Looking to buy a treadmill?

There are many brands to choose from and many features and options to consider. Like buying a house or car, most of us are not familiar with what we should be looking for. Most of us don’t know what we really want or need.

While most runners consider a treadmill to be a “dreadmill,” a treadmill has its place in an active lifestyle.

Some reasons you may want a treadmill

• Flexibility to exercise on your schedule regardless of the weather or time of day
• Complete control over your workout
• You’re never far from home if you need to stop a workout
• Built in “workouts” that simulate different types of terrain or workout routines
• With a treadmill in your home, there are no excuses not to run
• Family or friends can use it for a walk to run program or just to walk

Key treadmill purchase considerations

Price

A quality treadmill is expensive. The less expensive models are made for walking and may not have the features that a runner wants. Less expensive models may not hold up to regular running also.

Features

Most of the time the 80/20 rule applies. Paying extra to get a deluxe model with all of the extra features may be a waste of your money. Very few runners that I know even use the pre-programmed workouts.

With a treadmill it’s the 90/10 rule for most of us: we use 10% of the features 90% of the time. Speed and incline are what most people use most of the time.

I found TreadmillReviews.com a while ago. They have reviews on just about every brand and model. They have a buyers guide to help you use their reviews and make the best selection. They also have some “coupons” that can only be used on the manufacturer’s website. You may do better going to a local fitness store after you figure out what model you want.

With your price range and features you rerally need or want, the guide will be helpful.

Their blog offers additional information on buying and using a treadmill, and even discusses treadmill running vs. outdoor running.

Additional Considerations

Where will you put your treadmill? Is there a room in your house where it can go? No one wants a treadmill in the kitchen or family room. Basements and bedrooms are popular; they are out-of-the-way or handy for a morning jog. But a treadmill can be ignored in the basement and buried in clothes in the bedroom.

Another space consideration is ceiling height. If you are going to run on your tread mill, measure your ceiling. The tread mill will lift you 6 inches or so off of the floor. When you run there is some vertical motion that you need to account for also. I would add at least another 6 inches for your running motion.

If you are 6 feet tall, you really need 7 foot ceilings, at least. If you use the incline the machine will raise you further towards your ceiling. Just something to keep in mind.

Often treadmills end up on the curb, or as the most expensive clothes hanger in the world. Using the treadmill review guide and thinking about your budget and needs first should help you make a wise choice and get the most out of your investment.

Run well my friends!

Andy