch of your foot is resting on this ridge. However if you keep the pressure in the back of your foot then your arch just rests on this ridge without force so it's not too bothersome.As far as i have been able to tell, the tension adjuster does not convey any information to the monitor which supposedly tells you how many calories you burn, nor does it know whether you are using the machine sitting or standing. The number of calories that it shows seems high to me, using it while sitting. Used standing, the calories it shows may be more realistic, since you are presumably doing a lot more work, lifting your whole body weight. For use while seated, i just look at the elapsed time and estimate the calories to be about the same as if i were walking for that amount of time. I think the instructions should convey a sense of what assumptions the calorie count is based on so you can take into account how your use varies from the assumptions.