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Confused with All the Brands Of Treadmills Available?

Confused With All The Brands and Models of Exercise Treadmills Available?
Read on to find out what it's all about... Home fitness equipment and in particular your very own treadmill can be a major help in your fitness program. Using a treadmill on a regular basis can help you in the following areas: losing weight, gettin fit, toning muscle, accomplishing your fitness goals, feeling more vibrant.
To lose fat and build your cardiovascular endurance most people only need about 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. And you can do this in the privacy of your home, you won't have to drive anywhere and you won't have to spend heaps on gym memberships.
Not enough room at home? The lightweight folding models available mean that storage is a breeze - in most cases they will slip under the spare bed.
If space is not an issue then there is no problem - just focus on what is the best treadmill for your fitness program. You should choose your treadmill according to how you plan to use it.
If you run every day you will need a much sturdier treadmill with a wider and longer belt than one recommended for occasional walkers. All the frills such as fans, CD players, TV remote holders just add to the cost of the treadmill and you would be better off investing in a better quality treadmill that will give you a better workout.
The most important features to look for on your treadmill are ease of operation, push button controls, a safety key to stop the treadmill if you fall and also to prevent young children from turning the treadmill on, a heart rate monitor, front and side hand grips, wide flat footrails on either side of the belt.
There is a huge range of prices, some as little as $300. But there is also a huge difference in quality between those treadmills for $300 and the $1000+ exercise treadmills recommended by the pro's. This huge difference in quality is also shown by the warranties some treadmill manufacturers offer. Treadmills under $1000 typically only have a 90 day warranty, except for the Smooth Treadmill which has a lifetime frame warranty and 2 years warranty on parts and one year on service.
Whereas your Landice Treadmill has a lifetime guarantee on parts and 1 year on labor. This is an important point to note as with exercise treadmills weighing in at around 200lbs, you'll have to get the technician to call out to your home to repair it.
As you can imagine, treadmills under $1000 also don't perform as well as the more expensive models. The weslo treadmill DS11 that sells at around $300 has just a 16 inch wide belt, compared to 20 inch ones on most other machines. This might be okay at slow walking speeds but trying to keep your feet inside 16 inches can be difficult at higher speeds. And if you find it hard to keep your feet together you'll step on the side rails - which could prove quite painful!
But if you only plan on walking slowly as part of your fitness program then the weslo


treadmill model DS11 would be okay. The image treadmill model 16.OQ which sells around $515 is also only really recommended for walking, although it has a wider 19 inch belt. It has a the short 90 day warranty and with a 250lbs weight limit it should not be used for heavier walkers.
The Tunturi treadmills are extremely durable home treadmills. They feature a 10 year warranty on the motor, 3 years on parts and 1 year on labor. Made in Finland and the top of the range J5F is an excellent design with hi-tech electronics and has all the comfort features of course!
The belt is 20 inches wide and has a fully shock absorbent running platform that elevates to 10% in .5% steps. The front bar and sporting handrails on the sides ensure a great running feeling and a safe workout. The console offers constant heart-rate control training and pre-set heart rate control working profiles for the most effective exercise. The console also features an easy read scrolling display which guides your treadmill training progress.
It has a patented folding mechanism and so this treadmill is still quite easy to move. But at $1798.95 this treadmill deserves to be on display all the time! (Free shipping!)
Most of the Tunturi treadmill range comes with pre-programmed exercise profiles to suit different users. To cater for so many needs and conditions Tunturi has brought in the scaling function. With a default value set at 100%, the user then adjusts the default to lighten or increase the load. Your exercise has been scaled to the right level when your heart rate stays in the same zone profile for the workout goal you have chosen. The tunturi treadmill makes this a very simple function and the scale can be changed before or during the program to suit your needs.
At the other end of the scale, the horizon fitness T51 treadmill is excellent value at under $700. It has a motorized belt and features a hand grip contact heart rate monitor to make it easy to see how you're doing. And to keep your cool while you walk or run there's a built in fan.
Easy to read blue backlit console displays time, distance, calories burned, heart rate and speed. All the essentials that make it easy for you to get fit, tone muscle and lose fat.
There are 4 pre-set profiles and this treadmill has speeds of 5-10 mph. It has an elevation of up to 10% in 1% steps. The large running area is 18 x 50 inches and it uses a 1.75 hp motor. Maximum user weight is 250lbs.
There is a lifetime warranty on the frame, 7 years on the motor and 1 year on parts and labor. It is manufactured in China.

About the Author
Max Wallace is a published web author on various subjects ranging from Health and Fitness to Dollhouse Building for a Profit. Visit www.koolinfo4u.com/treadmills.htm to see other articles on treadmills or for more of Max's publications including his great book on Dollhouse Building for Profit go to www.koolinfo4u.com and click on the relative link.

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