I am trying to talk my husband into getting a treamill, both of us could use the work out. I know nothing about them. What should I look for in one and what can you do without? I don't want to spend a fortune on one but I still want to get something that is going to be good. Thanks!!

Hi: I bought a treadmill at a yardsale - it is one that Sears sells for about $800.00 - it had a wide belt and an incline - the weight limit is 250 pounds - I believe some of the discount stores sell smaller treadmills with a 200 pound limit - the motor on mine is 2.5 - it records time and distance, heart rate and calories burned - it also has exercise programs of different intensities which I like - if you can find one at a yard sale ask to try it out and check the belt for tears or looseness - good luck -

There's good... and then there's inexpensive. Unless you find one at a yard sale, you're not going to find both in the same unit.

Treadmills take more "abuse" than any other kind of fitness equipment. It takes a pretty powerful motor to move the belt with the weight of a person on it, and the belt itself (and the mechanisms which hold it together) get a pounding from the act of running.

On top of that, they take up a LOT of space, and they are fairly noisy to operate. If you are only "thinking" about getting one, and haven't used one before on a regular basis, I'd really think twice about buying one for home.

Besides, the world is your treadmill. Step outside your door and you can run or walk for free. Fresh air, sunshine, and scenery. In my opinion, there is nothing more deflating than running in place, staring at a wall, like a rat on a wheel. I wouldn't look forward to that kind of workout every day.

Running outside is fine but there is a place for a treadmill in my life. Running at 4:30 in the morning or late at night without getting hit by a car and also think about the north eastern winter at -15 degrees. That said I have to agree with phillydude that you have to spent some $$ otherwise you will regrett it soon. I have put on 1600 miles on my treadmill and now the frame broke from all the pounding it gets. Fortunatelly I had purchased an advanced in home service agreement for $70 per year after the original warranty expired and they will now replace the tradmill in my second year of ownership for free. So if you buy one, think about a service contract. I'm usually against these contracts but if you know that you will use it a lot, that would be $$ well spent. As somebody mentioned before these treadmills take a lot of punding and sooner or later something will break. .. good luck with your exercise.

Treadmills are are really good investment. What I would do is walk or run outside as much as possible and when it snows or rains you can then use the treadmill so you are always exercising and there is no excuse. Plus unlike the street or pavement, treadmill flooring is made up wood underneath that gives a little when you step on it making it better for your joints than pavement. Grass is better than street to run on only that grass is usually uneven surface which is also not good for your joints. So get the treadmill. It's a flat surface that gives a little when you step on it. It's a lifetime investment.

What kind? I would say get the best one you can afford....not the one with the most accessories but the one with the best made motor and parts. If possible, see if you can find one made in Japan. Japanese people make great mechanical devices that work well for a long time. The only thing I would strongly suggest is get one with a wide belt. I have a small belt and it sucks cause you don't pay attention for one minute and you are off the belt and can slide off easy. So I have to constantly look at my feet to make sure I am running straight right on the belt and it's bad posture to be bending over like that.

I am trying to talk my husband into getting a treamill, both of us could use the work out. I know nothing about them. What should I look for in one and what can you do without? I don't want to spend a fortune on one but I still want to get something that is going to be good. Thanks!!

When it comes to exercise equipment, you get what you pay for. So if you decide to get a treadmill, don't be cheap about it or else your knees and back will pay the price later on. I used to run outside a lot. Then I got a treadmill. I finally sold it and bought an elliptical machine.

There are several advantages of an elliptical over a treadmill.
1. An elliptical works your upper body. To work you upper body on a treadmill, you would have to carry weights in your hands and who wants to do that all the time?
2. An elliptical is better on your knees. With the treadmill, you're pounding your feet on a deck. Even with a soft deck and the right shoes, your knees will start to suffer over time.
3. There's less maintenance with an elliptical. With a treadmill, you could have problems with the motor and you have to grease the deck every year.
4. An elliptical makes less noise. The more expensive treadmills are pretty quiet, but are still pretty loud compared to an elliptical. If you want to watch TV and hear it or you live in an apartment, an elliptical would be better than a treadmill.
5. An elliptical provides weight-bearing resistance. The problem with running is that it makes it easier for you to lose muscle. The reason is because there's no resistance. You're running through air. With an elliptical, you can increase the resistance to work your muscles harder. When I was running, I had no trouble losing weight, but some of the weight I lost was muscle. Using the elliptical, I've managed to not lose muscle and really firm up. I get more compliments on my glutes now than I ever did when I was running.
6. You can run in reverse on an elliptical or squat down. This is great if you want to target different areas of your legs.

SEARS sells a good line of durable treadmills....BUT make sure you have a basement for it; they are HUGE and impossible to work into apartment living.

And of course just BUYING them is only a teeny portion of the battle.

When it comes to exercise equipment, you get what you pay for. So if you decide to get a treadmill, don't be cheap about it or else your knees and back will pay the price later on. I used to run outside a lot. Then I got a treadmill. I finally sold it and bought an elliptical machine.

There are several advantages of an elliptical over a treadmill.
1. An elliptical works your upper body. To work you upper body on a treadmill, you would have to carry weights in your hands and who wants to do that all the time?
2. An elliptical is better on your knees. With the treadmill, you're pounding your feet on a deck. Even with a soft deck and the right shoes, your knees will start to suffer over time.
3. There's less maintenance with an elliptical. With a treadmill, you could have problems with the motor and you have to grease the deck every year.
4. An elliptical makes less noise. The more expensive treadmills are pretty quiet, but are still pretty loud compared to an elliptical. If you want to watch TV and hear it or you live in an apartment, an elliptical would be better than a treadmill.
5. An elliptical provides weight-bearing resistance. The problem with running is that it makes it easier for you to lose muscle. The reason is because there's no resistance. You're running through air. With an elliptical, you can increase the resistance to work your muscles harder. When I was running, I had no trouble losing weight, but some of the weight I lost was muscle. Using the elliptical, I've managed to not lose muscle and really firm up. I get more compliments on my glutes now than I ever did when I was running.
6. You can run in reverse on an elliptical or squat down. This is great if you want to target different areas of your legs.


I will have to agrre with the eliptical analysis. My knees are getting to where I can't jog like a want no matter how great the treadmill is and considering I play squash. However, the eliptical is a great exercise to get the same benefits from jogging without the stress on your legs.

Now after saying that, I still jog and I normally only jog on commercial treadmills or outside. If I jog on cheaper treadmills, my knees let me know. I would research a lot on treadmills and consider what you are really looking for and in your price range. I look for treadmills that have the random function (auto elevates throughout the run), a programmable function, a great absorbtion pad, motor, speed, lcd display and so on....