Treadmills

[boudicca]

So the nights are drawing in and it's getting cold. I was very aware a few nights ago of the pavement being wet and slightly slippery - which got me wondering about how I'd cope with a thin film of ice. The answer seemed to be a treadmill. What sort of things does one look for? How much would a decent one cost? I don't need anything fancy - just something to keep going.

[Mitts Graduate]

I've thought about this too and I'm going to take out 3 months at the fitness club over winter just to see if treadmills and I get on. They're expensive and very heavy from what I can see, I think a good try before you buy is the best way to go.

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I was looking at treadmills on a site last night and was socked at the price of them. They seemed to start at about £500 and go up to anything around £2000!! I was however looking for one that would allow me to do hill work so a pretty good incline option. I have a gym membership and will just stick with it although the treadmills are sometimes very busy then you are limited to 15 minutes which isn't very good. A friend got a good 2nd hand one off Ebay which saved her £700! So well worth shopping around before you part with your money.

[SBG356 Graduate]

I have been looking into this now for a while since selling my cross-trainer and now having the space. I am lookng for a decent folding one and for this I am expecting to pay around £500-£700 but yes, they can go into the £000's for an all-singing and all-dancing one! They all do say to really try before you buy if you can and some of the on-line retailers also have showrooms, for instance, fitness-superstore.co.uk/

They advise to get one with a continuous duty motor rather than standard, at least 2 horsepower and a minimum of 10mph speed. The running belt should be a minimum of 120cm x 40cm so you can get a good stride. Most have an incline of 10-12% and lots of different programmes that can give you a variety of workouts.

I have run on them in the gym before but would prefer to have one at home for dark, winter nights though you cant beat running outside!

[sfb350 Graduate]

It might be worth looking into your local council leisure centres. I don't know how other regions compare but here in Telford and Wrekin, I pay £26 a month for unlimited use of the gym, use of the swimming pool at certain times and any fitness classes at any of six or seven leisure centres in the area. I have a cross trainer at home but, for some reason, I find it more motivating to make an effort to go to the gym and use the cross trainer and treadmill there and follow it up with some strength training etc. If you're looking at spending several hundred quid on a treadmill it might be a cost effective alternative, especially if there are other fitness classes that appeal to you.