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The Gazelle is an inexpensive piece of cardio equipment. You use muscles in your upper body and lower body to push and pull levels and move pedals in a circular fashion.
The machine is designed to build muscle tone and boost fitness. There are three models, each with slight differences.
You move the Gazelle by positioning a foot on each foot plate and holding a handlebar in each hand. You then swing your legs back and forth in a scissoring motion to glide. The faster you glide, the harder your cardiovascular systems works.
Because there’s no impact, Gazelle machines are a great option for people with joint pain. Machines like the stair climber or a treadmill are higher impact and can be hard on your joints.
Depending on the model, the glider can be configured to 6 to 10 different exercises, apart from the basic glide. These moves — such as wide glide, low glide, and high glide — target different muscles in the:
- arms
- back
- thighs
- calves
- glutes
The positioning of your hands on the handlebars or a front crossbar also creates variety in your workout. You can lean forward or backwards to make the workout even harder.
So, although it’s only one basic machine, a Gazelle user can change the machine’s configuration, alter hand positions, or lift up the heels of their feet to challenge the body in all sorts of different ways in a single workout.
You can choose to only engage your upper body, pushing the handlebars to move your legs. You can even glide without using your hands, which further works the back and core muscles.
The number of calories you burn on the Gazelle is impacted by many factors. Your weight, the intensity of your workout, and which model of Gazelle you’re using all come into play.
According to the manufacturer, a 150-pound person can expect to burn about 260 calories on a 30-minute workout on the Gazelle Supreme. That’s about what you’d burn bicycling at a decent clip, but less than what you’d burn running for the same length of time.
The Gazelle comes in three different models: Gazelle Edge, Gazelle Freestyle, and Gazelle Supreme. All models fold flat for easy storage.
The Gazelle Edge
The Edge is the introductory model, so it doesn’t come with extras, like the water bottle holder. It can be configured for six basic workouts and has a slightly smaller footprint, making it a great option for apartments or other small living spaces.
Maximum weight capacity for the Edge model is 250 pounds.
The Gazelle Freestyle
The Freestyle is sturdier and designed to hold heavier weight (up to 300 pounds). It also comes with some nice bells and whistles, like a cup holder and fitness computer with a thumb pulse. Unlike the Edge, the Freestyle can be configured for 10 workouts.
The Gazelle Supreme
The Supreme is the top-of-the-line model. This version of the Gazelle includes pistons, which create added resistance.
By far, you’ll get a better bang for your buck by investing in a Gazelle with resistance. Adding resistance to the Gazelle workout increases aerobic conditioning and strengthens muscles.
One of the major drawbacks of the Gazelles without resistance is that you can use momentum, rather than actual effort, to move the machine once you get started. Since you’re not engaging your body as much, that burns less calories.
This coasting phenomenon can still occur on the models with resistance, but to a much lesser degree.
The Gazelle can be a good option for working out at home. It’s easy to store and offers a low-impact workout for those with joint pain.
If you add resistance, the machine can also increase your aerobic conditioning and strengthen muscles.
Caitlin Boyle is the founder of OperationBeautiful.com, author of the Operation Beautiful books, and the blogger behind HealthyTippingPoint.com. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and two children. Caitlin also runs Healthy Tipping Point, a food and fitness blog that encourages others to redefine true health and happiness. Caitlin regularly competes in triathlons and road races.