2009 Daytona Mini Stepper

This little stepper is doing a good job replacing a massive, and impossible-to-move treadmill, and doing it not bad at all! I am enjoying the ability to tuck it away from view, and put it in any room in my home versus a treadmill that had two tiny wheels built in to its frame, and needed two people pushing mightily to move it inches! That old treadmill couldn't be brought down stairs to the basement where we have a mini gym set up - because it was too wide and too tall to fit down the stairs! It became an eyesore in the living room for 3 years and I was determined to 'do better' with the next purchase - I wanted smaller, practical, transportable and an effective workout machine, and the Daytona Mini Stepper delivers all that for me.Canadians will wonder how long the shipping takes to arrive from the US, and I can say that, living in the remote north end of Alberta at the end of a dead end highway, it took just under 10 business days to travel from the United States through Canadian Customs and onward to me! The unit, plus packaging was easily handled by myself and the ladies at Canada Post. Some minor assembling was required and that involved installing a battery and attaching the display to the unit, which is easily read while on the stepper itself, but has a few different display possibilities you must chose between before you start it up. The stepper recalls where you left off last time, and will continue with count if you return to it within a four minute period, therefore a phone call will not ruin your workout if it is a short call!The stepper is wearing in a little, the first few exercise sessions were a little jerky, and it does require a good heavy stomp to count the steps on your counter, you cannot lightly tread on this model and still get 'credits' for your work, so its a bit like a personal trainer scolding you for less than full effort! I recommend you wear good support runners while using the stepper, the idea of no handrails to cling to, and therefore working your abs is true, really true and the sensation takes a little getting accustomed to - no hand support and heavily worked legs and abs and gluts are what you are getting.If you are looking for a way to challenge your cardiovascular system, this will work and work well, I searched the net and chose destinations for all that stepping - to the top of the CN Tower, the Leaning Tower of Piza, the Eiffel Tower, the gallery of St. Paul's Cathedral, to the crown of the Statue of Liberty etc., and was inspired by the idea of Ironman Competitions which usually feature stair climbing somewhere in the competition. Your only limit is your imagination to spice up a repetitive motion workout, a small mp3 player with headphones or planting your stepper in front of the tv will be spicier than staring at the wall, and are the methods I use to get me through to my goal today.