Treadmills have become the hottest home exercise choice. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, treadmill sales have exceeded those of all other Home exercise equipment.

It's easy to understand why. Next to good shoes, a treadmill may be a runner's best friend. Practically anything your training demands--hills, intervals, tempo, long distance--you can do on a treadmill. And you can log those miles while watching Seinfeld or keeping an eye on your kids, without worrying about heat, cold, wind, ice, cars, darkness, potholes, mean dogs or scary people.

Excited? Good. Now let's take your treadmill education another stepgo treadmill shopping. Before we set out, though, a word of caution: Treadmills are expensive,they're complex. A bad buying decision could leave you with one more inactive exercise hulk languishing in that musty corner of your basement. So tread carefully as we steer through the maze of buying a 'mill.

First off, remember as with most things you get what you pay for. A $1,000 treadmill may serve you well,8ttt8.coma $3,000 machine is likely to perform better for a longer time.

The following are some more specifics to absorb before you buy.

How long should a Home treadmill last? Retailers tell us the range is seven to 12 years, with 10 years about average. Of course, with proper care, some treadmills far exceed the average. With neglect, even the expensive ones die young. Dust is the primary early killer of treadmills, Once a week, take a dry clothwipe up any dust between the beltdeck. Also keep the floor around your treadmill cleanfree of dust.

What about the warranty?

Generally, the longer the warranty, the higher the treadmill's quality--and price. Ideally you should look for a warranty of three years for partsone year for labor, with dealer-provided in-Home service for the first year. Most problems, if they occur at all, will crop up in the first 90 days. Mostly it will be relatively minor stuff, such as adjustment or replacement of a component.

What's the difference between a "Home" treadmilla "club" model?

Manufacturers often separate treadmills into two categories: "home" or "residential,""club" or "commercial." Good home treadmills are essentially smaller versions of club treadmills. The high-end Home treadmill can easily withstand regular daily usefeatures extensive programming options, often more than are found in the club treadmills. Club treadmills come with a superior warrantya bigger motor that can take round-the-clock beatings. They also carry significantly higher price tags.

What do horsepower ratings mean?

Horsepower (h.p.) is a measure of motor power,runners will want a 1.5 h.p. or higher "continuous duty" rating for their Home treadmill, say most retailers. While higher ratings (2.0 h.p. or higher are common) do indicate a more powerful treadmill, your overall aim should be a machine that efficiently integrates the workings of the motor, beltdeck to give you a steady ride, which some 1.5 h.p. treadmills accomplish.

Continuous duty means that the treadmill will run at its listed h.p. rating with a significant workload over extended periods of time--an important consideration.Be wary of manufacturers who list "peak-performance" h.p. ratings. It sounds impressive,8ttt8.comall peak performance indicates is a motor's maximum power, not its sustained output.

What's the best belt size?

To handle the long stridenatural side-to-side movement of runners, treadmill belts are expanding in widthlength. Twenty-inch-wide belts are becoming common,no belt should be narrower than 17 or 18 inches. The length of the running area should be at least 50 inches, with 55 to 60 inches preferable for taller runners.

How important is the construction of the deck?

Often overlooked by consumers (perhaps because it's hidden beneath the belt) is the treadmill's deck, or bed. Better-quality decks are usually made of thin layers of laminated wood, coated with lubricants to minimize friction between the beltdeck, which in turn reduces strain on the motor. The smoother the deck coating, the less friction between the beltdeck.

Deck con

struction, more than the belt, influences how smooth or hard your treadmill feels to run onhow well it absorbs shock. You want a surface that gives a bit8ttt8.comdoesn't bounce.

Better decks are reversible, meaning they can be turned over--thereby (in theory, at least) doubling the life of the deck. Some decks require owner maintenance without which they may succumb in a year. Proper care, however, can extend a deck's life for the lifetime of the treadmill.

AC or DC?

Direct-current-driven (DC) motors power most Home treadmills. DC motors start slowly, provide a more consistent response to speed, inclineweight demands,tend to run quieter than alternating-current (AC) motors. With DC, you're dealing with fewer internal parts, which may cut down on repairs.

AC motors, which tend to be found in club treadmills, start the belt at a faster speed. But you should be safe plugging either an AC or a DC motor into your wall outlet at Home.

Pricing

A good Home treadmill can cost up to $5,000will likely be the most expensive piece of exercise equipment you'll ever buy. Why sodddtt.commoney to run in place? To answer this, we contacted Cybex International, manufacturer of the high-end Trotter line.

Companies that make the best treadmills install the highest grade of partscomponents available, including expensive motors, safetycomfort featureslong-lasting decks. Your treadmill's components have to be able to withstand a terrific beating--more than 1,000 footstrikes per mile of running. With the price of a high-end treadmill, you should get a machine that is absolutely durable, with a longer, more complete warranty that reflects its superior quality.

If you're in the market to seriously educate yourself about treadmills, visit http://treadmilladviser where you can obtain more detailed information.

About The Author

Paul Reeve is a Personal Trainer responsible for training individuals one-on-oneassisting them in achieving their healthfitness goalsproviding them with guidance, supportmotivation. Presenterlecturer for Fitness Professionals, sports Organizations, Sport Coaches, CorporateCommunity Organizations. Webmaster for treadmilladviser - providing informed advice on exercise treadmills.

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