Factors to Consider When Choosing a Treadmill

It’s possible for most people to achieve a great workout on a treadmill. Whether you’re a walker, jogger, or runner, using a treadmill indoors will allow you to enjoy the same calorie burning effect as your outdoor workouts. There are also a number of reasons why choosing treadmill workouts might be a better choice over outdoor exercise. Many treadmills have shock absorption capabilities which can reduce the stress on your joints caused by the harder road surfaces. Treadmills also provide surface predictability. When running outdoors, you may encounter unforeseen elements in your path that could interrupt your pace and focus. Treadmills can provide a potentially never-ending consistent training surface. Training indoors also provides a consistent training environment. For more great info on why choosing a treadmill would be excellent for your health and fitness goals, check out our article on the four unexpected benefits of running on a treadmill.

1. How to Choose a Treadmill

Determine How Much Space You Need

To accommodate running and walking exercise, treadmill platforms will need to be large enough to meet your striding needs. This means that treadmill decks will be made to be long enough and wide enough to perform workouts safely. To safely set up and use any treadmill, we advise that you have a minimum of 45 square feet of space to accommodate your treadmill use. Treadmills that are smaller work great for those with limited space but may be less capable of providing enough freedom of movement to run or jog with a large stride.

Decide What Kind of Workouts You Want to Perform

Whether your goal is to train for a marathon or increase your daily step count, you will need to choose a treadmill that can power your workout specifically to meet your goals. While you will be able to walk on any of our treadmills, some are designed to help runners and joggers build endurance through speed and incline adjustments. Other treadmills are designed for those who want stability during their walking exercise. If you are currently only comfortable with walking but have a desire to start jogging or running, then you will need a treadmill that support all methods of training.

Choose Between Manual or Motorized

Both types of treadmills can be beneficial to your workout routine. However, if you’re looking to start running, build endurance, and practice high intensity interval training, a manual treadmill will work well for you. If you find maintained speed, feature-packed setups, and long-distance exercising more appealing, then a motorized treadmill will certainly boost your workout regimen. Manual treadmills are great because they don’t require electricity for use and the pace is user controlled. Motorized treadmills on the other hand offer consistency of pace and often provide more workout customization.

2. Decide Which Features Are Most Important

For Runners

A treadmill with a strong motor will be able to take your speed well past 6.0 miles per hour. This will ensure that you can find a comfortable running pace while still having room to increase your speed if you are working on shorter speed workouts or intervals to push your pace. Runners should also look for treadmills that have longer and wider tread decks. This will ensure that you have enough space to elongate your stride and comfortably swing your arms. Quick select speed buttons and handrail speed controls should also be considered for easier speed adjustment during speed work.

For Joggers

If speed isn’t going to be the focus of your long-term treadmill workout routine, then a treadmill with a max speed under 8.0 miles per hour should work well for most joggers. Look for a treadmill equipped with a shock absorption for a more cushioned workout experience. Treadmills with incline adjustments are great for safely increasing the intensity of your workouts without needing to increase your running speed.

For Walkers

While any of our treadmills can be used for meeting your daily step count and physical activity goals through walking, there are a few features that can support walking workouts specifically. Look for a treadmill that comes extended handrails for extra balance and support. Automatic speed and incline handrail buttons will also help you seamlessly increase speed or incline level without interrupting your workout or losing your supportive grip.

3. Other Features to Consider

Preset Programs

Treadmills with preset programs take the guesswork out of choosing a workout. Simply cycle through the provided preset workouts and select the one most appropriate for your goals and fitness level. Preset programs adjust speed and incline for you, so you don’t have to worry about making adjustments during your workout.

Pulse Sensors

If training for cardiovascular health is a primary focus, treadmills with pulse sensors will help you measure your heart rate in real time. That way you can easily monitor the intensity of you work out.