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Posts Tagged ‘motorized treadmills’

Are you torn between a motorized treadmill and a manual treadmill? How does one compare with the other?

There are tons of options when it comes to motorized treadmills. You will need to know your own needs in order to come to a wise buying decision. The key factors include your weight, your length of stride (how fast you run), as well as the duration (in years) that you would like to use the machine.

Motorized treadmills range from light weight treadmills to heavy duty treadmills. The lighter models are meant for smaller runners or those who run at lower intensity. The motor is often not as powerful as the heavy duty ones. The commercial grade treadmills are much more powerful, and can usually support a heavier runner (about 300 pounds). These machines are also more durable. However, they cost 3 to 4 times as much.

With a motor treadmill, you get to enjoy modern features such as MP3 functions and automatic exercise programs. Without power, you can’t have any exercise programs. Everything has to be done manually.

So why does anyone want to purchase a manual treadmill?

The key advantage of manual treadmill is cost. It’s much cheaper to buy a manual treadmill. A manual machine cost just about $200. In addition, there are no costly maintenance costs. A manual machine is mostly light weight, and some models are portable. You can bring them around while traveling. Most motorized are so heavy that you will have trouble moving it out of your own room!

The manual treadmill is still useful because it does what a treadmill is supposed to do – which is to get you to break a sweat. You have to push with your legs to move the belt though. Initially, you need to push a little harder to gather momentum. Some people say that this causes additional stress on the joints. But the stress is minimal.

You cannot adjust the incline while you are running because it’s a manual treadmill. If you wish to change the incline, you have to stop the machine and make the adjustments, then continue with the run.

A manual fitness treadmill can still be good for beginners, who may not wish to make a huge investment on an exercise machine. Just take a fast walk on the treadmill. For more motivation, switch on the TV to watch a program, or on the hifi to listen to some music.