Fitness Gear: 5 Features To Look For In A Treadmill

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Whether you are looking to walk, jog, or run, having a treadmill in your home can be a lifesaver. It can be difficult to motivate yourself to get to the gym or to run around the park. But having a treadmill in your home eliminates any of the excuses you can come up with. Here are five features you will want to look for in a treadmill.

Speed
The first thing you are going to want to look at with your treadmill is the horsepower of the motor. If you are planning on walking on your treadmill, this really is not a huge concern for you. However, if you are planning on getting up and down on the machine then you want to find one that has a high speed and a powerful motor to last you a while.

Incline
Having an incline can be beneficial to give you a varied workout from the constant straight jog or run. Treadmills will vary in the degree of incline offered. This is another feature you need to determine how important it is to you. Most are going to come with at least a 10 percent incline. However, there are some that offer as much as a 20 percent incline.

Preset programs
Preset programs can be nice for those who want a varied workout without having to change it in the middle of their run. Look to see how many programs you will have to choose from on your treadmill so that you can change from day to day. Some programs will alter the speed, some the incline, and others will change both throughout your workout.

Cup holder
Although it may seem like a small feature to look for, you will be amazed at how beneficial it can be to have a cup holder. You may be able to place your treadmill right next to a desk that you can put a water bottle on, but this is not guaranteed. Having a cup holder in the treadmill ensures that you can have water an arms length away during your work out.

Warranty
The last thing to look for as you begin shopping for a treadmill is a long warranty. While treadmills are build sturdily, you want to make sure it is going to last you several years because of the price you are going to pay. Just know that the more you initially pay on the machine the longer the warranty is going to run typically. But you want to have at least a 10 year warranty on the overall treadmill.