Posts Tagged ‘Home Treadmill’

How To Shop For Treadmills – Save Your Money

Posted on December 19th, 2009 by admin  |  No Comments »

When you have a home treadmill you can still manage to have a very effective workout regardless of how the weather is doing outside. The home treadmill was one of the first pieces of home fitness equipment appealing to walkers, joggers, runners and a wide range of people. And shopping can be overwhelming for a lot of buyers.
A bit of trivia: The word treadmill originally designated a type of mill which was operated by a person treading the steps of a wheel to grind grain.
On to some facts: And treadmills can have a either an AC or a DC powered motor. Some treadmills monitor your heart by way of sensors that are built into the frame. A heart rate monitor, which is good to have, enables a treadmill to automatically adjust the speed and/or the incline to keep your heart rate within the most optimum zone. You grip it with your hands, but it can only be done if you’re walking not running. Most units come with an electronic console that displays the workout feedback like speed, distance traveled, the time you’ve spent working out, and calories you’ve burned.
Notice that some treadmill heart rate monitors clip right onto an ear or, for more accurate readings, strap onto the chest. The deck is the belt area on which actual running, jogging and walking take place. Most of the models today do have the ability to add an incline to your workout to duplicate running or walking uphill, thereby increasing the intensity of your workout.
The display panels should be easy to read and easy enough to operate. One of the key things to remember is that the larger motors do tend to run cooler and usually require less repair and maintenance.
Before buying a treadmill, make sure the deck area provides enough space for you to exercise comfortably and the belt should work smoothly without slipping or sticking. Buying fitness equipment online has grown at a fast pace over the past few years. Treadmill manufacturers are competing for your business and price wars are creating big savings for buyers.
You may want to spend less money if you’re not really sure if you’ll continue using it or not. You’ll want a treadmill with an aluminum or high alloy steel frame that’s strong enough to support the heaviest runner in your household or anyone else who’ll be using it. Commercial club units are reliable and well constructed so do look into a home version if you like how it operates.
Probably the most important thing to look for in a treadmill is to know how sturdy it is. If possible try out the model you want. You’ll probably want to buy a unit with a motor that delivers 1.5 to 3 continuous, not peak, horsepower though. If you’re planning to use a treadmill purely for walking you’re not likely to need an expensive top-of-the-line machine. Most manufacturers of the commercial treadmills found in gyms and health clubs also produce great home versions.
One indication of the likely longevity of any treadmill is to check out the length of the manufacturer’s warranty. You want a long one if possible, the longer the better. And any treadmill with a belt that causes jerky movements while you walk or run should be completely avoided.
Walking, whether on a treadmill or outside, is one of the best approaches you can take toward physical fitness. More people every day are choosing a healthier lifestyle. The majority of beginning exercisers start out by walking or jogging in their neighborhood. To get even more workouts, think about making your treadmill into a walking and working office by adding a mini-platform to the side rails. And be careful, because any type of jogging or running, whether it’s on a treadmill or not, puts strain on leg and hip joints.
Make sure to take your time and choose a home treadmill that fits into your fitness goals. Do plenty of research online. Home treadmills are an important investment, regardless of the price, and if it’s not right for you, you don’t want to find out after you’ve set it up at home.
Take time to do your research, the same way you would any other major purchase and you’ll find buying a treadmill won’t be difficult. Read the various treadmill ratings and treadmill reviews that you find online and offline so you will have an idea which models and prices are best for you.

5 Things to Consider When Shopping for the Best Home Treadmill

Posted on December 18th, 2009 by admin  |  No Comments »

Treadmills can be one of the most expensive pieces of fitness equipment in any home gym. Before you even start to think about what model or brand to buy there are several key factors that you should think about before you make your purchasing decision. That way you are insured to buy the best home treadmill you can for your budget.
1. How much space do you have for the treadmill?
When your using your treadmill you want to make sure that you have plenty of empty space behind you. I’ve heard many stories of people dropping an ipod onto the belt while running or walking. They stop to pick it up only to be propelled off the back of the machine. By making sure that you have enough clearance behind you will not only prevent you from breaking other furnishing, but will also reduce your chance of injury.
2. Where will you store your treadmill when it’s not being used?
If you don’t have a lot of space available, you might want to consider purchasing a folding treadmill that can be folded up and rolled away to store. Just keep in mind how heavy some treadmill mills are and how easily that is going to be accomplished. Also consider the type of flooring under the treadmill. If you have hard wood floors you might not want to scratch them up moving the treadmill around. When you have a storage area picked out, measure this area and have the figures with you when you go to purchase your treadmill. That way you can make sure it will fit.
3. Do you plan on using your treadmill for running or walking?
Walking or running on a treadmill actually puts different demands on the treadmill. When you walk on a treadmill you put more pressure on the treadmill’s belt then when you run. This is because your feet are on the belt more when you walk. This makes the treadmill’s motor work harder. When shopping for a treadmill you need to look at the continuous duty rating for the motor. Make sure that this figure falls somewhere between 1.5 to 2.5 horsepower.
If you are planning to use your treadmill mostly for running, you’ll want to make sure that the length of the treadmill’s running deck is long enough to accommodate your running stride. You should feel comfortable and secure that you have enough room. You’ll want to bring a friend along with you when you go to the store. Have them stand behind you as you run to see if there is enough free space between you and the end of the belt.
4. Decide on your budget before you go to the store.
This way you wouldn’t have to worry about being pressured into buying a treadmill that is out of your range. It also might help to determine the store that you go to. Treadmill prices generally break down into three price ranges. Budget models usually fall somewhere between $500 and $1,500. For midrange models you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to up to $3,000. High quality machines for the elite athlete can be purchase for $3,000 and above. Treadmills come in a wide range of prices. You’ll want to find the best home treadmill for you that falls within your budget range.
5. Be prepared to shop around.
I would strongly recommend that you go to a physical store and try out every model that you are considering. Don’t forget to bring your tape measure with you to check the size of the machine open and folded to make sure it will fit in the space you’ve planned in step one. After you have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 specific machines, shop online. Treadmills are the purchase where it doesn’t matter if you buy from a store or online because the cost of home delivery or shipping from an online dealer cancels each other out. This way you can make sure that you are paying the lowest price for the best machine that you can find.

Discount Treadmill: 3 Ways To Save On You Home Treadmill

Posted on December 15th, 2009 by admin  |  No Comments »

Most people looking to buy a treadmill are interested in getting a discount.  We all want to save money and get a higher quality product right?

So where can you go to find huge discounts on brand name treadmills?  There are several legitimate ways to get a discount treadmill which I’ll outline in this article.

Please note however that I’m not saying: ‘buy a cheap treadmill’.  With treadmills, you definitely don’t want to skimp on quality. 

A cheap, unstable treadmill with improper cushioning and low quality parts will not only cost you in repairs but in health. You can ruin your joints and cause long term health damage.

So I’m not saying ‘Go cheap’ with your treadmill.  What I am saying is that there ARE several ways to get a high quality treadmill for a discount price. Here they are:

#1) Buy From An Online Fitness Store

There are several online fitness stores that sell a large variety of brand name treadmills directly to you.  Because they are not paying the overhead costs of a store, these savings get passed on to you and you can often save hundreds of dollars on a brand name treadmill.

Plus, most of these stores will give you free shipping (which can save you up to $150).  And you can even save on sales tax in some areas.

One note of caution: Not all fitness stores are alike.  Make sure you buy from an online store that offers proven experience shipping treadmills, secure online ordering and a solid money-back guarantee (a 30 – 60 day money back guarantee is standard with treadmills).

#2) Buy Directly From The Treadmill Manufacturer

Some treadmill manufacturers will sell their treadmills directly to the consumer.  By skipping the middleman (the store) you also save on the mark up price that the store has to add to make a profit.

This can, again, save you hundreds of dollars and get you a brand name treadmill for a discount price.  Like online stores, when you buy directly online from the treadmill manufacturer, you also can usually get free shipping and even save on sales tax.

Again, remember to buy from a manufacturer that offers secure ordering and a 30 – 60 day money back guarantee.

#3) Buy A Used Treadmill

While I don’t really recommend this, some people save money by purchasing a used treadmill.

The main drawback to this option is that there is no warranty to protect your investment.  If your treadmill breaks down you’re either out the money to fix it or out the money you spent to buy it (if you choose not to repair the treadmill).

If you do decide to go this route, make sure you know the make and model of the treadmill and that you’ve checked the store price of the treadmill. This will give you more bargaining power and ensure you don’t overpay for the treadmill.

So those are several ways to get a legitimate discount on your treadmill.  For a list of treadmill manufacturers visit:

http://www.treadmillreview.net/TreadmillStores.html

Enjoy and have fun!

Top Things To Look For When Buying A Treadmill

Posted on December 12th, 2009 by admin  |  No Comments »

With surge in number of obese and cholesterol stricken people, treadmills are high in demand. In fact those who are neither obese nor suffering from high fat deposition prefer working out on treadmills for treadmills today are accepted as one of the best equipments to keep fit.
Henceforth, if you are the one looking for an exercise equipment to keep yourself in good shape, you can safely zoom in on a home treadmill. But then spending money on a home treadmill is more like an investment. A good treadmill won’t come in less than thousand dollars, so before spending your money you should get yourself informed of all essential aspects of treadmill buying. These different aspects could be discussed as:
Varying prices of treadmill models
Treadmills come with a wide range of models that are offered with great disparity of prices. If you don’t know the reason behind these varying prices, you might get confused while buying a treadmill.
Basically pricing is done on availability of various features in a treadmill. There are brands offering superior quality models, middle range models as well as cheaper models. A cheaper model could be bought in less than thousand dollars. You can buy a mid range treadmill by spending in between thousand to fifteen hundred dollar. A superior model would cost you above two thousand. It comes with added features and a good number of preprogrammed workouts.
Efficiency of motor
Motor is most important part of a treadmill. It is often termed as heart of a treadmill. Before buying a treadmill you need to look into capacity of this vital component to provide you exercises of varying range. A motor’s capacity is measured in terms of horsepower. Horsepower counts are measured separately for peak duty and continuous duty. Usually retailers bluff a naive folk by a showing a good peak duty horsepower. However actual depicter of a motor’s efficiency is its continuous duty horsepower. A treadmill with its continuous motor HP of two and above is considered good.
Proper cushioning and stability of a treadmill
You are also needed to look into cushioning of deck. If your treadmill doesn’t possess a jerk free cushioning system you may end up damaging your joints and back muscles while exercising on it. In order to check cushioning you should better go for a trial exercise.
You should also check treadmills against stability. For that you are needed to examine quality of belt and smoothness of workout.
Extended warranty period
A good warranty period suggests that a treadmill counts high on durability. All leading brands offer an extended warranty period on their treadmill models. Models that come with a warranty period of five years and more are considered stable. So always look for an extended warranty while buying a home treadmill.
Number of features available in a model
You must also check the model on which you have zoomed in against number of possible preprogrammed workouts. A good number of possible workouts on treadmill would ensure that you get variety of inclines and speed. It would keep your workout session away from monotony and would also result in quick weight shedding.
Apart from above mentioned aspects you should also look into noise level and length and width of belt. Don’t overlook other parts of treadmill.
Keeping all the above mentioned aspects clearly in your mind, you are most likely to strike a better treadmill deal. All the best!

Commercial Treadmills: The Heavy Duty Treadmills For Advanced Users

Posted on December 11th, 2009 by admin  |  No Comments »

Commercial treadmills are not meant to serve individual workout needs. Instead they are used for commercial purposes in gyms and fitness clubs. Most of the physical trainers who own a gym or a fitness club are in great need of good commercial treadmills that could sustain constant usage. These treadmills are needed to be much strongly built in order to cope up with over use and harsher treatments.
These commercial treadmills are often called heavy duty treadmills because of their high horsepower motor that is specially designed to bear constant and rigorous workouts. These heavy duty treadmills have their horsepower efficiency around and above three HP when on continuous duty.
Other components of these treadmills are also specifically manufactured and designed to suit conditions at a gym. For example these commercial tread equipments come with a belt of four ply instead of two ply belt that you find in treadmills used for individual purposes.
Along with the surge in demand of home treadmills, need for commercial treadmills were expected to decrease. But contrarily commercial treadmills happen to be equally sought after and almost all leading brands have climbed on the band wagon for producing these business tread equipments.
Comparatively this business tread equipment takes greater space and are often heavier than home purpose treadmills. These treadmills are considered to be perfect for aerobic physical exercises.
Although these treadmills are strongly built, they are also not bared from maintenance. All gym owners should ensure that their equipments get periodic motor cleaning.
However, the differentiating line between a home treadmill and a commercial treadmill seems blurred today as even for individual use folks are seeking heavy duty machines. That’s why manufacturers have taken a concerted effort to come up with a new genre for those who are willing to buy a heavy duty home treadmill. This new category is known as commercial grade treadmill that resembles a commercial treadmill but is not at par with it in terms of features and stability. These commercial grade machines are also lighter than business tread equipments.
A good quality commercial treadmill would come at a price above and around four thousand dollars. Before choosing a model for your gym its better you access reviews on various models to find out best possible equipments for your gym.
Nordic Track, Life fitness and Landice are some of the popular commercial treadmill providers. Precor brand is no less behind in terms of demand. These brands have carved out a niche for themselves in sphere commercial treadmills and they are also indulged in a tough fight to have a greater share of the market. True treadmills have been also found gaining popularity for its commercial models. This brand also extends facility of home shipping. It’s Z7, Z8, Z9 series are widely in use.
Since a great deal of money is spent on commercial treadmills, so buying deal must involve enough caution and care.