How Long Does an Elliptical Trainer Last?

In recent years, compared with spending a lot of time and money going to commercial gyms for exercise, more and more fitness enthusiasts are more inclined to use the available space at home to create a home gym for exercise. Exercising in a home gym can bring maximum convenience while saving time and money. If you have just created a home gym at home but don't know what fitness equipment to buy for your home gym yet, then you might as well consider investing in an elliptical cross trainer. It can provide you with good aerobic exercise while protecting your joints.

The elliptical trainer has many benefits, which makes it a popular choice for fitness enthusiasts. At the same time, it is also an excellent health investment for your home gym. But an elliptical exercise machine, especially the high-end model, may be a substantial investment for you, and you definitely want it to provide you with frequent and reliable exercises for years or even decades. Therefore, before you are ready to buy one for your home gym, a question you’re likely to ask yourself is whether it will last long enough to make it worth your money. If you want to know how long an elliptical exercise machine will last, please read on. I'll tell you the answer in the following article, and I'll also tell you several factors that affect its service life and teach you some tips to prolong its service life.

How long does it last?
Generally speaking, compared with other aerobic exercise equipment such as treadmills, the elliptical exercise machine has a longer service life because its design is less complicated and there are fewer moving parts. If properly maintained, any good quality elliptical machine should last for at least 10 years (usually between 10 and 20 years). High-end models with quality parts and premium materials may even last longer, especially if they are well maintained.

What are the factors that affect its service life?
Although most elliptical exercise machines have a lifespan of between 10 and 20 years, there are several factors that will affect the service life of an elliptical exercise machine. Let's have a look.

1. Machine quality
It can be said that the quality of an elliptical exercise machine plays a decisive role in its service life. Generally speaking, a cheaper elliptical exercise machine has plastic parts that are not as durable as steel. Besides, most of its smaller components are not of the highest quality, which will affect the durability of the overall machine. On the other hand, an expensive high-end elliptical exercise machine is unlikely to break or deteriorate in a few short years, because it often has high-quality and more durable components so that it can better withstand pressure, so its service life will be longer.

2. Frequency of use
The frequency of use is also a factor that affects the service life of an elliptical exercise machine. If you frequently do high-intensity exercise on your elliptical trainer for a long time and hardly maintain it regularly, it is likely to increase the risk that it will break down faster than expected, which will greatly shorten its service life. Even though the probability of this happening in a mid-range or high-end elliptical exercise machine is lower than that in a cheap elliptical exercise machine, you should also use it moderately and maintain it properly.

How to prolong the service life of it?
Here are some tips to help you prolong the service life of your elliptical exercise machine and keep it in a brand new state.

1. Find a good exercise area
To prolong the service life of your elliptical exercise machine, it is essential to place it in a good exercise area. You need to choose an area that will not expose your elliptical exercise machine to excessive dust or moisture. What's more, if you have children at home, I suggest that you put your elliptical exercise machine in a room where they can't enter. It is unsafe for children, and more importantly, your children may damage it due to improper use.

2. Follow a cleaning schedule
Cleaning your elliptical exercise machine can not only keep its beauty and hygiene, but also greatly prolong its service life. Please remember that there are two things that will shorten the service life of your elliptical cross trainer: dust and sweat. Dust particles will enter its interior, accumulate over time, and damage its moving parts. On the other hand, the sweat and dirt left after exercise can also lead to odor and rusty metal parts. Therefore, please get into the habit of cleaning your elliptical exercise machine after every exercise. You can wipe it with lint cloths or paper towels.

3. Regular maintenance
Regular maintenance of your elliptical exercise machine is the key to prolonging its service life. But before you do anything, please be sure to read its instruction manual. Pay attention to proper maintenance tools and lubricants. The manual should specify the parts to be lubricated and the lubrication frequency. But generally speaking, the elliptical exercise machine should be lubricated every six months or so, especially focusing on lubricating its moving parts such as flywheel, rollers and handles. After applying the lubricant, you should pedal your elliptical exercise machine a few times to distribute the lubricant evenly. Besides, you should also pay attention to check whether the bolts and screws of your elliptical exercise machine are loose. If they are loose, please tighten them with a wrench in time.

I believe you will know how long an elliptical trainer can last after reading this article. Although it can work for you for many years, in order to better prolong its service life, you should also ensure that you are committed to meeting its daily cleaning and maintenance needs.