Smart Treadmill Selection Tips

You want to get back into shape but the thought of going outside and taking your chances against the crazy drivers puts you off a bit. Or maybe the cold weather makes you wish you could do something indoors. So you start thinking about getting a treadmill. You go online to start your research and suddenly become overwhelmed with the possibilities.

Fortunately, there are a lot of bells and whistles, but the basics are but a few. If you focus on the basics and make your selection based on those, you will have a great buying experience, as well as a great machine to support your new exercise regimen.

First tip is to get realistic about the correlation between quality and price. In other markets (markets where the cost of manufacturing is a small component of the sales price) higher prices may not reflect a higher quality product. In the treadmill market, however, this is not the case. Treadmills are made from good old fashioned steel (the bulk of it) and the raw materials and manufacturing process make up a large portion of the sales price. So be prepared to pay good money for an investment that will pay off for years. If you're looking to spend a couple of hundred dollars and expect to get a good treadmill, forget it. You are wasting your time. You're better off spending that money on a gym membership where you can get access to quality equipment. (That, of course, prevents you from exercising at home, but getting a substandard treadmill should be out of the question.)

Second tip is to match your goals to the treadmill. Here's what I mean. Are you a serious runner or a beginner that's needing to start off with moderate walking? This will determine the type of horsepower you should be looking for in the treadmill motor. When looking at treadmill motor specifications, look for the 'continuous duty' listing of horsepower, not just the "peak" horsepower. If you only intend to walk on the treadmill, then horsepower does not need to be as high as if you were looking to always run on the treadmill.

Third tip is to match the treadmill running surface to your height. If you are a tall person, then you want to look closely at the dimensions of the running surface and compare the width and length data for the treadmills you are considering. The taller you are, the more comfortable you will be with a longer running surface. As a note, even if you are not tall, a longer running surface will provide a more comfortable running and walking experience than a shorter one. So a longer running surface is recommended as a general rule. The point is that if you are taller, the running surface length becomes more of an issue to pay close attention to.