Buying Treadmill
Treadmill Accessories- Look Out While Buying Those
Sure, a treadmill is mainly for running. Why spend an
extra Benjamin or so for something so wacky as a drink holder on a
treadmill? You have an end table. Use it. But the thing is that while
you can make do without all those unnecessary frills in a treadmill (
Walkman holder, drink holder, arm rest, etc.), don’t outright place all
other equally “unnecessary” specs out of the picture. Because it might
turn out that they aren’t as unnecessary as you think.
Take the heart rate monitoring feature, for instance. You don’t
need it that much. However, if you really want to fine tune your
performance, then you will want to run with a program that measures your
heart rate. The same HRM may be used indoors or outdoors. Some
treadmills may even display your heart rate on the main display so you
can keep a constant eye on it as you run. It’s a minor convenience to be
sure, but you will soon find that it isn’t as over-the-top as you
believe.
So how does it work? It varies from one treadmill model
to another. But basically, the treadmill will pickup the signal from
your Polar monitor or from a chest strap provided. Other treadmills
monitor the heart rate of the runner through their hand grips (not very
practical though. Who wants to run while gripping fixed handrails?).
Still other treadmills have added a slick new feature in their heart
rate monitor by making it so that the belt’s speed adjusts to a
predefined heart rate range.
Another nifty feature of a treadmill
that you should probably consider is programmable workouts. It’s not an
absolute must, but if you have a set of favorite hill, interval, or
repetition workouts, you can do them now on your treadmill through the
programmable workout feature and save them for use on a regular basis.
The
answer is pretty much obvious. Hey, if you wanted to run on a surface
that shakes and shudders, you could always do that…on a skateboard on
top of a high-rise building, you screaming like crazy. Jokes aside, you
don’t want to run on a treadmill that shakes and shudders with every
step. Make sure that the frame of the treadmill is steady and is even
supported.
Though not proven, it is widely believed that the
heavier a treadmill is, the steadier it is. This makes it less likely to
shake and shudder. However, make sure to double check as it is not
always true. Check the footprints and look at descriptions as to how the
deck is built. If you are searching for a clue to finding out the
stability of a treadmill, check out the maximum user weight. That may
present some clue as to how stable and solid a treadmill is.
Don’t
do too much incline
Generally, treadmills have a maximum incline of
between 10 and 15 %. Anything more than that could involve safety issues
which you have to check with the manufacturer first. So just to be safe,
don’t overdo inclines.
Consider what you are running for.
If you are running to train, then also consider the course you are
training for. If it’s for hilly courses, then you will really need to
train on a hilly course. A treadmill with a 10% incline should be able
to do the work. It will give you the illusion of pushing your body
uphill... an experience that will be somewhat different from an actual
run up a hilly path.
However, if you’re running a course that has
a lot of down hills (like the Boston Marathon, for instance), then a
treadmill is not going to be of much help. You can probably try propping
the back up with a couple of 2 x 4’s but that would involve another set
of safety issues, so again, check with your manufacturer before doing so.