Treadmills are one of the most popular exercise equipments used and enjoyed by a lot of people because they really work. So if you are a fitness fad, a treadmill has to be one of your possessions. Treadmills are mainly used to lose weight, tone up, and stay in shape and to rehabilitate. Apart from this, the amount you spend also matters.

There are many factors to be taken into account before buying a treadmill. Some guidelines are to be followed to make a good deal.

• Try out the machine which you propose to buy before purchasing.


• The machine should be stable with the belt at least 18 to 20 inches wide and 48 inches long.


• It should be equipped with an emergency shut off mechanism.


• It should have sturdy safety bars or side rails.


• The manufacturer should be a reliable company with a good reputation.


• It should come with a guarantee cover and for a reasonable period.


• The Company should have an excellent after sales service for maintenance.


• The motor should be at least 2.5 HP to 3 HP and with power consumption of 110 or 220 volts.


• The speed range should be within 0.1 to 8 mph for walking and running.


• The machine should slow down and stop smoothly.


• The motor should maintain a steady speed irrespective of the incline and the weight of the user.


• The incline range up to 10 per cent.


• It should not be noisy and should be a compact one.

Both manual and motorised treadmills are available. The manual machine requires your physical efforts to work on it. Initially the efforts will strain your joints. So you may have to raise the incline to make the start easy. You will have to stop and get down changing the incline level, during each workout.

But in the motorised one you need not have to make any effort. You can adjust the speed and incline while working on it.

It is obvious that in a manual treadmill speed depends on your physical efforts, but in the motorised machine there is facility to adjust the speed as you require. You can go faster and maintain the speed.

If more than one person is going to use the treadmill, it is better to go for a better quality which is sturdier. If you are living in a small house with limited space available to place the machine, go for the folding type.

It makes a lot of difference when the weight of the person using it is taken into account. Efficiency and life span of the machine depend on the user's weight. So choose a sturdy machine, even though it is expensive, if it is to be used by a person over 200 pounds. Similarly if the machine is to be used for more than an hour per day and the number of users is more, a sturdier treadmill is required.

It is very important that the treadmill should have a good design and manufacturing standard. The motor, the belt, the deck and the controls are to be well engineered and should give a trouble free performance through out. The machine should not be noisy. Remember that any machine ought to make a little noise.

The belt should be about 18 inches wide and 52 inches long. The belt should not be too thick. A thick belt may cause over heating and increase in power consumption. Opt for a head rail grip to hold on and to know your heart rate.

The price tag of the machine and the service contract are important points to be considered when purchasing a treadmill. Get the right equipment which should suit your requirement. The cost of the machine is not the only indicator to choose one. The warranty should be for minimum period of 3 years, provided the manufacturer is a very reliable company.

It is very often possible to find a good used motorised treadmill for a huge discount. Many people sell their almost unused machines when they loose interest in it. You can find practically new ones sold as used.

The cardinal principle in maintaining the unit is that the user himself should see that the machine is kept clean and workable.

You may also be interested in buying exercise cycles or rowing machines. Read Exercise Bike Reviews and Rowing Machine Reviews on leading brands to decide on the suitable exercise equipment.