November 21st, 2006
Should You Buy a Treadmill?
The treadmill
However, having one in your home can be a bit of a challenge. They take up a lot of space, so storage is often a problem. It’s also very common for someone to buy a home treadmill and then more or less use it as a place to put clutter, rather than actually using it.
The first consideration when buying a treadmill is figuring out if you will really use it enough to justify the cost. You don’t want to spend more than the equipment is worth to you in terms of how much you will use it.
You generally don’t want to buy the cheapest piece of gym equipment in any category. You need to find that balance between quality and cost. In other words you don’t necessarily need the most expensive treadmill either. Be sensible about your budget.
Consider what you get for your money. Some features may be important to you, others less so. Treadmills can run over $2000 or far less than that, so when you’re considering one you need to know which features will motivate you to use it more.
I’ve always been fond of the tilt feature that some treadmills have. It’s a great way to add extra effort to your workout. Some treadmills also have handles that can monitor your heart rate, tell you how far you’ve walked, estimated calories burned and so forth. It may even allow several users to store their data.
A good warranty is also very important. You want the confidence that your treadmill will work for years. The length of time that parts are covered versus labor may matter to you, as labor is often the more expensive part of getting something repaired, yet is covered for a shorter time.
I’m not going to recommend a particular brand here. I don’t own a treadmill personally right now, and trying them in the store only tells you so much. I do a lot of walking outside, and so for me a treadmill would be pointless. I strongly recommend doing your own research and figuring out which treadmill
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