Treadmill Buying Guide - Part 1

When you make the choice to shop for fitness equipment, specifically to enable you to walk or run indoors, it is a good idea to have a collection of hints and tips, organized into a treadmill buying guide.  

There are a lot of important factors to consider before embarking on your shopping trip, and it is best to have a goal in mind before entering a store.  If you start your shopping not knowing what to look for, or what would be considered a good bargain, you are sure to be disappointed.

The first aspect to consider is the treadmill price.  This one thing alone will shape all of your future decisions concerning the treadmill.  Treadmills can vary in price by thousands of dollars, so in order to know what features you can even consider you are going to need to set a price range.  

There are perfectly good treadmills available for a reasonable amount of money, but they are not going to offer as many bells and whistles as machines on the higher price end.  In order to not end up disappointed, know what you can afford ahead of time.  This way you aren't test driving the Escalade when all you can afford is the Gremlin.

Once you have set your price range, consider if buying used would be worth it. Exercise equipment is one of the greatest values when buying used.  Think of all the stories you have heard about people getting a piece of equipment, full of motivation and plans to use it, only to have it turn into a piece of furniture within a year.  Sometimes people are so desperate to be rid of the machine, they would practically pay you to take it off of their hands.  

If you are in search of a higher-end piece of equipment but higher-end is not in the budget, used may be the way to go.  Shop around, ask questions and thoroughly examine the machine before purchasing, and you may just get a great bargain.

If budget is not an issue or you just can't find what you are looking for used, then your next option is to go in search of the perfect treadmill at a variety of shops. Fitness superstores often have sales, and you can usually trust that they will stand behind their product to protect their reputation.  

You may have to settle for less-than-perfect customer attention since they are usually busy and often employ perfectly good folks that just are not experts in any particular field.  Another benefit to buying new is the warranty option that will be available.  Depending on where you buy, you may have the chance to extend the warranty as well.  But if you know exactly what you are looking for and have chosen a brand and a model, have a good idea about price range and can all but sell the machine to yourself, the fitness superstore may be the way to go.

Treadmill Buying Guide - Part 2