What to Consider Before Buying a Treadmill

Treadmills are NOT all created equally. That is one thing you should definitely keep in mind, when you set out to purchase a treadmill for your home or office.

There are several things you should consider before you actually fork out the money for a treadmill. One of the most important considerations is this: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

If you are considering purchasing a treadmill we recommend Sole treadmills. They are used for in-room service in the Hilton chain, and come with a 2 year service warranty. Their prices include free shipping.

Okay! So, how much can you afford to spend on a new treadmill? If you’re a runner, but only have a few hundred dollars to spend, you’d be better off waiting until you’ve saved up enough money to buy a higher quality machine that can endure regular running workouts. Run outdoors or go to a gym until you can afford a machine worthy of your ownership.

If you’re a walker, you can likely get by with a lower-end model treadmill! After all, walking is not quite so rigorous, nor as high-impact, as running. The machine is not subjected to as much hard pounding by a walker as it would be subjected to by a runner. Therefore, a less expensive treadmill would probably hold up fine for walking workouts.

Find out what kind of warranties come with each treadmill that you consider purchasing. A really good machine will be covered by really good warranties!

Consider what features you want on your treadmill. What features will you actually use? A high-end model treadmill will come feature-rich! That’s great, if you want flexibility and variety in your workouts! However, if all you want to do is simply set a certain pace and walk on a flat surface, then you don’t really want to pay for all those extra features!

Look around your home or office. How much space do you actually have to set up a treadmill? The amount of available space you have for a large piece of fitness equipment will also help determine what treadmill will work best for you. If you need a sturdier, high-end model treadmill for running…but are a little short on space…consider a folding model.

You can fold it up after each use to give you a little more space. Also, most folding treadmills have wheels for moving them easier from one spot to another. However, don’t let those wheels fool you! These machines are generally quite heavy…and, wheels or no wheels, they require some effort to be moved!

In summary, below is a list of what you should consider before buying a treadmill:

How much can you afford to spend on a treadmill?

How intensely do you plan to work out on your treadmill?

What features do you want and will actually use?

How much space do you have to set up your treadmill?

How good are the warranties that cover the machine?

You should also look closely at the warranty. A treadmill warranty says volumes about the quality of the machine. A company that backs their machine with a lengthy warranty is saying, we build good machines that will last." If they didn't the company would go broke repairing their treadmills.

Also get a feel for the quality of the customer service. Check out some of the shopping comparison sites like shopping.com and bizrate.com.

By Cyndi Schoenhals
“I HATE DIETS!” Weight Loss Program