Many people regard running/jogging as one of the best all-round forms of exercise, yet for some it’s not convenient or possible to run outdoors – pollution in our cities and the traffic on the streets, often put people off venturing outside their front door. Treadmills have become incredibly popular over the years, for this very reason – with such a huge variety of treadmills for sale, here’s what you should you know before you make your purchase…
The benefits of using a treadmill
With obesity levels on the rise worldwide, people are more interested than ever in ways to lose weight. There are many diet plans on the market, and all sorts of weird and wonderful drinks and supplements that make incredible claims… but the simple solution? Eat a balanced diet, and exercise. To maximise weight loss, you want to concentrate on aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise. Aerobic exercise is where you perform a low to medium intensity activity over a period of time, increasing your heart rate and oxygen intake. By sustaining an aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes, three times a week, your body will burn calories and you will lose weight. Running, or jogging, is a perfect aerobic exercise that most people are able to do.
Why buy a treadmill?
Having a treadmill at home removes the excuse not to exercise – I didn’t have time to get to the gym; I’m out of shape, and self-conscious about exercising in public… you’ll never be able to use these again. By having your own treadmill you can exercise at a time and a rate that’s convenient to you. All you’ll need is a little room to set up, and you’re ready to run – and with a whole range of treadmill workouts that you can use to vary your routine, you can be sure that you’ll never get bored from running on the spot.
What should I look for when buying a treadmill?
If you’re looking for the best treadmills for home use, then there’s a huge number of specialist online web-stores where you’ll be sure to find a treadmill for sale that will fit your needs and budget. If you’re short of space, many retailers will have folding treadmills for sale along side their regular stock of gym equipment, and if you’re short on money then many specialist fitness stores should also have a range of re-manufactured or used treadmills for sale too.
The motor is the main part to the machine – it’s output is measured in horse-power (HP), and the higher this value the stronger and more efficient the treadmill will be. As a guide, you should look for at least a 1.75HP motor, or 2.0HP if you’re planning on running an indoor marathon.
Next in line of importance is the belt – this is what you’ll be running on, so it should be long enough to accommodate your stride length, and wide enough that you wont feel like your running on a balance beam. A length in the region of 1.2m (47”) and a width of 0.4m (16”) will be fine for most people, but if you have the room to go longer & wider then all the better. Remember – the taller you are, the longer your stride length will be.
Unless you want to run flat-out all the time, your treadmill must have a variable speed. Running at a maximum speed of 12mph would put you in the company of world-class athletes running a marathon, so you shouldn’t need anything faster than this.
To simulate running up hill, many treadmills are able to incline the belt at one end. An incline of 10% should be sufficient to give you a good workout.
Many modern treadmills will have a number of pre-programmed exercise routines. They can start you off at a slow pace on the flat, and vary your speed and incline automatically during the program. This can be a great way of keeping you motivated, rather than just plodding through the same distance at the same pace each time you exercise.
Once you find a machine that you like the look of and that fits your budget, you should search online for some treadmill reviews – reviews from people who already own a particular piece of fitness equipment, will always give you a better idea if the machine that you’re considering really lives up to it’s sales hype.
Where should I buy from?
You’ll find some great suppliers offering cheap treadmills for sale online, and many of them can be accessed by clicking on our advertising links. You’ll often get a better deal online, and have the treadmill delivered direct to your door. The benefits of having your sports equipment delivered direct to you can’t be overlooked – dumbbells, exercise bikes, weight machines and treadmills are all very heavy and cumbersome items.
When buying, always check that you get a comprehensive warranty – you’ll be putting in some miles on your new treadmill, and it should be able to cope with the job. If something goes wrong, you’ll want to know that the repair cost will be covered, and if possible the repair either carried out in your home or collected and taken away. Many electric treadmills for sale will include a minimum 12 months warranty.