08 Jun Treadmill Week: Four tips to get the best deal for your needs

Compare Landice Treadmills

A treadmill for your home is a great investment and one which will more than pay for itself over the long run.
If you’ve decided you want to purchase a treadmill, or are seriously considering it, there’s a good deal of information out there you should know.
It’s a little more complicated than just going into a fitness store and walking on a few treadmills, or reading an online seller’s site and placing an order.
From my own personal experiences and talking to experts in the business, here are my four most important tips to know before purchasing a treadmill:
Try it like you’ll use it – When you go into a fitness store, bring a pair of running shoes and ask to try out the treadmills like you’ll use them at home. If you plan to run on it, then run on the ones in the store you’re interested in.
Many of us have used a treadmill in a hotel or resort that doesn’t work right, is broken, or unstable and doesn’t seem to support very well.
Make sure you really like the one you buy.
Most treadmills look similar and it will be hard to tell them apart by simply walking on them.
I’m told the biggest mistake people make in buying a treadmill is not taking it for a proper test “run.”
Don’t under-buy your treadmill – Not all treadmills are made for the same amount of use, or even size of runners.
Did you know some treadmills aren’t really designed to be used by someone who weighs over 200 pounds running on them on a regular basis?
Make sure you talk to a qualified sales associate, or thoroughly research online in order to get the treadmill that will fit your needs.
Check the warranty!!! – One of the biggest things to consider is the warranty. There can be a huge difference in this area and I will go more in depth on this in Wednesday’s “Cost of ownership” blog.
Basically, some companies undersell the competition, but they know full well that seven years or so down the line people will be coming back to them to buy replacement parts and/or service and often wind up spending another $500-700. (There goes the initial “good deal” out the window.)
On the other hand, Landice offers a lifetime warranty. So there can be a huge difference.
Consider the source – When reading treadmill reviews online be careful. Many of the online reviews are put up by people working for the specific companies.
Unless you can pick up the review off a coffee table – I’m talking about a magazine or newspaper article – I’d question the source.
According to a “Runner’s World” review, the top treadmill is 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