04 Oct Franchise players of the home gym: Treadmills

Most sports fans know what the term “franchise player“ means. He’s the guy you build a team around, the likes of Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, or Derek Jeter. Of course it takes a team working hard around those guys for the Colts, Lakers and Yankees to win, but everybody knows who the go-to guy is.
When it comes to fitness, what’s the franchise player in your home gym? This week I’ll look at four types of fitness equipment that are essential for every good home gym. You may just get one of these four, or a combination of them, but if you can work them into your gym lineup it will be a great step toward getting and staying fit. Today, we’re talking treadmills.
Treadmills are the No. 1 selling home exercise machine for a reason – they get results. If you purchase a treadmill for your home there are a multitude of ways it will help you get in better shape.
Exercising on a treadmill can help increase your metabolism, whether you’re running or walking.
Combined with healthy eating, how much cardio activity you do and other factors like age and weight, you could lose 2-4 pounds a week after starting a walking program.
A treadmill can also help make exercising a lot more fun. You can set up the treadmill in front of a TV and watch your favorite show or a good movie while exercising, or play the home stereo. Treadmills can also have a rack set up to place a magazine or book to read while you’re working out.
Working out in the privacy of your own home is another advantage of the treadmill.
Versatility is another nice feature as treadmills come with a variety of gadgets that allow you to program and keep track of your workout with great control. You can control the time, speed, incline of the walk or run and also log how many calories you’ve burned.
One final thought on treadmills is that you should really test them out before buying. Bring a pair of running shoes into a specialty fitness store like At Home Fitness and try out a treadmill today. Also, ask about the warranty options as some seemingly bargain-priced treadmills don’t come with nearly as good of a warranty as a brand like Landice.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com