Treadmills and elliptical machines for your budget

Whether you want to walk, run, stride or glide, Consumer Reports latest tests of ellipticals and treadmills can help you find some at-home machines that will rival the ones at the gym.

Peter Anzalone from Consumer Reports tells us, "We evaluate exercise range. We want a machine to be able to keep up with you as your fitness level increases, so a wider range is a plus."

Testers also look at how easy the machines are to use.

A recommended $3,700 Precor treadmill has a screen that looks like a tablet.

And the buttons on a top-performing $2,300 Sole TT8 are easy to read and push while you're on the move.

For a lot less, consider a $1,500 NordicTrack. While it did show a little wear in Consumer Reports' durability tests, it offers excellent exercise range. Plus it folds up so it'll save space, too.

As for ellipticals, Consumer Reports says ergonomics are key.

Anzalone says, "We get people on the machine to see how easy it is to pedal, how easy it is to accelerate and decelerate."

You don't want it to be too hard or too easy.

A good machine, like the Schwinn 470, smooths out the pedaling. It also offers 29 different pre-set workouts and is a Consumer Reports Best Buy at $800.