But you find there are dozens of different treadmills,ranging
in price from $399 to over $3,000. What accounts for the huge
difference in price? What do you look for when buying?
Don't
Leave Home . . .
First, before
going anywhere, decide where you will put your new treadmill--and
measure the space. You'll need some free space around the machine
itself--and some head room if you're going to get a machine
that inclines. Second, dress in loose, comfortable clothing
and workout shoes. You'll want to try out several machines
before you buy. Finally, head off to a specialty fitness retail
store.
Construction
The
deciding factor in the life of a treadmill is the motor. If
you want your treadmill to last, look for the larger, heavier
motors.
"Horsepower"
is applied to two different ratings--"peak duty rating"
and "continuous duty rating." The peak duty rating
is advertised on a treadmill tag. The continuous duty rating
is stamped directly on the motor and is the rating that determines
its quality and duration.
In
general, the larger and heavier the motor is, the cooler it
will run and the longer it will last. Penn State Sports Medicine
Newsletter recommends purchasing a machine with at least 1.5
continuous duty horsepower--higher if you weigh more than 185
pounds or plan to run on the treadmill. (But be sure to check
the voltage. Some treadmills with heavy motors are 220 which
won't work in most homes.)
The
thickness of the walking deck and the size of the walking track
should also be high on your list of priorities. The thickness
of the deck affects the comfort of the legs and feet with prolonged
use. Choose a treadmill that has a deck thickness of at least
3/4 inch, or one inch if you plan to do both walking and jogging.
The
walking track needs enough length (at least 48 inches) and width
(at least 17 inches) for you to walk comfortably without stepping
off the track. If you plan to run on your new treadmill, you
may want a longer track. Test it while you are in the store.
The
"buzz" feature these days is definitely shock absorption.
To provide effective cushioning for the legs, feet and back,
the treadmill's suspension must be directly under the walking
deck (Some treadmills may have "shock absorbers" on
the legs of the treadmill so you can see the frame bounce while
you are walking. This is not effective shock absorption!) The
padding can be made of foam or rubber. Foam is softer and more
compressible than rubber, but requires more time to return to
its original thickness after impact. Rubber instantly recovers
to full thickness and is better able to maintain its energy
absorption level. Again, test the machine yourself.
"Perks"
After you've
checked out the physical construction, you can look at a treadmill's
electronic board. Here's where you can economize, if necessary.
The less expensive treadmills have the basics: speed, distance,
incline, time and calories. The more expensive treadmills also
have a range of special preset exercise programs that automatically
alter speed and incline, varying high-intensity effort with
lower-intensity effort. Some treadmills even measure your heart
rate! Ask yourself, will electronic programs and feedback motivate
you to keep exercising? If not, and/or you're on a limited budget,
you can buy a less expensive machine and a separate heart rate
monitor, and develop your own programs.
Service
and Warranties
Ask
the dealer about delivery and setup. Sometimes this is included
in the price--and other times, it's not. Also, check out the
service and warranty policies.
The
minimum warranty on a fairly good treadmill is 90 days parts
and service. The better treadmills will carry a three-year warranty
on the motor and two years on the drive train. As for who will
be responsible for servicing a treadmill when it has problems--the
store you purchased it from. So if the store offers a good guarantee,
chances are the machine won't need servicing very often!
If
you choose a quality electric treadmill, it will last for years
and provide great versatility for your cardiovascular program.
Find a good specialty equipment store in your area that can
help you find the treadmill you need. And then by all means,
use it!
This article
is brought to you by IDEA, The Health & Fitness Source,
the leading organization serving personal trainers, exercise
instructors, and business operators.
Visit
IDEA's web site at http://www.ideafit.com
