Gazelle Machine Workout Review

When I get visitors to my home, they immediately want to ask about – and then try out – my machine.

After all, it is in plain sight, right where I can watch television while walking with it.

The people who are brave enough to express interest are usually already healthy. They go to the gym. They MOVE.

And – they step onto my Gazelle. Two steps later, they laugh. Seriously – they LAUGH. Because, it has no resistance, no real workout for the muscles, it is too easy.

I laugh with them, because that is the only thing I can do since they are absolutely correct – it does very little to help the muscles by simply gliding along.

But – I didn’t get it to help my muscles. 

I had a heart “episode” following nine months of health issues leading up to it.

A few weeks before the defining episode, – let’s not call it a heart attack – I was in Orlando playing at Hogwarts, while in a wheelchair because I couldn’t walk without complete exhaustion.

I couldn’t do much of anything, even something as simple as raising my hands above my head to wash my hair. 

I wanted something that could help me walk without increasing the chronic pain in my hip, that could handle my very imperfect weight, and that I could use in my living room while watching television so that I would actually use it from time-to-time. The Gazelle Freestyle fit my needs in all those ways, perfectly.

I’ve heard and read that you can do all sorts of fancy exercises on the machine. . . And this is a good time to remind you that you should always consult a Doctor to see if this, or any other workout machine, is right for your health

But I walk.

I just walk. That’s it.

I don’t run. I don’t go fast. I walk.

When I first started, I couldn’t walk even 5 minutes.

But, very quickly, the time increased until I could walk the entire 45 minutes of a recorded TV show! If I missed a few days walking, then I got tired after 10 minutes and had to build back up.

I have zero hip pain while using the Gazelle! No back pain, no hip pain, no leg pain! My heart is happy. 

Pros And Cons of the Gazelle Free-Stepper

The Good things about it:

1. It is a Low-Impact Cardio Machine, which means it can deliver low impact exercises for seniors (like me),
2. and the exercise equipment is easy on the knees.
3. And it can be good for those who struggle with joint pain because of obesity.
4. It’s easy to use, just step on and get going!
5. It’s quiet and keeps your head stable, so you can watch TV and use it.

But there are a few downsides:

1.  Sometimes it squeaks but WD40 clears that for quite some time. This machine is very quiet. I have hearing loss and any background noise interferes with my being able to follow movie conversations. I don’t have any trouble when walking while watching.
2. The electronic component that measures things like time broke down right away so I use my own timer.
3. Grandchildren love it. Babies love it. Babies get hit by the easy-swing legs. Grandma doesn’t like that. I fold it up when I’m tired of saying “Don’t get on my machine when the baby is in the room because you can’t stop fast enough!” We’ve got to keep them safe!

So, although I can’t recommend a Gazelle Freestyle to anybody who wants a real workout, But somebody like me might just find it a perfect fit.

The next time, and maybe soon, I’ll put out the extra $$ to get the Gazelle Supreme. It has resistance pistons to help with muscle strengthening. Maybe the giggles will stop. 

Which Gazelles Exercise Equipment to Buy: