Head for the Hills

Choosing the right fitness equipment to help you lose weight can feel like rocket science. Don’t overcomplicate it. You can walk off the pounds, but there’s one condition: You have to walk like you mean it, preferably fast and uphill. You can’t be texting and chatting with your girlfriends. The next best thing to scaling a real mountain is to create your own. Say, “Hello!” to the incline trainer and your new, fitter body. What makes an incline trainer a fat-loss weapon?

It Blasts Calories

By moving large muscle groups, like the legs and glutes, at an incline of up to 40 percent on the NordicTrack X7i Interactive, you’ll raise your heart rate quickly and keep it there. Bonus: You’ll also reduce your workout time. New jeans are in your near future.

It Improves Athleticism

Working on an uphill incline improves your cardiovascular health. The hill-climbing motion also recruits smaller stabilizing muscles in your hips and glutes. Suddenly, the tasks that used to make you sore feel easier.

It’s Gentler on Joints

Do sore knees prevent you from running? Research shows that walking uphill, which is less impactful on the body, can be just as effective running as running on a flat course.