If you want a good aerobic workout, elliptical machines are made for you. Exercising on an elliptical will help in strengthening your muscles, heart, and lungs. It is a great option to have both steady-state cardio workouts along with high-intensity interval training.
When people decide to buy an elliptical machine for their gym or home-exercise, the most debatable factors become the stride length. The stride length is essential as it determines the comfort of your workout sessions. People have different thoughts, such as the common one, what should be the right elliptical stride length? Will the length be the same for all?
Why choosing the right stride length is important?
Before moving forward, let us be aware of what is stride length? If you go to the gym regularly, then you must have come across an elliptical machine. Every elliptical machine comes with pedals. The distance between the two pedals when they are at their farthest is known as stride length.
Choosing the correct stride length elliptical is equally important and essential as it decides the absolute comfort of your workout. Nobody wants their workout sessions to be uncomfortable. Also, the right stride length will ensure your safety without creating any impact on exercise-related injuries.
How to calculate stride length?
There are various ways of calculating stride length. Some of them are as follows:
- The height-based formula: It is one of the easiest methods of calculating stride length. All you need to do is some basic mathematic calculations. For example, if you’re 6 feet tall, convert them into inches. Now multiply the inches by 0.25. Round up the decimal number, and you get your stride length.
- You can also try an alternate method. You need to stand in a position and mark that position. Now you have to walk straight by taking ten steps forward. Wherever you stop, mark that position too. Measure the distance between the start and endpoint. Convert them into inches and divide the number by ten. Although it sounds time-taking, it will give you a correct stride length.
How to choose the best stride length according to your height?
You can find several cheap elliptical machines in the market that have shorter stride lengths. The stride lengths vary from one elliptical to another based on the price, and finding the perfect stride length for you can be a challenging task. We have come up with some of the optimal stride lengths depending upon the height.
- People less than five inches should opt for a stride length of 14-16 inches.
- If you vary between 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 7 inches, you should choose a stride length of 16 to 20 inches.
- If you are above 5 feet 7 inches and under 6 feet, go for 20 inches stride length.
- People above 6 feet height should buy an elliptical machine whose stride length ranges between 20-22 inches.
Final Verdict
If you are buying for the first time and are super confused, we recommend trying some of the best elliptical under 500. So not forget to check the stride length because comfort is the key when it comes to workouts.