Manual Treadmills May Be Cheap But Should You Buy One?
Apr 28th, 2008 by Reagan Miers
Manual treadmills may seem ideal for your wallet since they are relatively cheap treadmills, but your feet, body, and workouts can suffer in the long run if you purchase one. The whole purpose behind having a piece of home exercise equipment is to facilitate your workouts so you get optimal results. Using a manual treadmill can complicate a workout and even hinder your progress.
Since there is no motor in a manual treadmill, you have to provide the power to move the belt. The problem is the belts on most of these treadmills are difficult to bring up to speed at a flat or even slight incline. Most people find they have to put the treadmill in a sharp incline to get the belt in motion.
Manual treadmills don’t give you the momentum you need for a good workout. The machine speeds up and slows down as you do. Constantly bringing a machine back up to speed will put a lot of pressure on your feet, knees and joints. Exercise equipment is supposed to facilitate the workout, not make it stressful on the sensitive areas of your body.
To burn the maximum amount of calories possible, your body needs to maintain a fluid walk, run or jog. Manual treadmills do the opposite. When you slow down, it slows down. There is no push. It is nearly impossible to keep motion consistent and regulated on a manual treadmill. You may burn additional calories getting it up and running and then back up to speed when it begins to slow its pace, but in the long run you will burn more calories on a treadmill that is motor driven because it keeps your motion regulated and consistent.
Manual treadmills are bad investments because they can actually take time away from your workout. Most people don’t have a lot of time to workout. The time spent having to get on and off a machine to adjust its incline, and the constant slowing down and building back of a manual treadmill’s momentum is really a waste of precious time. A manual treadmill’s lack of features also makes it very easy to grow bored. Boredom can easily turn into exercise procrastination!
The number one reason people purchase manual treadmills is because they are cheap treadmills. You can find them for a few hundred dollars or less. While that may seem like a good deal, for just a few hundred dollars more, you can often times find a quality used treadmill that is motorized. And if you prefer to buy new, you can find a high-quality motorized treadmill for just under $1,000.
Taking a few extra months to save your money for a motorized treadmill is well worth the wait. Your joints will not be as stressed on a motorized treadmill, you will have better workouts and your workout time will be anything but boring.
Get hundreds of popular Industry magazines, white papers, webinars, podcasts, and more; all available at no cost to you. With more than 600 complimentary offers, you'll find plenty of titles to suit your professional interests and needs. Click Here and Sign up today!
