We all want to stay fit and healthy and home workouts have become particularly popular during the Covid-19 lockdowns. It is really important to buy all of the correct gear and equipment to be able to do an effective workout at home. Weights are great for strength training and muscle building, while a yoga mat is ideal for stretching and improving flexibility, but when it comes to cardio training, there is nothing like a treadmill. These days, treadmills come with so many different features and programmable settings. The price of treadmills varies widely based on these features so it can be hard to know which one to choose.
To help everyone who is trying to up their cardio game, here are the qualities to look for when buying a treadmill.
1. Programmable Settings
These days, treadmills are far more than just a running machine with speed control. The latest treadmills have a multitude of variable settings to give you the most enjoyable and dynamic workout. Almost all treadmills now can customize your run. This includes changing the gradient to make the run more difficult and even choosing different terrains. For example, you can program the treadmill for a mountain track. On the screen, you will see a video of a real mountain track from the POV of someone running along with it. The speed and gradients of the treadmill will change automatically to follow along with the real track so you get an immersive, realistic experience. This makes your workout more interesting as running on a treadmill can become quite dull and competitive.
2. Entertainment Features
Another feature which many treadmills have now to make workouts more interesting is built-in media platforms like YouTube and Netflix. This means that you can watch your favorite TV shows, music videos, or news channels as you run along. There are many of these “smart” treadmills in the UK as they have become very popular during the UK’s long Covid-19 lockdowns. Another exciting feature that these high tech treadmills have is that you can sync them with your Google Maps app. This allows you to save your normal outside running route on Google Maps and program your treadmill to replicate it.
3. Size and Portability
Whether you are buying a treadmill for a gym or for your home, the size of the smith machine machine is most likely going to be a major consideration in your purchasing decision. There are various sizes of treadmills with different sized tracks and handles, so if you intend to put one in your home with limited space, you should lookout for a smaller model. Furthermore, there are some treadmills that you can fold up to make them easier to store. This can be particularly useful for your home as you will be able to pull your treadmill out of your wardrobe or from under your bed when it is time to exercise and then fold it away again so it’s out of the way.
4. Price
As treadmills vary a lot in terms of size, programmable settings, and entertainment features, they also vary a lot in price. Big, corporate gyms tend to have the absolute top of the line treadmills with everything built-in, but this won’t be necessary if you just want a treadmill for running at home. You won’t need any entertainment features, for example, because you can set up a folding treadmill in front of your TV and start running. Treadmill prices start at around $200 and go up to more than $3,000 so there is a machine to fit every budget.
5. Warranty
As treadmills can be very expensive, you must check what kind of warranty comes with your machine. If you are buying a treadmill brand new, there should be at least a manufacturer’s warranty which will cover the treadmill for the first two to five years. This will enable you to have it repaired or replaced if there are any malfunctions during that time that have not been caused by misuse. There may be an additional warranty from the retailer which can give you further peace of mind, but just make sure to check before you commit to buying anything as repairs and replacements can be extremely costly.
Treadmills are the ultimate exercise equipment for getting a great cardio workout. With so many different models to choose from, you must identify the features which you want and that you choose a size and price of a treadmill to fit your needs. Look out for customer testimonials to learn more about other people’s experiences and be sure to check the warranty in case anything goes wrong and you need a repair or a replacement.
