What is the Best Treadmill for Me?
Here a few important features that you should consider before purchasing a treadmill.
Heart rate monitor/sensor
Many of the latest treadmills have heart rate sensors, usually located in convenient handle grips in front of the main console. Holding these for a short while will display your heart rate, enabling you to adjust your speed etc to increase or lower it, depending on your goals.
Safety grips
Often containing the heart rate monitors as well, these are a typical safety feature of electric treadmills, enabling you to keep steady, especially when running at higher speeds.
Running Belt
This is the rubber belt that all treadmills have. They come in various sizes, bigger ones allowing more comfort for faster runs, however a bigger belt means a bigger treadmill, which isn't always ideal.
Incline
Incline is an additional feature of many electric treadmills. An incline is intended to simulate different running terrains (hills, etc). A higher incline increases the difficulty of the run. Many treadmills will have pre-set programs that may alter the incline frequently over the run to simulate a more natural experience.
Pre-set training programmes
This feature is excellent for both beginners and advanced runners. Most treadmills will come preloaded with a number of training programs, ranging from a beginner simple timed jog, to the advanced 'all terrain' interval training. These are an excellent way to both gain fitness, and to provide interesting variety in to your training.
Console Display
Most modern treadmills also have a visual display giving you feedback about your workout; distance travelled, calories burned, speed etc. These are often controllable too, enabling you to have the information most important to you on screen at all times.
Speed setting
This is an important setting on all treadmills, and you need to be careful when adjusting. Each model may have a different speed range, as a rough guide up to 12km is fine for beginners, 14-16kmh for medium to advanced runners, and up to 18kmh for professionals and runners in serious training.