Cheap treadmills – A Shoppers guide

Treadmills in recent years have become a regular feature in almost every home. This is because the people of today have started to recognize the need to remain fit and exercise daily. But spending money for a health club membership can be a deterrent to exercise. Also the need to drive down to the gym everyday to exercise can make people think twice before they decide to start exercising.

The solution to this problem is treadmills. You can exercise at home whenever you find time to. But not all can afford the latest treadmills and that is where cheap treadmills come into the picture. But cheap treadmills can also give you a lot of maintenance problems if not properly researched before buying them. The market is flooded with many cheap treadmills that boast of great features, but the reality is that you will get only what you pay for.

The basic design of a treadmill is to allow you to walk or run on it. The walking surface and the motor that drives the belt are the two most important parts of the treadmill. Walking and running on the walking surface will render continuous impact onto the deck. The deck has to be able to withstand this continuous impact. Over a lifetime, a treadmill will have to take up hundreds of thousands of such impacts – that is if you are planning to use it consistently. It has been found that while running the impact on the deck can be up to 2.5 times your body weight. So make sure that you pick a cheap treadmill that can withstand your impact else you might be left with a broken down treadmill in just a few days of usage.

The motor has to be a good and powerful one. The motor should have enough power to propel your weight forward while you are using the treadmill. Also the rollers present below the walking surface should be able to rotate freely and have good contact with the running area always. You might find a cheap treadmill with the same powerful motor as a costlier treadmill, but the fact is that such motors would be made of cheap materials and will tend to be much inferior. As there is no standard rating for treadmill motors you have to be very careful while picking up a cheap treadmill.

Cheap treadmills can also be a lot more unstable than moderate treadmills. Do remember that one of the most important aspects of a treadmill is its stability. As cheap treadmills are made of low quality materials, the frame would not be as strong as they actually look and the possibility of the treadmill getting unstable during use is always there. Also cheap treadmills will not have proper ways to cushion the impact that you will have while using the treadmill. Such lack of proper cushioning effect can lead to ankle and knee problems in future. You will feel as if you are running on concrete and we know that running on a hard surface like concrete will invariably cause injuries to your joints and lower back.

The most important things that you need to look out for before buying a cheap treadmill are discussed here. As cheap treadmills are known to be built of inferior materials you need to be very careful while buying one. Cheap treadmills usually have an enticing price that will lure you towards them, but they can also shatter your dreams in an instant. When a cheap treadmill is made, it not only has inferior motors, drive mechanism and walking area but even the rollers, bearings, console and electronics can be inferior. If you are not careful you will end up having bought a totally inferior treadmill.

You cannot expect to buy a high quality treadmill cheap. Make sure that the treadmill you buy has a good motor that your budget can get. Moreover do go for the belt driven treadmills and not for the chain driven treadmills. Chain driven treadmills that are cheap can breakdown frequently. You need to test the treadmill and see if it is able to take your weight and listen for whining sounds from the motor. If the motor gives out a lot of noise and heats up then do not go for that treadmill. Also while running on the treadmill you will have an idea on how much of a cushioning effect the treadmill is giving you. Go for the one that feels and sound the best.

One of the areas that would give you a lot of trouble is the electronics. So make sure that you check the electronics properly before buying the treadmill. Go for a simple but efficient console but make sure that it has the safety tag to allow the treadmill to stop if you are about to fall off. If you are planning to use the treadmill for a longer period of time then it is advisable to go for a durable treadmill as cheap treadmills can often leave you high and dry when you need them the most. Whatever cheap treadmill you are buying make sure that the warranty is proper and go for one which will give you the maximum possible warranty.