This is not a sponsored post. I bought the Gazelle Supreme myself and loved it so much I wanted to share my review! 

One of my favorite things about living in Manhattan was the amount of exercise I got by simply running around doing my daily errands. I’d end up covering several miles a day because walking was almost always the most convenient way to get anywhere–from the grocery store (1 block away) to the movies (our favorite was 30 blocks away) to a business meeting. I was able to cancel my gym membership…and get rid of the guilt of paying but rarely going. This all seemed perfect, until the the winter came. Going out in the freezing cold was much less appealing. I found myself less motivated to walk; using the subway more or springing for a cab. On a few occasions, I ordered my groceries to be delivered. I was missing that great feeling I got from daily exercise.

It was a long winter.

When spring came, I went back to my outdoor routine, but I wondered if I should consider getting a treadmill or an elliptical for my apartment. Could I fit one in my shoebox? Could I find one that was affordable? I started looking.

My criteria

Cardio Machine – something that would get my heart rate up and provide a fair amount of resistance.

Affordable – $600 or less

Low Impact – something like an elliptical that would be easy on my joints.

Compact – my apartment wasn’t big (file this under greatest understatements of all time), so the machine couldn’t take up too much space.

After reading just about a million reviews of the best affordable elliptical machines, I had pretty much decided I was going to buy the Schwinn machine, which came with high ratings and a $600 price tag. Then, Daniel suggested I look into a Gazelle. He remembered seeing the infomercials with Tony Little. They really stick with you.

Here’s what my Gazelle looks like and a perfect example of how it’s used:

About the Gazelle Supreme

Our top-of-the line Gazelle Supreme delivers the ultimate low-impact workout offering 10 different exercises within one workout. The Gazelle Supreme provides both aerobic and resistance training, giving you all the benefits of stretching, walking, running, cross-country skiing, aerobic dancing and resistance training without jarring impacts or damaging movements to your body. The versatility of the Gazelle SUPREME appeals to both the beginner and the advanced fitness enthusiast.

I read dozens of reviews and watched half a dozen videos. People seemed to love this machine overall. And there were two options: the Gazelle, which was a simple glider, where your legs swing back and forth in as long a stride as you want, or the Gazelle Supreme, which had added resistance–not adjustable resistance, but enough to make swinging your legs more challenging. I was immediately drawn to the Gazelle Supreme. Both versions matched all of my criteria and even surpassed my desire for something affordable because the Gazelle Supreme is only $280. Of course, I did worry how high the quality could be for so low a price, but after reading an overwhelming number of positive reviews, I figured that the purchase was worth the risk. I bought it.

My Review:

It was delivered a few days later (in a large, flat box, unassembled) and Sabrina and I put it together in about 2 hours with only minimal swearing and sweating. Keep in mind we’re useless.

I love having a cardio machine in my living room because it prevents me from making excuses to avoid exercise. It takes a lot less motivation than getting up, getting ready, and going to the gym. And if I’m going to dedicate 2 hours of every Monday night to watching The Bachelor, I might as well glide for 40 of those minutes, right?

I am so happy with the Gazelle Supreme. It provides a reasonable amount of resistance and allows for a good workout. Even if the resistance doesn’t feel like much for you at first–say, if you’re very fit–after 20 minutes, you certainly get your heart rate up, and you can always adjust your form to make the workout more challenging (by lengthening your stride or squatting down while gliding so that you feel a deeper burn in your legs, for instance).

The machine itself is sturdy and sufficient, but I wouldn’t put it in the same category, quality-wise, as anything you’d find at your gym. But at such an affordable price, I find that completely acceptable. The biggest problem I have is that the Gazelle Supreme started squeaking almost immediately, and most reviewers warned that this would happen. When I have my earbuds in I can mostly tune it out, but it’s a minor annoyance that can’t totally be remedied with oils or WD-40.

Sabrina’s Review:

For the first 4 months that I owned the Gazelle Supreme, I lived with my best friend Sabrina, and she used the machine just as often as I did! Here’s what she had to say about it:

I turned 30 at the end of last summer and I had been trying with all my might to work on my fitness, because shouldn’t we all try to get better with age? Lucky for me, I lived with my best friend/health guru, Andie. She is always there to address any questions, comments, or concerns I have about anything having to do with health. What’s great about Andie, as you know…is that she never wants people to feel alone – so she has been amazing. She cooked healthy meals and snacks, taught me about vitamins and nutrients, and generally was/is a shoulder to cry on whenever I told her how much I missed cheese fries. All of this brings me to the Gazelle…Andie bought us one for our apartment so we could sweat to the oldies in the privacy of our tiny home. When it arrived and we opened the box, I was frightened. I mean, how the heck were we gonna put this together? But 2 hours later, it was up and ready to go. We were so proud. (Side note: assembly offers a great upper body workout so there is an upside).

I used the Gazelle for months before Andie moved in with Daniel, so here are my thoughts: it is hard, and it is so worth it. The first five minutes are the absolute worst, I won’t lie; it’s not like you jump on and think to yourself, This is so fun. That resistance is really something, and you feel the burn for sure. But after those first five minutes, it does get a little easier. I have always been a girl who opted for the elliptical machine, but I’m also not athletic at all, so I usually skipped resistance. The Gazelle Supreme has built-in resistance and boy does it make a difference. I sweat more in 30 minutes on this machine than I ever have while exercising (which is gross, but also a good thing, right?). The arm workout is the most surprising part to me. I didn’t expect to feel a burn in my arms, but I do…so I can only hope that if I keep at it I will end up with Michelle Obama arms (aren’t they amazing?). All in all, I would recommend this machine to anyone who wants to get moving at home. It’s not too big; it was (kinda) easy to put together; and it wasn’t insanely expensive (especially if you take into account the highway robbery prices of New York City gym memberships). I loved using it!

Verdict 

If you’re in the market for an affordable cardio machine, I’d recommend the Gazelle Supreme ($280 with free shipping on Amazon)!