Buying a treadmill - a guide to purchasing a treadmill

Here're some aspects you need to consider before you choose a treadmill. Read this article carefully as it will help you choose the right treadmill.

Are you planning to jog or walk on your treadmill?

While this may not seem a very important consideration at first thought, it is really critical to the choice of a treadmill. Getting this wrong may mean you get stuck with a treadmill you dont want. You must determine whether you're planning to walk or run on the treadmill that you will be buying. A treadmill that is meant for walking is designed differently from a treadmill meant for jogging.

All treadmills can be used for walking. However, for jogging a treadmill needs to be strong and sturdy. The belt, frame and deck undergo a lot of stress and when you jog with a cheap treadmill, it will give way before long.

We recommend a minimum belt size of 20 x 50 for running.

The shock absorbing capacity needs to be good enough if you're planning to run on the treadmill. This is usually the case only with treadmills in the $1500 plus range.

Foldable treadmills - pros and cons

You can opt for buying a foldable treadmill or one with a static deck. Both have their own pros and cons. If you have ample space available you may not need a foldable treadmill and can opt for a static deck. On the other hand if you're short of space, you may prefer to be able to keep your treadmill in a small area. This is when you can consider a foldable treadmill. Over the years the quality of foldable treadmills has increased with changes in technology.

Some years ago foldable treadmills weren't as reliable as they are today. Many are strong and can be used as well as the static deck treadmills without worry.

You can get good foldable treadmills for less than $1500. Yet if you need a treadmill that can take a higher weight and be more durable, a static or non foldable treadmill is the better option.

Foldable treadmills require hinges built into their frame. This makes them somewhat less sturdy compared to their static deck counterparts that have a stronger frame and can carry more weight. They generally require fewer repairs in the long run.

Console displays become an important consideration for a user buying a treadmill. They're not really as important as long as they provide the important data needed.

Some consoles on expensive treadmills provide a lot of information and have a lot of features. You can know your heart beat rate. You can change the speed and incline of the treadmill. You can have interactive workouts, LED/ LCD display screens. There are sometimes fans, CD players built it. Some even have voices of trainers pre programmed to simulate a live workout. Riding on the treadmills with all these bells and whistles could make you feel you're flying a six seater plane! Don't pay for features you may never use.

Here're some features a treadmill must have:

A motor with a minimum of 2 horsepower continuous.
A distance, time, speed, calories and heart rate indicator. This can be LCD/ LED.
The warranty for the deck needs to be atleast 3 years. Check the labor warranty to ensure its atleast one year. The longer the better.
The treadmill must be capabale of top speeds of 8-10 miles per hour.
Preprogrammed workouts are a big help.
The motor needs to be strong.
Ensure the belt is atleast 50 x 18 and 2 ply.

How much should you spend on buying a treadmill? This is another aspect you need to carefully consider. Some people are inclined to spend as little as possible on a treadmill since they're not sure if they will use it for long or give up the exercise regime in a few weeks. So they want to be in a situation where they don't have 'much to lose' in terms of the money spent. We recommend that you see the money spent on a treadmill as an investment in better health and in your own persona. Better health will mean better looks and enhanced self esteem. This also means more productivity at work, more confidence in dealing with people and increased success. One thing leads to another. Be serious about this and invest the money required. Financing options are available for most treadmills. Don't feel guilty parting with money for exercise equipment.

treadmills can cost anywhere from less than $250 to over $4000. treadmills that cost less than $500 often do not have a motor or have a very weak one. They have no preprogrammed workouts, hear rate controls. Many have no display console or heart rate control. Warranty is minimal if there and they can't usually handle heavy loads. These treadmills are best avoided. If you're really on a budget, try going for a good used treadmill or better still purchase one with a financing plan.

treadmills that cost between $501 - $1000
These treadmills are a notch above the budget treadmills. They usually have atleast 3 months warranty. The motor is present and relatively stronger. The horsepower may be 1.5. Some shock absoprtion capabilities, prorgams,a basic console, heart rate control and a 2 ply belt with incline are other features part of this range of treadmills. They may also be able to handle more weight than the budget treadmills, up to about 200-250 pounds.

treadmills that cost between $1001 - $2500
These treadmills are quality products and you can expect 5-10 programs, heart rate monitor, at least a year of warranty, a strong motor of atleast 2-3 horsepower, power incline, speed control, better shock absorption, better display console, power folding and a higher weight limit of as much as 300 pounds.

treadmills that cost between $2501-$4000
This is the luxury segment.. If you can afford to spend, you can get 10-15 programs. You can have user, ineractive and heart controlled programs. The warranty may stretch for as long as 5 years. The motor is much stronger with 3-5 continuous horsepower. You also get power incline, power speed, shock absorption that's much better, power folding, wireless heart control, LCD console that displays everything you need to know. It can also wirhstand a much higher weight of as much as 500 pounds.

treadmills that cost above $4000
This is sheer luxury and the sort of treadmill you find in upmarket health clubs with a robust motor of 5 horsepower plus. There's an ineractive color display. You get free set up, better rollers, belt, 60 inch plus belt, security codes, user profiles, personal weight training routines and much more. An average user spends something like $1500-$2000 on a treadmill. You usually get what you pay for if you're buying a good brand. Buy a treadmill that costs $500 and lasts a year or buy something thrice as expensive that lasts five years. It's usually better buying a quality product.