Healthy life is desired by all yet some are able to achieve it in true sense. For most people it is a hard nut to crack to manage their daily lives and health in a desired manner. It requires a lot of time and patience and in modern day, hardly anyone possesses that. The workload, the responsibilities don’t permit you to pay attention to yourself most of the time. As a result, most of the individuals find it hard to take some time off from their daily hours and hit the gym or a yoga center.
One way it can be solved is by getting some basic exercise equipment installed in your home. Why? Because it is going to motivate you to work out since its always in front of your eyes asking to be put to use. Because it is rather time saving than going to the gym which may usually be very crowded, ready to kill your precious time even more. As I said, it is one of the ways to think about it!
This article majorly contains the description about one of the best exercise machines there is, and that is a treadmill.
If you’re overweight or you are 130 KG Person OR 150 KG Person and are tired of people giving you all kinds of derogatory titles, here’s an overall treadmill buying guide for you –
First of all, why do you need to be careful while choosing a treadmill?
If you buy any random treadmill for yourself, you might not be able to achieve the full benefit of it. It could be untruthful to your size and shape and overall body type. The cushioning might be lacking, the deck might not be broad enough etc. Hence, you should carefully choose your treadmill for getting your desired results.
Factors to Consider While Buying Treadmill for Your Health
You should choose a treadmill that can provide you with the maximum possible speed. It can be anywhere between 14 to 16 Kmph. You should carefully select the deck width according to your size so as to face no difficulty in maintaining your posture while running. Don’t forget to check the quality of cushioning provided.
Weight Capacity
The maximum weight that can be tolerated, in general, by a treadmill is over 150 KGs. Make sure to check that your choice supports that. It is important to check it so as to ensure that your treadmill is working on maximum efficiency. More than recommended weight can cause the treadmill motor to faulter.
Consider Buying: Best Treadmill for 150 KG Person
Motor Power
It is important to note that the measurement for this is done in CHP (Continuous Horsepower) or simply HP (Horsepower). The only thing you need to know is that, the more the CHP, the more benefit you can achieve. It can range anywhere between 1.5 to 5.0 in general.
Here’s the recommended CHP for a person not more than 90 KGs –
For Running – More than 3.0 CHP
For Jogging– 2.5 CHP or above
For Walking – 2.0 CHP or above
It always a good idea to add an extra 0.5 in above stats if you’re about 90 KGs as this will allow your motor to suffer less strain and work for a longer time.
Running Surface
The running surface has two aspects to it –
- Track Size –
It actually depends on your preference. If you like running on longer strides you can go for the option of above 55 inches and if you are more of a walker than a runner then the normal size should suffice.
- Tread Belt –
Regarding the tread belt, three things must be kept in mind i.e., the thickness, lubrication and therollers. For thickness,I’d suggest go for two-ply or four-ply belt as they assure greater durability and are more efficient than the one-ply tracks. Regarding lubrication,ensure that thetrack comes with silicone oil or some other kind of lubricant for better functioning of the machine. Lastly for the rollers, try to go for the ones with greater diameter (about 2.5 feet) as they offer least resistance to the motor which aids in its durability.
Stability and Durability
Obviously, you won’t like it if your treadmill gives out in a couple of months leaving your dream of losing weight in the dirt. Hence, its important to consider the factors of stability and durability while buying your desired treadmill. Before making the purchase check for the quality of the motors, the track belt, the rollers etc.
More powerful the motor, the longer the durability and greater quality of rollers and track belt will not only lift some load off of the motor but also provide enhanced overall stability to the machine.Check for the warranty offers on the motor, track and other treadmill parts. The desired warranty offers are –
- About 30 years to lifetime warranty on motor/frame
- Above or about 5-year warranty on electronics
- Above or about 2-3-yearwarranty on parts
Also try to read some reviews online before buying the selected product. This will help in overall better experience of purchase.
Know More: Is Buying Folding Treadmill Worth it?
Cushioning
Don’t forget to account for the cushioning offered by the treadmill as it is really crucial to consider for an injury free experience of using the treadmill. It protects your joints from excess strain put on them while running. The strain is reduced to about one-third in comparison to normal road running. It provides better support and hence aids in enhancing your stamina.
Treadmills come with a variety of different cushioning options and you can choose from them according to your preference of comfort.
Additional Features
Some treadmills offer a variety of interesting features. Some of them are listed as follows –
- INCLINE/DECLINE – Most of the treadmills offer this amazing feature which accelerates fat burning by an incredible amount. A good treadmill can offer upto 40 percent incline while the ones on the lower end can go up to 20 percent. Few brands also offer the option of decline in their equipment.
- WATER- BOTTLE HOLDERS –This is pretty decent as can keep your bottle with you as long as you are on the treadmill and quench your thirst without disturbing the workout.
- ACCESSORY TRAY –You can put any small items such as your phone, watch etc. in these spaces.
- SPEAKERS – Some treadmills also come with preinstalled speakers in them allowing you to listen to music during the workout.
- HEART RATE MONITORING –It is also one of the features available on the treadmill. However, its inaccurate a lot of times.
Do’s And Don’t’s –
Its important to keep a few things in mind before opting for a certain treadmill. I’ve covered most of the points above but I’d like to list a few more of them below –
DO’s –
- Make sure you have the right space for placing the treadmill at your home/office.
- If you lack the desired space for your selected treadmill, try to go for the one that takes up lesser space.
- Buying the treadmill at a retail shop is more convenient than purchasing it online as you can make a quick test run then and there and opt the product as per your preference. However, you can explore multiple options online and will have multiple buying options giving you an overall better deal.
DON’T’s –
- If you want to compromise on the quality of the treadmill and go for the cheaper ones, I’d suggest save a little more and buy a medium quality or a premium one when you have enough. Expending on a low-end tech might deprive you of some basic key features and the machine can also give up after a couple of months.
- Don’t buy the product before reading online reviews about it or testing it yourself beforehand.
- Don’t invest in the product offering maximum weight capacity less than 30-40 KGs of your weight as it will wear out the motor after a couple of uses.
Consider Buying: Best Affordable Treadmill
Conclusion
All in all, you have to consider your storage space, your budget and all the basic features discussed above before buying your desired treadmill. It is important to look at the factors of cushioning, maximum speed, maximum weight capacity and motor power. The greater the motor power, the greater the efficiency. However, it also depends on your preference whether you like walking or running while using the treadmill.
I hope this article has provided you some insight on how to select a good treadmill. Have a good day!
Know More: Under Desk Treadmill