Question: I have watched the advertisements for the Health Rider exercise machine and wondered what you thought of it. They say that the Health Rider is better than other exercise machines because more muscles are used while you exercise. Would you comment about this machine?
Answer: Your letter is only one of many inquiries I have had about Health Rider. Because of the interest, I asked the Health Rider Co. to let me use one of their machines for a few weeks so that I could check it out. I have now used the Health Rider three times a week for about four weeks and can report my experiences with this machine.
For you who have not seen the Health Rider, it has a simple design that allows you to use your own body weight as the resistance for the workout. You sit on a soft, well-contoured seat that is attached to levers in such a way that extending the legs or pulling the arms lifts the seat a few inches, and the weight of your body is supported by a wheel that moves forward and back for a smooth, quiet motion.
The basic exercise consists of extending and relaxing your legs and pulling and relaxing your arms in a rhythmic, steady motion. Beginners start at from 20 to 30 push-pull strokes a minute; fitter people can begin at from 35 to 50 strokes per minute.
The handlebar for the arms is quite long and rotates freely as you exercise. Because of its design, you can grip this bar several different ways to avoid fatigue and add variety to the workout. The handlebar unit can be placed in two different positions to either increase or decrease the arm work necessary to use the machine.
You can also change the action of the leg extension motion by changing foot position during the workout. I was able to watch TV, listen to tapes or talk to someone without any extra effort. Since most indoor machines are quite noisy, this was a real plus. During my initial workout, I tended to work too hard with my arms, because arm motion is required to work the machine. However, I soon realized that you can work as hard or as easy as you like with your arms, from simply stabilizing the motion to pulling hard during each stroke.
The training manual that comes with Health Rider suggests ways to use the machine for strength training. Although several of the exercises did provide overload, I think the machine is much better suited for aerobic endurance; although it does seem to work well for lower back flexibility. The exerciser comes with a small electronic device that counts the number of cycles you make, keeps track of the total workout time and calculates the approximate number of calories used.
I did have one problem using the Health Rider: I couldn't get my heart rate to the same level as when I jog. I have had this same problem with cycle ergometers and cross-country ski machines as well, and it may be related to the specificity of the action; it might require several months of training to reach that heart level. In any case, the Health Rider is one of the nicest indoor exercise machines for aerobic exercise I have tried.