Treadmill Basics
Motorized Or Manual, Which Treadmill Is Best For You
Before one goes to get a treadmill for oneself, the first question he needs to answer is whether he or she should go for a motorized treadmill or a manual one. Surely, the motorized variety is of the more expensive kind, but if funds are not an issue the choice is not all that difficult. However, you must understand the difference between the two kinds of treadmills before you purchase any.
The fundamental difference, of course,
is that a manual treadmill requires of you to run and have the belt
roll with the momentum of your body. It is nearly the same as running
on any surface. The way you push the ground away to move and run, the
same way you have to exert the pressure on the belt of the machine to
have it rolling. So, it is much like running except that you do not
move from one place to another in the process.
In case of the
motorized version of the machine the belt is moved by the motor and
you have to keep running on the belt keeping pace with the moving
belt. In motorized treadmill you do not have to push the belt away to
make it move.
There are many who feel that since one
needs to apply force on the belt of a manual treadmill, it burns more
calories than a motorized one. This is, as a matter of fact, is not
true. This is because one who applies the force to roll the belt
tends to get tired much earlier, which translates into lesser workout
time. This means that the total amount of calories burnt depends upon
how good a physical shape you are in. In other words, if you are
stronger you’ll burn more calories because you’ll be able to keep
the treadmill running for a longer duration. In addition to that, a
manual machine may also put undue pressure on your knees as you apply
force to the belt.
In case of a motorized treadmill, the belt is moved by a motor and you can simply keep running on it for a much longer duration because you do not spend your energies on making the belt roll. And, of course, your joints are not strained.
Therefore, a motorized treadmill is preferable to a manual one for obvious reasons, unless of course your budget is the deciding factor in your treadmill purchase. Even if you have budget constraints, it is advisable that you wave for a little while and get a motorized treadmill instead of settling for a manual one.