Is It Worth It To Buy A Treadmill? 10 Things You Should Know

Potential Benefits To Having A Home Treadmill

Many people use a home treadmill or stationary bike to lose weight, but many of them are doing it wrong. Having a home treadmill can provide you with the opportunity to shed calories and weight in an easy, low-fuss way, without always having to go to the gym.

If you’re interested in building muscle, having a home treadmill is an ideal way to do so. Though there are many benefits to having a home treadmill, the best of them all is increased mobility. With the ability to move freely, you can exercise more places and be more active overall.

10 Benefits of a home treadmill

Exercising in private

In the world of fitness, there are few ways to get results that are as effective and convenient as an at-home workout. And since many overweight or gym-bullied people don’t want to be seen in public exercising, many people have turned to a series of quick and easy exercises they can do in their own homes.

A home treadmill is a piece of equipment to have in your home gym that anyone can use in the privacy and security of their own home.

While a treadmill running surface isn’t road, dirt, or sand, it is safer and much more convenient to do at home.

Make maximum use of your time

You’ve spent all day hunched over a laptop and you’re ready for some exercise. But you don’t have the time to go to the gym. You also won’t be able to afford buying new clothes if you started running. Don’t let your lack of time, money, or embarrassment stop you from getting fit.

A home treadmill is always there for you. No excuses. Rather than sitting on that comfy couch, take a walk on your treadmill while listening to an audio book, watching a movie, or baby sitting the kids.

Weight loss

You may be thinking that you need to get up off the couch and start hitting the pavement for a jog, but let’s face it. A treadmill workout can do the job just as well, if not better than jogging outside.

A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin shows that a treadmill workout can be a powerful tool in weight loss, and if you’re serious about losing weight, they should be a part-time addition or with some dumbbells become your primary workout routine.

Exercise at home and save money on a gym membership

You don’t have to pay for a gym membership to get fit if you have a home gym. It is possible to squeeze in workouts at home while saving money on gym memberships. 

No contracts, no long term commitments, and no anxiety psyching yourself  up to go to the gym with all those strangers. 

Get a good workout in a short period of time

The best workouts are the ones that get results, and in a short period of time. With the right home treadmill, programs come with the package and you can select an intense short jog or run to get maximum results in less time.

Exercise with your family 

Most of us just wish we got more exercise, any exercise would be an improvement! The easiest way to do this is to just get moving.

One of the most popular methods is to get a small treadmill, place it facing the TV, and watch your favorite one hour TV show while walking briskly on a treadmill. Just like that, you’ve added 1 hour of exercise to your day!

And get your spouse and kids to do the same thing. They can stay on their phone, ipad, or whatever device they stare at all day and get them walking. 

Keep fit during the winter months

Who wants to go outside and exercise in the cold? While this is a common complaint, it hides a deeper truth: that many people are too afraid of public spaces to go for a walk or ride their bike, even though they know it’s good for them.

Cold weather is the number one excuse for avoiding exercise in the winter. A home treadmill is ready year-round and four seasons available to anyone.

Build stamina

A home treadmill is a convenient and proven method to build stamina. The key is to start slowly and gradually build up your stamina by increasing the duration of your cardio sessions and gradually increasing the incline of your treadmill. This will also help increase the number of calories that you burn at each workout.

Get stronger

There are many ways you can get fit in your home, from doing bodyweight exercises to using an elliptical or treadmill. But the best way to get fit is through jogging or running on a home treadmill. 

There’s nothing to learn, everyone knows how to walk, jog, and run. So you never have to second guess yourself if you’re doing the exercise right.

Improve cardiovascular fitness 

Cardiovascular fitness is an important component of overall health — and it may be the most overlooked. A lack of cardiovascular fitness can affect your life significantly long after your twenties, from high blood pressure and diabetes to increased stroke risk.

For those looking to start a new exercise routine, walking is a great first step. A home treadmill is the most popular way to build this good habit. 

Some Considerations Before Committing To A Treadmill

Why you shouldn’t buy a treadmill

Some of the top reasons a home treadmill may not work for you are:

1. Space. Treadmills need floor space, so make sure you have a place to put it before you go shopping. They come in all shapes and sizes, so measure out how much space you have, subtract two feet of space from what you have available, and that’s the maximum size of treadmill you should buy.
2. Power. Once you’ve selected your location, measure how far away the nearest outlet is. Some people discover that the outlet is on the other side of the wall, so they end up having to drag an extension and plug and un-plug it everytime they want to use it. Avoid that if at all possible. It is possible to buy a manual treadmill that doesn’t require electricity, but there aren’t very many options.
3. Noise. If you live in an apartment, think twice about your neighbors. Treadmills make noise from the moter and the belt, and then add in your feet stomping, and that makes for a lot of noise. If you’re lucky to live in a home, think about when you’ll want to use it and how it may affect your spouse or kids. 5am workouts may not work in your house with a home treadmill.

Can you lose weight on a treadmill

The treadmill is a tried and true method for weight loss. It may not be as fun as running outside or doing a weight-bearing workout at the gym, but it has a proven track record of helping people lose weight.

The key to being successfull is consistency. In any given week, if you walk briskly for 30 minutes or an hour a day, you’ve just burned more calories than you normally would have. That’s success right there.

To get even more serious, you may also want to consider buying a heart rate monitor. You can maximize your time exercising by staying in your THR (target heart rate) which puts you in the fat burning zone.

Is it better to buy a treadmill or join a gym

This is very subjective, but we hear most people that aren’t fit, say that maybe they should get in better shape before joining a gym. You know, so they don’t embarrass themselves. So in our mind, a home treadmill is usually the best thing to buy to start your fitness journey. 

One of the big obstacles for many people is lack of space in the home or apartment. If this is you, there are plenty of folding treadmill you can consider in all sorts of price ranges.

Hopefully you get to a point you feel confident enough to join a gym. That treadmill can then be used for cardio on those days you can’t get to the gym. 

How much is a treadmill?

In our opinion, a cheap treadmill to consider is in the $300 range. In that price range you can get a budget treadmill that will last you for years. It should be able to do everything from walking, jogging, and light running on flat or inclines and it definitely should be a folding treadmill. When you find yourself running faster or need more automation, a more expensive treadmill helps with wider and longer belts and motorized incline mechanisms.

Other than a budget treadmill, buying a piece of fitness equipment for a home gym allows you to choose a home or commercial treadmill. Home brands are Ancheer, Nordictrack, and go to super expensive, fully featured models like the Peloton Tread. Commercial treadmill brands include Life Fitness. So prices can range anywhere from $300 to $5000!

Bottom line, please make sure you get a good treadmill. The worst experience you could have is excitement to get fit and then struggle with a malfunctioning piece of fitness equipment.