Choosing a Treadmill Equipment Before Buying

The most popular treadmill equipment manufactures now day include Weslo, Bowflex, Horizon, Healthrider, Image, Nordic Track, Landice, Precor, Proform, Smooth, Reebok, Sole, Spirit, and Star Trac. Of course, we will need to decide the best treadmill equipment for what we wish to accomplish in the coming year.

Choosing suitable treadmill equipment can make us confuse. With the huge variety of brand and models on the market trying to make a sensible choice can give us a headache. But there is no need to send our head into a spin. By considering a few things we can narrow our choice down until we have the targeted treadmill that most closely suits our budget and our fitness needs.

The following things are should be considered when buying a treadmill:

What is our goal?

People have many different reasons for using a treadmill. These could be training to run a marathon, lose weight or just to keep fit. We need to give careful consideration to this question as not all treadmills will be suited to our intended use. If we are a serious runner and looking for a treadmill to use in the winter months when it is too cold or wet to run out doors you need to consider treadmills with large motors, strong decks and long tread belts of 55" or longer. Most treadmills suitable for running are priced at US$1500 and upwards, while the most sub US$1000 treadmills are only really suitable for walking and jogging.

How much do our weight?

This is an important factor to consider when buying a treadmill as one size most definitely does not fit all. Most manufacturers will state the maximum user weight recommended for a particular model and the golden rule is not to exceed this weight limit. Exceeding the weight limit will not only alter the way in which the deck absorbs the user foot impact but may also lead the deck to break. Using a treadmill that has not been designed to support a user's weight may also lead to the motor and the motor control circuitry over heating and the possibility of premature failure of one or both. The take away from this is always to choose a treadmill with a user weight that is greater than your actual weight.

How tall are we?

The taller we are the longer stride we have. This is important as a person with a longer than average stride length will require a longer running area than a person with a shorter stride. This is particularly true when someone is running on a treadmill. Most domestic treadmills have a running surface that is around 55" in length, but if we are a user with 6' 3" or taller in height then we should really consider buying a treadmill with a running surface of at least 60". We will still be able to use a treadmill with a shorter running surface but we will be restricted and when running at full pace there will always be a concern that we may come of the treadmill altogether.

How much room space do we have?

Give some consideration to where you will put the treadmill. If we have plenty of space in home or a dedicated room that can be used to both use and store the treadmill then a non-folding treadmill is the obvious choice. But if you are restricted on space or will have to site the treadmill in our main living area then a folding treadmill may be the way to go. These treadmills have decks that pivot and allow the running deck to be raised to an almost vertical position so that the treadmill then occupies a much smaller floor area. There is a misconception that folding treadmills are somehow weaker or inferior to non-folding treadmills but this is not necessarily the case. This notion has arisen because most non-folding treadmills are expensive commercial treadmills used in gym or health club where the ability to fold the treadmill up to save space is not a consideration.

Additional workout features we need

Modern treadmill equipment comes loaded with a confusing array of additional features. The manufacturers tend to compete with one another on the basis of how rich they can make their machines. A popular feature on many treadmills is a heart rate monitor that can be used to display our pulse. Other features center around the programs built into the treadmill's computer. These programs are designed to help us with a specific type of workout and will take control of the treadmill, changing both the speed and incline and in some cases providing audio prompts to provide encouragement. In addition to the pre-programmed workouts some treadmills offer the facility to design our own programs on memory cards.

Entertain Features

Increasingly people are looking to be entertained while working out on a treadmill. Pounding away for long time can become boring and many manufacturers now offer some entertainment on their treadmill equipment. This can range from an inbuilt speaker system with music port to connect an iPOD or MP3 player to a flat screen TV. Some of the top models even have displays that will display a virtual running environment so that the user will given the impression that they are running through a park or up a hillside.

How much the budget?

The most important thing to be considered is how much budget we have. Treadmill equipment can vary in price from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. A low budget powered treadmill can be bought from around US$500 but it would be naive to assume that this would be capable of performing the same kind off duty as a model costing US$5000. As with any other consumer item the price is going to give some measure of its capability and quality. A treadmill can take a lot of punishment and should be expected to last several years so it is best to spend as much as we can afford taking into account some of the other factors listed below.

By giving careful consideration to the things above we should have a better idea of what to look for when buying a treadmill equipment. Stand a better chance of ending up with a treadmill that meets both our budget and our fitness needs.

I have written many articles about Treadmill Equipment. I suggest you check out my other guide on used treadmills tips and cheap treadmill guide!