What to look for when buying a treadmill

This guide is to help you buy your treadmill. A treadmill is quite an investment and hopefully this brief guide will help you decide which treadmill is right for you. So you can buy with the confidence that you are informed and won't make a mistake.

The price is your first indicator of what sort of treadmill you are buying. Generally, $500-$1500 is considered budget. $1500-$3000 is considered mid range and $3000+ is considered quality. This is a guide though so don’t take it as black and white.

The motor is what moves the belt on motorised treadmills. Horsepower is the speed at which this motor can function. As a general guide you should aim to buy a treadmill with between 1.5-3hp continuous duty. Continuous duty is the sustainable speed of the treadmill. For example a treadmill with a continuous duty of 2hp can sustain a usage of 2hp. Peak duty is the maximum output of the treadmill. Peak duty is unsustainable. So a treadmill with a continuous duty of 2hp and a peak duty of 3hp can sustain 2hp, but can go to a max of 3hp for a short period A larger motor can provide better service over the lifetime of the treadmill.

The warranty you should look for should be at least 1yr. The best warranties of course will be lifetime warranties. You should check the warranty in detail before you buy.

As for the model itself you can get a standard treadmill that will let you adjust speed and incline so you can get on a go how you feel. You can also get treadmills that have set workouts that vary speed and incline. This can make the workout more interesting and has greater benefit for getting fitter. Some models come with heart rate monitors. You don’t really need one on your treadmill because you can get a chest strap monitor quite cheaply. It’s up to you really what features you want on a treadmill.

The size of your treadmill is very important. Mostly because you need to plan before hand where it’s going to go. Check the size before you buy and measure it off against the space in which you intend to fit it and the areas you intend to move it through. This way you can buy with 100 so you can add variety and intensity.

If you find you don’t have a lot of room for a treadmill you might consider buying a foldable treadmill. These however tend to be less stable than your standard treadmill. You require a stable treadmill because the more stable it is the safer it is. Therefore a standard treadmill tends to be safer than a foldable treadmill.

You should make sure that the treadmill you intend to buy can accommodate your stride. Generally this shouldn’t be a problem unless you have an unnaturally long stride. If you really want to you can check your stride to make sure the treadmill can accommodate you. You can measure your stride by measuring off a distance of perhaps 20 to 40 feet. Walk this distance and then divide the number of feet by the number of steps which gives you your step length in feet. Remember though that your stride length depends upon the size of your legs, your fitness levels and how tired you are.

Rollers on the treadmill support the belt. These should be 2 inches or larger in diameter to keep the belt working well and to maintain it in good health. The frame of your treadmill should not be plastic covered wood or painted particle board. Aim for aluminium or steel.

Safety features should include an emergency shut off button if you get into trouble. The treadmill should also have at least one handrail for balance, especially when you need to hit the emergency stop button and grab something or you lose you footing.

If you are a walker you should look for a treadmill that goes up to 5mph. If our a runner you should aim a treadmill that goes up to 8-10mph. Of course if you are to begin by walking and then move up to running you should aim for the 8-10mph option and increase the speed of your workouts as you get fitter.

The advantages of a treadmill are its ease of use. You simply switch on and get going without worrying about the weather or where you’re going. For that matter you can exercise in your own home so you can watch TV whilst you do it. Your health will improve as you get fitter and burn the calories to lose weight.

Look for a treadmill with good cushioning. Decent cushioning on a treadmill reduces the impact on your body. Therefore you can reduce the injuries your body can receive.

The advantages of folding treadmills are the extra room you gain by being able to fold it away. Cleaning under the treadmill is also easier. However they are less stable than standard treadmills and therefore not as safe though this can be marginal.

Manual treadmills are treadmills that you power yourself. I.e. you push the belt with your feet to make it move. I myself have used both manual and motorised and I most definitely prefer the motorised treadmill. They are easier to run with and you can vary the speed and incline much easier. I have also found that motorised treadmills are better for weight loss because you are not likely to get tired as quickly on a motorised treadmill and therefore you will burn more calories on a motorised treadmill. Obviously the more calories you burn the quicker you will lose weight.

References:

Walking about.com

Running about.com

99.epinions.com

Sportsmedicineabout.com

Adventuresportonline.com

Treadmillreview.net

Visit http://www.obtainfitness.com/ for a selection of high quality treadmills.