Treadmill Buying Guide

Treadmills are an excellent investment in your health and fitness, however, it's worth doing some research to be sure that you're getting exactly what you need. Understanding what makes up a good, quality, machine will help in finding the best product for you and for your budget. This article depicts key attributes to keep an eye out for, beginning with...

The Motor
This is what, essentially, makes up a treadmill. The motor is what allows you to set the pace of your work out and is the most expensive part to replace if it breaks down. (An incline facility is operated by a separate motor.)

Horsepower
The horsepower is the power of your motor and can be divided into two measurements, Peak Duty and Continuous Duty.

Peak Duty is the maximum horsepower that a treadmill can generate for a short period of time.

Continuous Duty is how powerful a treadmill can continuously operate without shutting down.

When buying a treadmill, the Continuous Duty is what you should focus on. If you're a runner, keep your eye out for a continuous duty of 1.5HP, minimum, preferrably 2.0HP - 2.5HP. Walkers will want a continuous duty of 1.0HP - 1.5HP, minimum.

Speed
The majority of treadmills offer a range of speeds from 1mph-10mph. The average walking pace is between the 3mph - 6mph range, and jogging is between 6mph - 10mph. Unless you plan to do short sprints, which is not recommended on a treadmill, then 10mph is more than enough.

Belt or Deck
Treadmill decks vary in length and on whether the unit is geared towards walkers/joggers or runners. The length varies from about 45 inches to 60 inches, while the belt width varies from 16 inches to 22 inches. If you have long legs, a short belt, of 45 inches, will not accommodate you. You'll need to look for a longer belt size.

• For a long stride, for either walking or light jogging, look for an 18 inch - 22 inch width, and a 50 inch - 60 inch belt length.
• For average strides, for walking or light jogging, look for a 16 inch - 18 inch width and a 45inch - 50 inch belt length.

Incline Facility
A lot of modern tradmills offer an incline facility to diversify the difficulty of your work out. The majority of machines, with an incline facility, will raise up to a 10% grade, which is more than high enough!

Control Panel
Almost all treadmills have some sort of computer console, from a simple odometer and speedometer to pre-programmed work outs, storage capabilities, and various read outs such as time, speed, calories burned, heart rate monitor, etc.

• Computer consoles can generate feedback such as time, speed, calories burned, heart rate, pace, and incline.
• More advanced computer consoles provide more of a chance that something can go wrong, and will also drive up the price of the treadmill.
• Offer a variety of workouts and resistance/difficulty levels to keep you interested and focused.
• The key is to base your decision on the power and quality of both the motor and the machine.

The Top 5 Points to Keep in Mind.

Cushioning - The treadmills ability to absorb shock, of each foot strike, on its deck and belt.

Stability - The solidity, security, and smoothness, are probably a few of the most important qualities of a good treadmill. Stay away from units that jiggle, flex, and hesitate as you run or walk.

Actual Pace - The pace accuracy, which is based on the actual distance covered within 8 minutes, compared to the reading display.

Noise - How much noise does the machine make? The less sound, the better.

One last, important, criterion that we would include, which relates more to the company that you choose to purchase from...

Servicing - Find out if the manufacturer that you purchase from offers in-home servicing, and whether they have technicians in your area. If something should go wrong with your machine, you'll want it fixed fast, and in your home. Find out if the company offers a help line, preferrable toll free, to run a diagnostic test at that precise moment.

Most importantly, make sure thatyour machines comes with a good warranty. It should be covered for parts, especially the motor, and the longer the warranty the better. A good warranty should also cover labor for the first 12 months, and it should be the obligation of the manufacturer to honor the warranty and not the retailer that you purchased from.

Let's have a look at a few of the different treadmill brands...