Treadmills can be a great investment for fitness, and combined with a good diet a great way to help lose weight too! Studies have shown that people get more out of a treadmill than any other type fitness equipment; this is because it is natural to walk or run and you are more apt to stick with it for longer each session and to continue to keep using the equipment itself.

A treadmill is sometimes also referred to as a running machine; this is a misnomer and shouldn’t put off people who feel daunted at the thought of having to run!

Manual Treadmills or Motorized Treadmills

With manual or motorized treadmills you set the pace. Whether it’s to simulate a gentle walk on the level, perhaps for someone just starting to exercise or recovering after an operation, or to running at speed on the flat or even up an incline, the choice is yours!

LifeSpan Fitness Folding Treadmill

Motorized Electric Treadmills

When considering these types of treamills speed is a consideration, depending primarily on the motor each machine will have a maximum speed. For a walking or a gentle running regime a speed of up to 7.5 m.p.h. (12k.p.h) might be fine, but for harder training at higher running speeds this would be too slow and a faster machine should be chosen.

As well as speed considerations whether the running surface is flat or inclined changes the amount of effort the exercise requires and how various muscle groups are used. Having a machine on which you can vary the incline by at least 3 levels should be considered a minimum requirement, and with the more sophisticated machines the incline can be varied considerably whilst in motion even, either manually or automatically by a computer controlled programme without any input from the user after selecting a programme and pressing the start button.

Getting to know if a machine suits your needs would ideally be done by trying one out for at least 10 minutes and perhaps this may be possible for some people in certain areas, but with so many machines on the market trying out a large number is not usually a practical proposition.

It is possible to try treadmills out in some shops and of course there are many readily available to use in clubs and gyms, although these commercial treadmills may not be readily available, or too expensive for some home users, getting to know about treadmills in general is not a bad thing. Also people who work in fitness centres usually have a broad experience of machines and are usually happy to give you their opinion.

Not only will you find out what to look for but read on, we  can also tell you some things to avoid before making your purchase!

See also our Buyers Guide Checklist for Treadmills