How to choose a treadmill expert advice

Running is a great way to keep your body toned, your muscles toned, and your body fat to a minimum. It is for this reason that on warm summer evenings, stadiums and outdoor areas are literally littered with trainees – the fashion for a healthy lifestyle makes itself felt. However, it is far from always possible to conduct a full-fledged workout – rain and wind, snow and severe frost – these and many other anomalies do not allow not only running, but even leaving the house without getting wet to the skin and not freezing. The ideal solution to this problem is a treadmill – with the help of this compact simulator, you can run at any pace and at any time of the day, regardless of the weather and precipitation!

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In order to choose the right treadmill, you need to determine its key features, as well as other parameters to which you need to pay close attention.

Which treadmill to choose: mechanical or electrical

Mechanical treadmill

It is the simplest mechanism, which is a canvas fixed between two rotating rollers. No power source is required in this situation – the rotation of the rollers and the movement of the blade are carried out using your feet. This makes running on a mechanical track as close to real life as possible: while you are running, the track rotates, as soon as you stop, the track stops moving.

Advantages

• Compact dimensions;

• Relatively inexpensive;

• Plausibly emulates regular stadium running;

• Does not require a power source;

• Simple construction;

disadvantages

• There is no way to maintain a certain pace of running and adjust the intensity of the workout;

• Additional stress on the knee joints while running;

Electric treadmill

A modern version of the treadmill, which uses an electric motor as the main driving force. It is he who sets the canvas in motion, and all that remains for the athlete is to adjust to the speed of his movement and choose the appropriate training intensity. The latter is regulated using a special control panel, on which you can adjust the intensity of the load, as well as emulate all kinds of ascents and descents, as well as perform interval training.

Advantages

• Functional and convenient device;

• Allows you to control your well-being, measure your pulse and blood pressure;

• Huge opportunities in adjusting loads and exercise intensity;

• Wide functionality;

• Ease of management;

disadvantages

• High price;

• Large dimensions and weight;

• Requires a permanent power source;

Having weighed all the pros and cons, as well as having read the reviews of experienced fitness trainers on the Internet, the classic electric treadmill should be preferred. Despite the higher cost, this option gives truly endless possibilities for the trainee and allows you to sensitively adjust the intensity and pace of the exercise. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to immediately buy the most expensive top-class model, a model of the middle price range, the cost of which does not exceed 30 thousand rubles, is quite enough. A mechanical treadmill should only be bought if there is a significant shortage of free cash.

What should be the electric motor in an electric treadmill?

So the customer is convinced that the electric treadmill is the right fit for productive workouts. What should you pay attention to? First of all, on the electric motor installed 'under the hood', and on its key characteristics in particular:

1. The rated power of the electric motor fully characterizes the ability to rotate the blade at a certain speed for a long time. The performance of the track under load depends on the rated power, as well as the maximum weight of the runner. The most powerful models of treadmills are able to work with an athlete weighing 130-140 kilograms;

2. The peak power of the electric motor displays the maximum possible values ​​that the electric motor can develop in a short period of time. This parameter should be paid attention, first of all, to those who like high-intensity interval training;

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In terms of numbers, an electric motor with a capacity of 2-2.5 horsepower is quite enough for a long-term training of a person weighing up to 100-110 kilograms.

Determine the size of the running belt

The second important feature is the overall dimensions of the running belt – the very track on which the running will be carried out. At the moment, you can find a variety of models on sale, the width of the canvas for which can vary from 30 to 60 centimeters. Here everything is chosen based on the runner's weight and dimensions – the larger the person, the wider the treadmill he will need. The selection criterion here is very simple – even in the store, you need to stand on the track and try to emulate the run – the width should be enough for natural movements, and the handrails should not interfere.

However, the purchase of a treadmill with a belt of maximum width, which is practiced by novice athletes, cannot be called a logical step. It should be remembered that the wider the canvas, the more effort it will take to turn it. This, in turn, will lead to the need to install an electric motor of obviously higher power, which will certainly affect the overall price of the treadmill.

Control Panel

The control panel is a kind of central control panel for any treadmill. Even budget models and economy-class devices are equipped with it, but their functionality cannot be called exhaustive. Running cadence, time, and calories burned are the three main parameters that are reflected in the dashboard of an inexpensive treadmill.

1. The more expensive the device, the more functional it is, and therefore all kinds of heart rate indicators, smart algorithms appear on the dashboard that allow you to measure the percentage of adipose tissue in the body, blood pressure and, depending on the values ​​obtained, adjust the training program.

2. In order to measure the state of your body – pulse, heart rate, oxygen level in the blood and other parameters, special sensors are included with the most advanced tracks. They are located on handrails or have the form of special clips attached to the earlobe or wrist. The information received with their help is displayed on the screen and already relying on it, the athlete gets the opportunity to adjust his own training program.

3. Another extremely interesting knot is the so-called safety key, which is used to prevent injury during exercise. It is inserted into a special niche and fixed on the wrist. In the event of a fall, the key is automatically pulled out of the lock, and the track stops immediately, thus avoiding injury.

4. It should be noted that the various training modes are integrated into the memory of the most advanced tracks by default. Classic running and interval training, ascent and descent, as well as many parameters that can be manually adjusted and tune the treadmill for yourself – this is not a complete list of functions that the most advanced treadmills have. There really is plenty to choose from!

In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose an exercise bike, the secrets of choosing an elliptical trainer, and recommendations for choosing dumbbells for training at home.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.