Wellness

[SaRina]

Unless you are 100% confident of your leg strength, coordination, and balance, you should definitely try one out before purchase. You should try one out in any event. It is an entirely different "feel" from walking on the ground and propelling yourself forward with your own body than having to negotiate a moving belt.

"I want one that is made  for a good stride...  but not one that is HUGE."

All the more reason to try out various models if you are near a sports store. It's kind of an oxymoron to find a treadmill with a "good stride" (I assume long stride) that is not a large piece of equipment.... and of course you don't want to take a normal stride and feel like you might risk falling off the end. Google "space saver treadmills" to find a unit that is smaller but, again, you need to make sure it suits your stride.

[SeaMaiden]

Thanks for all the great suggestions and warnings.   I will take them all into consideration.

[SaRina]

P.S. I have a ProForm (popular name and they make a good product IMO) I bought at Sears many years ago for about $550. It's nothing fancy -- I turn it on and go. I'm only interested in time and mileage. I don't believe that heart rate, calories burned on any piece of exercise equipment is accurate at all. 

[SunnyRose]

@SeaMaiden I bought a used treadmill when I first started using one to be sure I liked it enough to spend the $ on one.  I loved having one in my home so when that one gave out I bought one from Costco. I have an elliptical now because it is easier to move around the house  if needed but I still like the treadmill better. I'm 5' 9 so I have a long stride too. My only advice is to buy one that has a wider belt on it as those can vary in width.

[tansy]

Do you think your dogs might use it, @SeaMaiden?

I'd go for a recumbent stationary bike.

[SeaMaiden]

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@tansy wrote:

Do you think your dogs might use it, @SeaMaiden?

I'd go for a recumbent stationary bike.

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@tansy. I doubt my dogs would go for it. 😄 I have the bike....just want to be able to walk indoors.

[hckynut]

Bought my first treadmill in 1984 and have over 20,000 miles on it, and it stills runs just fine. Also getting close to 1,000 on the newer one I bought for my wife.

Training for running at least 300+ Road Races, and over 90% of my training was on a treadmill. Why? Because I love them. They were the reason I got better fit and also faster at Race distances from 1 mile long and every distance, up to and including the 26.2 mile marathon.

Lots a person needs to know about them if they are going to use them seriously, if for a "kinda extra" machine, not so much. Don't have time to explain like I usually do, but not much I do not know about good motorized treadmills, as I even repaired my older one myself.

hckynut(john)

[Azcowgirl]

I love mine....I'm tall so I got an extra long and extra wide belt. It has a fan in it that is to die for! Keeps you really cooled off. it's a Nordic track tread mill. 

[qualitygal]

I never in my life, thought I'd see a sentence like that.

Me, treadmill, that I loved!!! Holy moly, not in my lifetime. That's called exercise, and even on a good day, there's rarely been an exercise I'd say LOVE to. LOL

Use to love, step aerobics, but that was years ago, but it was fun and Sweating to the oldies, when Richard had music I liked.  Even Cher had a great step aerobics step exer-cise video.  

@SeaMaiden, wish I could give you mine. You should see all the garage sales that sells them. Adding: can you do the Leslie Sansome walking in your house exercises? A whole lot cheaper and it's like someone to do them with. 

, 

[hckynut]

Here it is again: "I love my treadmill and exercise". Every time I am unable to do as much as my body permits, is not what I consider a good day. Is the ability the same every day/week/month or year? No, but my desire is exactly the same whether it is walking for 1 minute or 1 hour.

Why exercise is a dirty word to some escapes my comprehension. To be able to move easy or with mild difficulty is a blessing, too often overlooked until one can't. Will one live longer if they enjoy exercising? Who cares, I sure don't. Will there be more life in my years, there already has been and will continue later today.

Will that ability be there tomorrow? Beats me, but it is today. 

I love my treadmill and exercise. Some days I have to force myself to not exercise with the same intensity. Is that a good or a bad thing? Is it an addiction(some now call that word a disease), to me it is neither.

hckynut(john)