What to Look For in a Treadmill
I spend a lot of time on road, traveling on business. Last week, I switched hotels because I didn’t like the first hotel’s treadmill.
Since I’m running the Boston Marathon next week, I didn’t want to risk a fall on a small, rickety treadmill. Some of my training runs require a treadmill speed of 10 mph, so there isn’t much margin for error.
Whether you’re looking for a hotel with a good treadmill or you are looking to buy one for your home, there are several things to watch out for:
- A belt size of at least 20” x 60”
- A Continuous Duty motor with at least 2.5 HP
- Speed settings that go up to at least 12 mph
- Incline settings that go up to at least 12% (and down to a -3% decline, if possible)
- Compatible with a Polar Heart Rate Monitor Strap
- A water bottle holder
- A built-in fan
- A headphone jack
- If you are buying a treadmill, a long warranty is key
- If you are in a hotel, a (free) fitness center with 24 hour access and multiple treadmills are important to make sure that you can work out on your schedule
What do you look for in a treadmill? What are your favorite models and why? Tell me in the comments.
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