I got the Sol. It has some of the best ratings and I love it. The only negative is it's size. The machine is enormous! I originally was looking at the Bowflex because the commercials looked so good but after researching it decided against it. It has some of the worst ratings of any of the exercise machines. I was surprised because I had a Bowflex resistance machine when they came out about 30 years ago and really liked it.

My XCITE is almost identical to the new REV-600. The main difference I see between the EVO and CE is that the EVO appears to be more sturdy and the frame is solid including the bottom that sits on the floor whereas with the CE you only have legs. I believe the EVO is bigger than the CE (over 7 feet long) so it does take up a lot of space. The EVO definitely gives a longer stride instead of short and choppy which we found with most of the ellipticals (except for the top of the lines or commercial ones). I believe the longer stride equates to a smooth stride. My husband is over 6 ft tall and weighs over 250 lbs. so we definitely needed an elliptical that would support his frame. Also, my husband has bad knees and has had his ankle replaced so we needed a machine that would not place a lot of stress on his joints. Good luck with your decision.

I have an elliptical trainer and like it for days I donÂt feel like walking outdoors or doing a cardio DVD. The one thing you have to watch for though is your form when exercising. For example if your normal posture tends to show signs of rounded shoulders or signs of a forward bending neck you really must pay attention to how you are standing and where you are grabbing the handles and pulling back. If you take a sloppy posture you can encourage your shoulders to come forward even more. Pull your shoulders back and down (in a comfortable position, donÂt push it) & then grab handles without taking your shoulders and concentrate on keeping your navel to spine. When used right the elliptical can help correct these posture problems especially for those that sit at computers a lot. I wrap wide exercise bands around the handles of mine to keep proper form. Because you are using upper and lower muscle groups your heart rate may increase in a shorter amount of time, some people do not like this because it is a fast reminder that they are out of shape but if you start with a few minutes and add one minute a day you will progress fast. Also, if you are thinking of purchasing a home elliptical machine, do your research as there is a weight variance that they except. Another thing, make sure you do a full stretch, upper & lower when done or you will be mighty sore the next day.

As a teacher, I've been standing on a tile floor for 24 years. In the last two years I've begun having rather serious foot problems, and I've been experimenting with a variety of footwear and insoles. The single most important thing for me is that I must have a shoe with a strong arch support. Seriously, my arch support makes more difference to me than all the therapy exercises from my podiatrist. As long as I have that, I come home at the end of the day FINE -- I don't even remember that I have foot problems. Let me wear the same pair of shoes without my $15 insoles, and the pain begins by the end of first period -- and by the end of the school day I want nothing but to sit on the sofa for the rest of the day. No, no, make that I can do nothing but sit on the sofa for the rest of the day, and it seems that once I reach a certain point of no return, I'm "done for the day"; I'm just not going to get better that day. So, yes, that little 3/4 -1" of arch support makes all the difference in my day. It's not about cushioning, and it doesn't even cover the entirety of my foot bed. But I'm talking about work days when I'm standing on tile all day. When I'm home during the summer or on a weekend, I am usually barefoot (or occasionally in socks). On those days, my foot pain ranges from 0 - 1. Practically nothing. On days when I'm home but on my feet all day -- say, a day when I have a couple bushels of apples, and I'm making /canning applesauce -- my pain might reach a 2. After a long day of shopping and walking on tile/concrete floors, I am usually a 1-2 on the pain scale by the end of the day, which I deem acceptable. On the other hand, I can hike outside all day without any pain. Key point: Except for my bathrooms, I have no tile floors in my house. Though I would prefer tile floors in my kitchen, I currently have linoleum ... and in my future house I will have either linoleum or LVT. So, yes, I really do believe that that thin bit of vinyl makes a difference. As for flip-flops, details matter. The single BEST pair of shoes I have -- best in terms of my going through the day pain-free -- are a pair of Sketchers flip-flops. Obviously, this will vary depending from person to person, but that pair of sandals works well for me because the footbed "cradles" my foot, they have wide substantial straps, and they have a great arch support. (I only wish they weren't so very ugly.) You can find several brands of shoes specifically made for people with foot problems (I love my new red leather Jambu slip-ons), and you can find plenty of flip-flops or sandals -- though they're $90-120 a pair, and they're not as cute as the ones at the mall.