So You Want to Buy a HomeTreadmill?

Why are you thinking about buying a home treadmill? Have you used one in the past? Do you walk regularly or have you done so in the past? The reason that treadmills are so popular and have always been the number one selling fitness machine is because of two reasons:

1 They work!
2 It is a natural motion that most of us have done since we were 1 year old.

Is it to lose weight, tone up, stay in shape, rehabilitate? The answer to this question, along with a few other factors will help you determine how much to spend. If you haven’t put much thought into it yet, you may want to take the questionnaire located on our website at home fitness equipment.

How Much to Spend for the home treadmill

You should never, ever begin seriously shopping for a treadmill without determining how much to spend, unless you want to pay too much. We’re going to help you figure this out step by step.

Step 1: Financial limitations: Your budget will determine this one. If you can’t afford a $3,000 treadmill, let’s not even consider it. Determine the maximum amount you can spend. You may need a better treadmill, but only spend what you can afford.

Step 2: Have you used a treadmill in the past? If you have, and you used it simply for walking, does it make sense to buy one that’s built for a marathon runner? You can limit your choices at this point. A good basic model may be all you need or you may need one with full programmability and heart rate control (HRC) features.

Step 3: Do you walk regularly or have you done so in the past? If you have, we recommend that you buy a better treadmill than if you haven’t. The reason is that if you have a pattern of consistent exercise and you are like most people, you will not buy a treadmill that will meet your needs. You will see the $599 specials and then try to use it 1 hour per day, every day of the year and then wonder why it completely breaks down within the first 6 months of use. If you have a track record of consistent use, buy accordingly.

Step 4: determine your needs and select the options you want before you go shopping. It’s like buying a car, appliances, a new home, or other large purchases. If the seller can get you emotional about things you don’t need, he or she has a good chance of selling them to you. You don’t want to get home and regret your purchase. Simply find the features that you want and if the dealer brings up an option that sounds great, give yourself some time to think about it. You don’t have to buy it immediately.

Decide Who, Where, & How You Will Use the Home Treadmill

WHO: Decide who will be using it. This is important because a single user that weighs 110 lbs. will need a much different treadmill than a family of 4 that has 2 people over 200 lbs. For each person, over 2 people, that is using the treadmill on a regular basis, which is 3 times per week, we recommend stepping up 1 level in quality (we will talk about quality levels in a sec).

WHERE: If you have a tiny space to place it in, you won’t be able to buy a large commercial unit, even if you can afford it. You want to make sure you see the treadmill every day. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. Space may necessitate a treadmill that can fold up or you may need to limit the weight of a unit if it will rest upstairs in an older home. Think through all of these factors before you purchase.

HOW: How it will be used is the most important consideration. An older 95 lb. lady that wants to use it 10 minutes a day, 3 days per week is going to need a much different treadmill than a competitive athlete. Normal use would be considered using it up to 30 minutes per day, every day of the week. Past this, level in quality for every 30 minutes per day extra that it will be used. you should step up 1