How to choose a treadmill

If you’re thinking of getting a treadmill, you’re making a great decision. A treadmill is among the best and most user-friendly fitness equipment.

Used for running and lower-body based workouts, the treadmill offers a great way to get aerobic exercise, which not only burns fat but also increases your cardio-vascular strength, making your heart and lungs strong.

In fact, nowadays treadmills come with an incline option: where the ramp or the belt is raised slightly to create a slope for you to climb with speed, and a backwards belt option: where you run backwards instead of forwards because the belt goes that way. With such features, treadmills can also be used to practice interval training.

Treadmills allow you to design your workout as per your requirements and they come with a host of additional facilities like Heart Rate Monitors and Pulse Monitors that are embedded in them. An extra plus is that they can be used by as many people in your family as you want – most treadmills come with at least two and as many as 6 user profiles. They also track and report your progress so you can see how far you’ve come to staying fit.

With all those great features, you should just get one immediately, right?

Well, pause for a second because treadmills are also one of the most expensive fitness equipment out there. They are an investment and are expected to last. Some of the most trusted brands like Precor offer up to 10 years warranty on parts. That’s a long time to spend with a treadmill. It’s important to make sure that you’ve made the right choice.

The Belt of the Treadmill

Make sure you’re getting a treadmill with a great belt. The belt is your major point of contact with the treadmill and if it does not come with injury prevention features, your legs may be in for trouble. Check if the display and settings panel is in easy reach of your belt position so you can stop, restart, reset or pause with convenience.

The Motor of the Treadmill

The motor should be your second point of concern. The performance and delivery of the treadmill depend on the quality of the motor. The speed and silence of the motor ensure a smooth workout whereas a loud whirring motor can distract and injure you. As the motor is one of the most used parts in a treadmill, it is often not given as extended a warranty the way other parts of the treadmill are.

The Size of the Treadmill

The size of the treadmill is another big factor to consider. For one, it should fit easily in your home. For equipment this big in size, finding one that doesn’t make your house feel cramped can be a tough task. And even when it’s not in use, you do not want your treadmill to take up a lot of space. Check for easily foldable options when you’re selecting treadmills.

Check the range of functions that are available for pre-setting in treadmills. Many treadmills offer a range of settings and workout plans and profiles that you can choose from or they let you create your own map. They also come with a range of features. If you’re looking for a simpler workout, just opt for a simple treadmill as additional features make the cost of this equipment jump high.

Relying on established brands is a good idea. You can check their extended list of fitness equipment online and browse through user reviews to figure out the quality of their customer service and product. Having a chat with their customer service before you purchase the treadmill is recommended. It’s always a good plan to know how far their service teams and centres are located from your place.

Buying a treadmill online is the best option, because not only will you find more choice in fitness machines online, you will also find extended reviews and a team to guide you with selecting the best equipment for your house. An additional plus is that it’s delivered right to your doorstep!

Keep these few guidelines in mind and finding a treadmill will be as easy as anything.