Hi Wendy, if you haven't heard my story, I have an Elliptical trainer. It's main function is as a dressing "table", to hang dry my delicate clothes, etc. I bought a mid-priced one from Sears a few years ago. Not the cheapest, they didn't feel stable enough and of course not the expensive Precor's that you find in the gym. Has all the bells and whistles, goes back/forward's. I've been happy with it, and actually do try to use it on occasion. However, it is as long as a treadmill. I have it up against the wall in our very small office (12x11). I had it in our downstairs guestroom and decided (after John put it together) that it just had to go upstairs :D You can only imagine the words that were flying out of his mouth as we balanced it going up the stairs <img border="0" alt="[Hammer]" title="" src="graemlins/hammer.gif" />