Best Home Treadmill - How To Get One

Choosing the best home treadmill can be confusing as you sift through all of the options, new models, and brand name deals. Most times, people get caught up in all the goodies a treadmill offers them that they miss the fact that the treadmill doesn't have the basic essentials of a quality unit.

Basic factors to a quality treadmill are:

High Powered, Well Built Motor
Since the motor is the most expensive part of the treadmill to fix, a good motor is essential to your treadmill. Try to find at least a motor power of 2.0 HP, preferably higher. Remember that a 1.5 HP motor has to work twice as hard as a 3.0 HP motor - so it will burn out long before the 3.0 HP motor. Also, not all motors are built with the same quality parts. Look for a good brand name and a long motor warranty to give you clues as to the quality of the motor.

Excellent Cushioning
There's not enough said about cushioning and it is so important in a home treadmill. A good cushioning system protects your joints, ligaments and back. A poor cushioning system can result in injury and pain. Make sure your treadmill offers an excellent cushioning system - especially if you'll be running!

Extensive Warranty
You want to protect your investment so a solid treadmill warranty is a must. A good treadmill warranty will cover the frame for at least 30 years, the motor for at least 5 years and other parts and labor for about 1 year. Anything above that and you've got an excellent warranty. A warranty isn't just to protect your investment - a good warranty lets you know about the quality of the treadmill parts.

Treadmill companies do not include warranties because they think they'll have to fix the treadmill within that time frame. They know that they will not have to fix them within that time frame because the quality of parts used are high. So if you find a treadmill with a 10 year motor warranty, you know it's a quality built motor, unlike one that will offer you a 90-day warranty.

Lifestyle
Make sure you look at what each treadmill offers you and compare it to your unique needs. For example, if you live in a condo and/or like things neat and clean, a folding treadmill might suit you best. If you want a folding treadmill, do you prefer a manual folding treadmill (like most folding treadmills) or do you want a shock-assisted folding treadmill with wheels on the bottom that's easy to move?

If you like to drink water during your workout, make sure there's a water bottle holder included in the treadmill console. It might surprise you how many treadmills do not have this feature. Do you get bored easily and need a challenge? What about getting a treadmill with lots of user programs or one that is iFit compatible? These things may seem little and maybe it might cost you a bit more. But if it means you're actually going to enjoy your workout it will be well worth it.

A treadmill provides the best overall cardiovascular workout & it's still the number one exercise machine for those who want to lose weight. So it's an investment in your health that will pay large dividends if you are prepared to get the maximum benefit from it.