How to choose a treadmill? Best treadmills for home

A home treadmill or a professional treadmill for the gym is the best way to avoid the street crowd, insane dogs, and of course, this is a perfect way to save your time. People who are addictive to the morning runs and do not want to depend on a bad weather, and people who have a rehabilitation course especially need the treadmill.

A comfort and safety of the run depends on a buffer system of the deck, and its size. A human foot impacts the deck on the one side, and the base of the track – on the other side, therefore it should be slippery while in operation. Special silicone greases are used, or the base is coated with the slippery nonerasable composition. The treadmills are divided into two basic types:

Mechanical or Magnetic treadmills

The deck is moved with the help of a sportsman and the load is changed with the help of the magnet field affecting the fly wheel. This type of the treadmills is, as a rule, counted on the minimal loads, and does not have the buffer system which is very important during the problems with the joints in a user.

Electrical Treadmills

The deck is activated with the help of the electric motor. The higher the grade of the deck is, the more powerful the motor is. The maximal load and a duration (intensity) of the trainings directly depends on a motor power.

A load during the training on the treadmill depends on a speed of the deck motion and an inclination of the running surface. An adjustment of the speed is provided only in treadmills with the motor. As to the magnetic treadmills, a user regulates the speed by own legs. A change of the inclination of the running surface is required for the full imitation of a run on a rough country, and usually varies from 0 to 12°, and more expensive models have a capability of the deck lift up to 20°. The inclination is changed by two methods:

• A mechanical change with the help of the changed position of the bearing rollers;
• An electrical change with the help of a computer signal to the motor.

A capability of the programming of the electrical treadmills will change a speed and the inclination depending on a mode. There are many options of the mode: rehabilitation program, tonus support, fat burning, aerobic, high-speed, and others. The mode may be also manually adjusted.

The sizes of the deck are very important. The bigger (longer and wider) the deck is, the most convenient it is. All electrical treadmills are provided with a special harness system. Every home or professional treadmill should have a security key. One end of the rope is safely attached to the belt of a runner, and the second one is attached to a key. The treadmill is turned off in case of falling. The folding models of the treadmills are very convenient in storage in small rooms.

Bear in mind that the main characteristics of the life duration of the treadmill is the maximal body weight of a runner that is proportionally related to the motor power. It all depends on your preferences and abilities.

What treadmill is it better to buy?

There are of course a lot of good manufacturers of the treadmills, and it is very difficult to distinguish the best one among them but we have managed to do it. Choosing the treadmill, some main factors should be taken into account by a customer.

The treadmill prices correspond to their quality: the higher the cost is, the better the construction and a quality of the used material is. A choice of a treadmill firstly depends on how you want to use it – for walking or running.
Also take the members of your family into account who will want to use it as well. Consider the body mass and possible problems with joints of all users. People who have obesity or problems with joints are recommended treadmills with a soft surface giving the minimal output in order to protect the joints and spine.

People who prefer walking are recommended treadmills with the speed of the deck up to 5 km/h and its moderate length. The decks with the speed at least 10 km/h and the elongated decks are preferable for running.
Consider also a size of the treadmill because some of them take much space, and so you should think where you place it before a purchase.

So, let’s indicate the main criteria to select the treadmills:

• A size and a motor power: select the motor with the power at least 2 metric horsepower during the constant load (not the peak load). The motor should be quiet.
• A deck should be at least 2 cm in thickness, cushion shocks well, and be rather solid.
• A control console should be easy-to-use, logical, and a screen is weal-readable.
• Pay attention to the software: the standard and adjustable profiles will help you to avoid a routine in the workouts.
• Safety: is there a big STOP button and a key of the emergency shut down? Do rails bother a free motion? Is there a protective mechanism for children, so that they could not use the treadmill?
• A speed should be smooth during start and stop of the deck.
• A speed should be smooth during start and stop of the deck.
• A length of the deck should be at least 120 cm, and a width is 43 cm.
• Does it have a heart rate monitor? In this case, the speed of the deck is automatically regulated to keep the required pulse.
• Non-electrical treadmills are activated by means of your muscles and may create the excessive pressure on the knees and other joints.
• Pay attention to the maintenance (for example, mechanism greasing). It should be minimal, and in theory, you should not think about it.
• Warranty: at least 1 year, 1-3 years for parts. The highly-quality treadmills have a lifetime warranty.

According to these recommendations, we have went for: