I say “yet another” and I say it with conviction. This is to save your hard-earned money. However, if you are using the money for the right cause, you shall have my first preferential vote and support for buying a treadmill! The choice is yours!

If you don’t wish to run in the public parks or on the roads adjacent to your apartment for the reasons best known to you, you can go to a gym. And try the workout on an exercise treadmill. After doing the workout for a week or so, if you are satisfied about your ability to use it regularly with benefit, do go for buying an exercise treadmill.

Don’t think ever of buying a cheap treadmill. Your junk dealer, howsoever friendly he may be, when it comes to business, will buy your treadmill only by weight.

Before that, one point incidentally. Do you have enough space in your house? It is a place where you sill spend at least 2 hours a day, for a few days at least, in the first flush of enthusiasm. Majority of your family members are waiting for their turn to exercise on the machine! Even the folding type of exercising machines will require some good space.

Mind you, you are investing some $1000 plus or some dollars more, for celebrating the arrival of the exercising machine. Think of the return on your investment, with the intuition of a stock exchange broker!

What about the specifications? The power of the motor and the maximum speed are the key factors to consider. The ideal standards are 1.5 horsepower and one that can go up to 10 mph. As regards the belt, it should be 48″ long and 16″ wide. Don’t buy any model, unless you try one, howsoever attractive may be the catalog. Salesmen are well-paid to speak sweet-nothings!

One point is clear: Running a treadmill has the definite advantage with regard to timings. You are your own master here. Weather conditions, traffic etc are the constraints if you are a road-runner. Here you are the king, in your own garage! When you are tired, you can stop for a while and review your muscles!

If you decide to buy the treadmill online, be a total businessman in your approach. Disbelieve each and every word of their advertisement, even though you believe! Unless you have a trial run on the machine, never think of buying it. It is the responsibility of the online sellers to arrange for the demonstration of the treadmill at a place convenient to you!

Research first

Before buying a treadmill, work out what you will actually use one for and understand how the available features meet these needs. Consider the following:

Operation – Powered or manual; manual is less expensive but powered treadmills offer more features and convenience in adjustments.
Convenience – Foldable, wheels, self locking storage latch, self unfolding; more convenience equals more price.
Safety – Weight limit, child lock, hand rails, automatic stop; if you have children or exercise alone safety features can be a key factor.
Frame – Steel, plastic, or aircraft-quality aluminum over wood.

Evaluate suitable Treadmills

When weighing up the pros and cons of different treadmills, measure them against your needs. If you are an occasional exerciser who only walks on your treadmill once or twice a week, then a manualbudgettreadmill with a plasticfamemay suffice. If you walkmore frequently you will want to consider better constructed machines with frames made from steelor aircraft quality aluminum. Which treadmill to choose is just one of the issues you should consider but you should also look closely at the others.

Purchase the best Treadmill for your needs

You have a number of choices when it comes to the actual purchase of the treadmill. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and these may be influenced by your individual taste and previous buying experience. Staff at specialized fitness equipment and sports stores may offer the most knowledgeable advice, but prices on the internet are often better. Experienced salespeople can be invaluable if you are still unsure about whether to get a treadmill with internet download capacity or a programmable exerciseroutine option. This is one of the final issues to think about before handing over your hard-earned cash but things such as warranties, guarantees or possible buying traps should also be considered.

Tip: It’s always a good idea to actually try out the treadmill you are thinking of buying. Wear comfortable clothes and do a shorter version of the workout you’re planning to do. If you walk, walk. If you will run, run. Is the beltsmooth? Does it squeak? Are the handlesat a comfortable level? Is the console easy to useas you do your workout? Use the answers to these questions to assess how well the treadmill compares to others on your shortlist.

Research is tremendously important, and recommendations like a
Consumer Reports treadmill Best Buy are helpful, but knowing
your own capabilities, the type of workouts and fitness goals
that suit you, and your own budget is essential. But a Best Buy
is not necessarily a best buy for everyone.

Goal-Oriented Or Humble Ambitions?–Doesn’t Matter

Those designations mean that Consumer Reports and other
reviewers find certain treadmills in each price class
successfully combine quality and features at the best price. It
doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the best buy for you. Your
rule, among the best tips you can give yourself, is to buy the
best quality treadmill you’ll use. . . and use and use.

Here’s one of the most common tips for buying treadmills: if
you’re a runner, don’t look at anything under about $1200. You
need a stable machine with a durable, highly-cushioned deck, and
a running surface long enough and wide enough to accommodate
your stride.

When buying a treadmill, look for a motor to be sufficiently
powerful to handle higher speeds, speed changes, heavier weights
and pounding forces. And you’ll likely want or need the more
complex programming found in better treadmills that disciplines
and varies your workouts.

If you’re buying a treadmill that will be used by several users,
look for a club-grade machine or remanufactured treadmills which
are mostly former club models. Many have cooled motors for more
continuous use.

More tips for buying treadmills can be found at Consumer
Reports, Runners’ World, TreadmillDoctor.com, and other online
sites.

And all this buying treadmill-talk boils down to having the best one, one could have within ones financial bracket. The difficulty throughout is to decide the criteria on which to judge the treadmills. That could be a real task. I have identified 5 most important criteria to home in a good treadmill. Here is the list:

1. Cushioning

By cushioning we mean the capacity of the treadmill to absorb the pounding that you would give it during your workout. The belt and the deck of the treadmill must be tough and sturdy. The stronger the two, the better is the treadmill.

2. Stability

Stability is another important factor to be considered. One must consider how smooth the ride is. It should not be a jiggle or wobble, but must stand firm.

3. Accuracy

A treadmill must also be judged with respect to the accuracy of the actual distance covered. The more accurate the reading, the better is the machine.

4. Noise Factor

Next comes the noise factor. A treadmill should be the least noisy one. It should work soundlessly under your feet.

5. Warranty

The above list cannot be completed without adding the warranty factor. You need to take note of the warranty, machine is coming with. One should also consider the after-sales services in order to ensure that if something goes wrong with the machine, it is taken care of promptly and conveniently at home itself. Choose the machine manufactured by a company that has a help line to contact in case of trouble with the treadmill. Also, find out if the machine comes with a warranty covering the parts of the machine, especially the motor, which happens to be the most expensive part.

Once you have made comparisons on the basis of the criteria mentioned above, you would surely choose the best treadmill in the market. That too, within your budget!