treadmill advice please
 

my wife wants a treadmill as the local gym has gone bust and she doesn't use any other piece of kit .. so why not just have one at home.

i guess she'll use it about 5-10 hours a week just at jogging pace ... she's no runner ;)

any advice on what to look for or good/bad brands.

thanks, mark. :)

Get an electric/motorised one, I bought a manual and it's ok but almost impossible to keep up a consistant speed. It was only £100 but I didn't want to waste money on something that would gather dust and never be used, I wish now I'd paid more and got a motorised one as I love it :rolleyes:

Argos and Index have some really cheap motorised ones at the mo, I'll let you know what they're like as my parents have one which is hopefully being delivered tomorrow :)

I would guess that the more you pay the more functions and levels it has which is important if you're very fit or aiming to get very fit. I'm ok with a basic model at the mo 'cos I'm seriously unfit and can't go very fast :D

i just gave my pal a hand picking one up last week from jbb sports, it was £999
it looks the biz, the tread mill part can move up to a steeper angle by pressing a button, but time will tell if it turns into a clothes rack:D

Online places sell them cheaper than retailers and offer more specialist advice.

Try AllBodySpecialists.co.uk and excercisezone.co.uk and bodypower.co.uk

Bob

She'll use it for 10hrs the first week, 5hrs the second, 2hrs the third and for hanging clothes on the fourth.

5-10 hours is still a decent amount of jogging/running time. 5hrs on a treadmill would be a 40-50 mile week for me.

If it does turn into a clothes horse, I'll buy it off you :)

You have to try them out first. Don't just buy one off the net on specs/price alone. Find somewhere local and ask to test a few out. If they don't give you a good deal, buy it off the net. A decent one, with a good reliable motor will set you back up to £1000. That's a lot of money for a piece of home gym equipment in anyone's books.

My gym has a few different makes and I find some really uncomfortable to use. One has cr@p impact absorbtion and leaves my hips and knees sore for a day or two.

My advice is get one with a decent, reliable motor. Then look at the impact absorbtion and size of the running deck. Then look at performance - top speed, speed increments, incline/decline settings (if any), heart rate training, set programs and/or custom programmes, etc..

Then look at the warranty offered. I can imagine they'll be expensive to repair, so make sure parts & labour are covered for at least 2-3yrs. And ask if they collect the treadmill if it needs to be repaired. Last thing you want to do is arrange to send it back for repair yourself - it'll cost a feckin fortune.

Another cool thing I've seen is the ability to download training programmes from the net and upload them to the treadmill. Reebok do this, but I don't know if their treadmills are any good.

Happy shopping,

Stefan

if it's gonna be used then definately don't by some crappy one from argos, etc.

look on EBAY, there are lots of top pieces of serious kit on there. i reckon you'll need to spend 700-1000 for a good one.

im a runner and i hate treadmils, i dont see the point as the road and surroundings are free. I can run 3 times further out in the open compared to on those motorised things. A cross trainer is a much better exercise machine and much cheaper too
Sean

I had that opinion on treadmills too, but in their defense, you can monitor your progress much easier. I've had some injuries on the treadmill, but they're usually muscle-related as it's a different running style to the road or cross-country.

There's always a big risk from spraining or twisty something outside, plus the weather's a big motivational factor.

Having said that it's much more boring stuck on a treadmill for two hours. Still there's no reason why you can't do both if your serious about your running.

Stefan

If she likes the one at her local gym, and its going bust, make them an offer on it.

Worth a try.

You need a 'proper' one, the cheaper ones are cr4p, and bad for your joints.

Try leasing one, this way in two weeks time when she gets bored, you can take it back.

My better half "had to have" a multi gym with a sit up rack, please, please...

Its now doubling up as clothes rack, and towel rail.:rolleyes:

You may get a shock on the prices of the commercial gym kit. There's a place not far from me that sells new and 2nd-hand commercial equipment. A commercial treadmill starts around £2,500 and a decent one will set you back £5,000 :eek:

Even 2nd-hand they are v.expensive and usually bankrupt stock is snapped-up by these types of companies.

You've nothing to lose by asking though.

Stefan

I always thought running outside was far better. Does she do that as well?