Confused with All the Brands Of Treadmills Available?
Confused With All The Brands and Models of Exercise Treadmills
Available?
Read on to find out what it's all about... Home fitness
equipment and in particular your very own treadmill can be a
major help in your fitness program. Using a treadmill on a
regular basis can help you in the following areas: losing
weight, gettin fit, toning muscle, accomplishing your fitness
goals, feeling more vibrant.
To lose fat and build your cardiovascular endurance most people
only need about 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. And you
can do this in the privacy of your home, you won't have to drive
anywhere and you won't have to spend heaps on gym memberships.
Not enough room at home? The lightweight folding models
available mean that storage is a breeze - in most cases they
will slip under the spare bed.
If space is not an issue then there is no problem - just focus
on what is the best treadmill for your fitness program. You
should choose your treadmill according to how you plan to use it.
If you run every day you will need a much sturdier treadmill
with a wider and longer belt than one recommended for occasional
walkers. All the frills such as fans, CD players, TV remote
holders just add to the cost of the treadmill and you would be
better off investing in a better quality treadmill that will
give you a better workout.
The most important features to look for on your treadmill are
ease of operation, push button controls, a safety key to stop
the treadmill if you fall and also to prevent young children
from turning the treadmill on, a heart rate monitor, front and
side hand grips, wide flat footrails on either side of the belt.
There is a huge range of prices, some as little as $300. But
there is also a huge difference in quality between those
treadmills for $300 and the $1000+ exercise treadmills
recommended by the pro's. This huge difference in quality is
also shown by the warranties some treadmill manufacturers offer.
Treadmills under $1000 typically only have a 90 day warranty,
except for the Smooth Treadmill which has a lifetime frame
warranty and 2 years warranty on parts and one year on service.
Whereas your Landice Treadmill has a lifetime guarantee on parts
and 1 year on labor. This is an important point to note as with
exercise treadmills weighing in at around 200lbs, you'll have to
get the technician to call out to your home to repair it.
As you can imagine, treadmills under $1000 also don't perform as
well as the more expensive models. The weslo treadmill DS11 that
sells at around $300 has just a 16 inch wide belt, compared to
20 inch ones on most other machines. This might be okay at slow
walking speeds but trying to keep your feet inside 16 inches can
be difficult at higher speeds. And if you find it hard to keep
your feet together you'll step on the side rails - which could
prove quite painful!
But if you only plan on walking slowly as part of your fitness
program then the weslo treadmill model DS11 would be okay. The
image treadmill model 16.OQ which sells around $515 is also only
really recommended for walking, although it has a wider 19 inch
belt. It has a the short 90 day warranty and with a 250lbs
weight limit it should not be used for heavier walkers.
The Tunturi treadmills are extremely durable home treadmills.
They feature a 10 year warranty on the motor, 3 years on parts
and 1 year on labor. Made in Finland and the top of the range
J5F is an excellent design with hi-tech electronics and has all
the comfort features of course!
The belt is 20 inches wide and has a fully shock absorbent
running platform that elevates to 10% in .5% steps. The front
bar and sporting handrails on the sides ensure a great running
feeling and a safe workout. The console offers constant
heart-rate control training and pre-set heart rate control
working profiles for the most effective exercise. The console
also features an easy read scrolling display which guides your
treadmill training progress.
It has a patented folding mechanism and so this treadmill is
still quite easy to move. But at $1798.95 this treadmill
deserves to be on display all the time! (Free shipping!)
Most of the Tunturi treadmill range comes with pre-programmed
exercise profiles to suit different users. To cater for so many
needs and conditions Tunturi has brought in the scaling
function. With a default value set at 100%, the user then
adjusts the default to lighten or increase the load. Your
exercise has been scaled to the right level when your heart rate
stays in the same zone profile for the workout goal you have
chosen. The tunturi treadmill makes this a very simple function
and the scale can be changed before or during the program to
suit your needs.
At the other end of the scale, the horizon fitness T51 treadmill
is excellent value at under $700. It has a motorized belt and
features a hand grip contact heart rate monitor to make it easy
to see how you're doing. And to keep your cool while you walk or
run there's a built in fan.
Easy to read blue backlit console displays time, distance,
calories burned, heart rate and speed. All the essentials that
make it easy for you to get fit, tone muscle and lose fat.
There are 4 pre-set profiles and this treadmill has speeds of
5-10 mph. It has an elevation of up to 10% in 1% steps. The
large running area is 18 x 50 inches and it uses a 1.75 hp
motor. Maximum user weight is 250lbs.
There is a lifetime warranty on the frame, 7 years on the motor
and 1 year on parts and labor. It is manufactured in China.