SAN FRANCISCO, Ca., November 13 — "Problem areas." Could mean your butt or your stuffed-to-bursting basement (not that we speak from experience). Wouldn’t it be nice to have some kind of training tool, some kind of motivational machine, that takes care of one problem area while fitting neatly into another? Hmm. Guess you’ll have to pop another grainy workout tape into the VHS, right? Wrong.
How did the bigger-the-better 1980s put a compact exercise option in your home? In the Beginning. Way back when, someone invented stairs. (Don’t mind the research gap.) But it took until 1983 for StairMaster to turn the whole step-climbing idea into an exercise phenomenon. The eponymous StairMaster machine hit the market in the early 1980s, fed right into the slobbering vanity of the era, and begat successor after successor determined to improve upon the watershed original.
Innovations
Gyms quickly filled up with all manner of brand-name steppers, and it wasn’t long before home-exercise marketers caught on to the idea that up-and-down motion could accommodate smaller (residential-scaled) footprints. More manufacturers meant a wider market, which meant prices were low and the audience was wide. And many brands have put their own footprint (oof) on the idea — things like moving steps (not pedals) and exercise hybrids have helped steppers stay in use even as cool new kids like elliptical trainers elbow their way onto the scene.
What’s In It For You?
Toning. Sure, sure. It’s about the cardio benefits. It’s got nothing to do with having sleeker legs and a tighter butt. We understand.
Technology. Even the smallest, least expensive models come with electronic monitors to tell you how far you’ve gone, how much time it’s taken you, and how many calories you’ve lost on the way. Of course, if you’d like to be all dedicated about it, check out machines with recovery pulse tracking or programmable, rotating displays that set things like goals and resistance to match your training needs.
Tight-fit (and tight-budget) training. There are a lot of cardio markets out there, but there aren’t too many built to fit your floor space (going vertical will do that for you) and to go easy on both your joints and your wallet.
Meet your match:
Sure, we can sell you one of those climbing monsters you’ve enjoyed at the gym. But we’ve got other options: budget maniacs, high-end home models, infomercial titans, and more. Our favorites run the gamut (and we even threw in an innovative hybrid for good measure):
| | Save & Share |  10% off on $500!
Take 10% off any stepper over $500. Enter coupon code STPPR at check out. Coupon valid through 11/23/2006 at | | |
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Tell us why you're so curious -- give us a good enough story, and we'll give you the inside scoop. (Nobody wants pennies these days anyway.) Send your reply to readers@mercantila.com | | |
