The Voit Gravity Rider is an exercise machine that requires you to pull and push levers with your arms while you sit on a bicycle-like seat. Exercise riders became popular in the 1980s, but eventually faded from the workout scene because the repetitive motion placed stress on joints and muscles and because they did not burn as many calories as other aerobic workouts. You can get a variety of health benefits from a Gravity Rider, depending on the pace at which you use it and duration of your workouts.

Muscular Endurance

To improve your ability to use your muscles for extended periods, you need to build muscular endurance. A Gravity Rider can help you build muscular endurance as you pull and push your body’s weight during your workout. The Gravity Rider manual states that it works the quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, shoulders, lats, back and chest muscles.

Calorie Burning

Using the Gravity Rider to raise your heart rate to a pace similar to jogging creates an aerobic workout. Aerobic exercise burns calories, and 30 minutes a day most day of the week is recommended by the American Heart Association for weight loss and maintenance as well as heart health.

Weight loss not only improves your self-esteem, it also has quantifiable health benefits. Excess weight, particularly in the abdomen, puts you at risk for a number of chronic illnesses, and it puts stress on your spine and lower back. Lower back pain causes American workers to miss more than 100 million workdays annually, according to the Wellness Council of America.

Improved Cholesterol

According to MayoClinic.com, regular aerobic exercise helps improve your high-density lipoprotein, or “good cholesterol,” number. In addition to making dietary changes that lower low-density lipoprotein, or “bad cholesterol,” raising your HDL number helps decrease your risk for coronary heart disease and hardening of the arteries, which can lead to a stroke.

Improved Sports Performance

In addition to needing muscular endurance during points and plays, athletes need to be able to recover afterward to be able to perform for the next competition or practice. To improve cardiorespiratory recovery, improve your anaerobic conditioning with Gravity Rider interval workouts. Move the machine at a very high intensity for 30 to 90 seconds, followed by a two- to three-minute recovery. Repeating sprints helps you improve your ability to raise and lower your heart rate efficiently for sports. This type of training can be strenuous, so check with a health professional before you attempt it.