Before the treadmill was invented most people do their jogging or running around the neighbourhood block or around their favourite jogging parks. However, with the change of pace of daily activities and lifestyles, time constraint has become a hindrance. Some may not have the time nor energy to fit in a 20 minute exercise into their respective schedules. What about the change in weather conditions? I don’t think anyone would want to jog outdoors during the cold winter days. When the treadmill was invented, the whole running or jogging arena has drastically changed. Most people have found the treadmill to be a boon because it allows greater flexibility in most exercise regimens. Even during inclement weather, jogging and running are both made possible when the treadmill came into existence.

Because of this, electric treadmills have become the big favorite exercise equipment by many people who really want to exercise either for health reasons or for vanity reasons. Who wouldn’t want a lean body anyway? Some decades ago, manual treadmills have also etched their place into the fitness world but have to take the sidelines when their electric counterparts gained some headway. Keep in mind that electric treadmills do not come cheap. They cost much more than their manual counterparts. However, it may just be a worthwhile investment you may have to make. Hence, choosing which one to use must be carefully chosen taking into consideration some factors which may contribute to a wise purchasing decision. Not many can afford the most sophisticated and modern treadmill available. But it is also very important to note that higher price tags do not necessarily mean higher quality. There are cheap treadmills out there that may have some qualities and features that would suffice for you. All it would just take is to make some diligent research about the product you have in your list in order to make a very informed decision.

The electric treadmill motor, even though it is not visible, is the heart and soul of the machine. Being the prime mover of the whole treadmill assembly, it carries the most work so to speak especially if the user is of heavy build. Hence, you should ensure that the motor that makes your treadmill run is of good quality. Poor quality treadmill motors tend to overheat and fail leading to high costs of repair or replacement. If you are a serious treadmill user, you could be logging in numerous miles and hours on the machine. For that, you will surely need a good quality treadmill motor to meet your demands. This can be compounded if there would be multiple serious users for a single machine. Hence, you should ensure that the motor can take the load with great ease. One good indication of a high quality motor is the length of the manufacturer warranty. The longer the warranty period, the better the quality of the motor in most cases. It is just an exercise of common wit actually. Try to ask yourself this: If the manufacturer is not so sure of their baby, will they offer longer warranty periods or any at all? If the manufacturer does not offer any warranty or if it did, only for a few days, then you should start to get wary of its quality.

Another thing to consider is to look at the specifications of the motor. The specifications are usually found on the sticker on the motor casing itself or in the treadmill manual or user guide. You should look for the power rating which is usually in horsepower or hp. Higher power rating means the motor can take on heavy loads for longer sustained periods without overheating. But the downside is that it may tend to consume more power. Usually, the ratings are usually in the range of 1hp up to 3hp. Hence, it would be a safer bet to opt for those who have at least 1.5hp rating. However, if you are a serious exerciser who wants to log in hours of running or if you are the type who likes to sprint or if the treadmill is to be used with multiple users in succession, you should opt for at least 2hp. Keep in mind that the more powerful the electric treadmill, the higher the price tag it will tend to carry.

That being said, for your normal needs at home, you should choose a belt with at least a 2-ply rating. There may be some brands who have 1-ply belts especially the cheap ones. I would suggest to avoid those. Fortunately, most famous brands have made the quality of their treadmill belts of good quality with moderate to high resistance against snapping and rapid wear and tear. A 2-ply belt comes usually as a standard in many of their models these days even with the lower priced models. There are also models which have 3-ply belt ratings or more especially with the high-end brands.

Belt width should also be factored in. A wider belt tends to be the better bet most of the time. Narrow treadmill belts tend to constrict the movement of your lower limbs which can make you uneasy as you jog or run on the treadmill equipment. In most situations, an 18-inch wide belt may suffice. Please note that the wider the belt, the price of the electric treadmill tends to go higher due to the wider frame it would need to accommodate the belt.

Belt length should not be neglected. A person with longer lower limbs tend to have a longer motion range as he or she jogs on the belt surface. In most cases, an electric treadmill belt length of 4 feet can be adequate for persons of average height. However though, taller individuals might need more than 4 feet of belt length in order to accommodate their limb motions. One good way to measure if you would be comfortable with the length of the treadmill belt is to do some actual testing. Most shops selling these are will be more than glad to give you a test run.

1)    Treadmills are primary designed for adults. Try to keep your treadmill machine in a locked room to prevent the kids from accessing it. If this is not possible put on a durable protective cover on the machine to prevent the kids from tinkering with it.
2)    Do not forget to utilize the treadmill safety features which are applicable to kids such as the code protected operation or better yet, unplug the equipment from its power source.
3)    Do not leave the safety key in its slot when the machine is not in use. Put it somewhere safe from the kids. A safety key left dangling can be a strangling hazard aside from giving the kids the ability to power-on the treadmill.
4)    Educate your kids about the hazards which the treadmill might bring upon them. Explain to them fully that they are not toys and that they are only for adults. They may not listen at first but repeated reminders may make them heed the warnings.
5)    When you are using the machine at home with your kids around, make sure that you do not let them go near the machine. Many injuries were attributed with kids’ limbs getting caught with the moving parts. Better yet and if possible, use the treadmill when kids are not around or tucked away in their beds.

These simple yet useful safety practices should not be taken for granted. The electric treadmill can be your lifelong aid towards healthy living but do not forget the fact that they can also be a hazard to the kids. Our kids are the primary reason why we want to stay healthy in the first place.