Treadmills are one of the most popular types of home fitness equipment. While going to the gym and engaging in outdoor exercises are common forms of workouts, most people are unable to do so due to hectic time schedules or health issues, resulting in an increase in treadmill demand. But do you really need one at home? This article will help you decide whether owning a treadmill is worth it. Let’s take a look.
Considerations Before Committing to a Treadmill
Several factors influence the decision to purchase a treadmill. The following questions will help you determine if purchasing a treadmill is worth it:
How Free Is Your Schedule?
If you work from home and have some schedule flexibility, you might be able to do without a treadmill. Do you have any children at home? If this is the case, a treadmill may be a good way to ensure you can stay fit while still watching your children.
Is There Enough Space for the Treadmill?
One of the most important factors to consider before purchasing a treadmill is your available space. Do you live in a large house or do you live in a small studio apartment? Treadmills come in various sizes and shapes, so measure the space you have available before purchasing your treadmill.
What Are Your Fitness Objectives?
Owning a treadmill is worthwhile if you are already a regular exerciser and want to supplement your routine with some indoor walking or running. This is because you can plan your runs around good weather and daylight from the comfort of your own home. However, if you are not in the habit of exercising, know that spending a lot of money on a treadmill isn’t worth it.
What Is Your Budget?
A high-quality treadmill can cost several thousand dollars, but others can be found for as little as $500. Expensive treadmills are more durable and have more features and operation options than cheaper ones. However, whether or not a treadmill will be a significant improvement in your quality of life depends entirely on how and when you run.
Potential Benefits of Owning a Treadmill
Purchasing a treadmill for your home is an excellent investment that provides regular exercise. Aside from burning calories, here are a few other advantages of using a treadmill.
- You can get the best workouts in a short amount of time if you have the right home treadmill.
- Treadmills are designed with special features like heart rate monitors and step counters that make it easy to track your fitness progress.
- The treadmill surface is much easier to navigate, lessening possible tripping, which is common with sidewalks, trails, and curbs.
- Treadmill users have complete control over their workout plan, including speed, energy expenditure, incline, warm-up, and cool-down periods.
- Unlike specific gym workouts, treadmill users can create customized workout programs to fit their workout schedules.
- The treadmill is relatively simple to operate.
- Multiple users can share a single treadmill without having to adjust its structure. A treadmill will be a worthy fitness equipment investment if you have a large family.
- It helps you recover from health injuries and provides a significant impact, which is excellent for health recovery.
Disadvantages of Treadmill Running
- Even though foldable treadmills are available in the market, advanced treadmills are unfordable, taking up a lot of space (up to 36 inches wide by 72 inches long)
- The cushioned treadmill surface may still impact the back or stress body joints. It is critical to test the surface and rebound.
- Treadmill exercises are limited to walking and running, which can be ineffective and monotonous after a while.
- Some treadmills have noisy motors that can be annoying to neighbors.
- They can be costly, with the best models costing $2000 or more.
The Bottom Line
Many factors determine whether a treadmill is worth it. A treadmill is undoubtedly a great option if you are just interested in cardiovascular benefits and keeping yourself fit. But if you’re training for a race, you will benefit more when you practice by running outside for the variations in the environment. You need to figure out which option works best for you and work both into your routine as much as possible before settling for a treadmill.