As a health & fitness enthusiast I like to look at what new fitness devices are available and what benefits there are for using that piece of equipment. Unfortunately much of the new fitness equipment around today is either a re-make of an existing device or a variation of a machine which in principal is great but in practise doesnt work, which goes to show that the market is driven by sales people (probably fat ones) not fitness people. Take for instance exercise bikes with rowing action, these things have been around for years and in most cases the rowing action acts as a hindrance to cycling, make it almost impossible to workout fully. Although you could say that an exercise bike is safer, more convenient and certainly warmer in the winter, than buying a normal bike and going for a ride outside, I would still recommend that the traditional bike ride is much more beneficial to body and mind.

Occasionally I do come across a product which is not just a fad device and there may be some benefits to buying one of the exercise machines over buying a new pair of running shoes and getting out side. A device which has been around some time but I have only just realised the potential benefits of having one, is the lateral thigh stepper.

As a distance runner I do plan my training and ensure that my exercise, targets particular body systems, for instance, endurance, stamina, strength or speed. The lateral thigh stepper is an ideal substitute for strength work. Normally I find a hill and run up it a few times but this causes a huge impact on the knees on the way down, the lateral thigh trainer is a great way of exercise all the same muscles in a high intensity workout similar to doing hill work but without the risk of knee injury. If you get an adjustable resistance trainer like the lateral thigh trainer here then you can vary you training plan to have short high intensity or longer mid intensity workouts.

If you are not a runner but you are just looking for a good alternative exercise, other than actually putting on some trainers and going out-doors, then the lateral thigh trainer is excellent for aerobic exercise as it provides a low impact exercise which uses muscle from the whole body. I can highly recommend the lateral thigh stepper as an exercise machine either to supplement other training or act as the main exercise in your lifestyle.