Gym goers seeking to boost their workouts might do well to aim for the less-used equipment beyond the busy rows of treadmills and elliptical trainers that dominate the centre of the cardio floor, fitness experts say.

What the rower and the moving stairs may lack in traffic, they can make up for in effectiveness and intensity for people willing to think outside the box.

“What’s the best piece of cardio equipment? My short answer is the one no one’s using,” said exercise physiologist Tom Holland, author of Beat the Gym.

People tend to do what they’re good at and what they see others doing, he said. His favourite under-appreciated machine is the moving stairs.

“It’s tougher than the traditional StairMaster, harder to cheat on, and usually hidden away in dark recesses of the gym,” he said.

The treadmill is the most used machine, according to the trade association International Health, Racquet & Sports Club Association, followed by resistance machines and elliptical trainers.

Holland said it’s a mistake to always do the same machines in the same order.

“We need to mix it up,” he said. “Start every workout with an exercise you don’t like, or use one piece of equipment you’re not used to, and the body will respond.”