Advantages and disadvantages of buying a treadmill

Many people swear by treadmills as an avenue for exercise, whether at home or at the gym. There are many good reasons to use a treadmill for working out, but also a number of reasons to opt for other types of exercise.

Not weather dependent 

When cold weather moves in and the snow begins to fall, it is easy to come up with excuses to avoid outdoor exercise.

• A treadmill renders these excuses moot because it is set up inside your home.
• A treadmill also allows you to watch a movie or catch up on your favourite TV shows.

Monitoring your progress

Although heart rate monitors are available for a person who exercises outdoors, these gadgets are expensive and must be worn at all times.

• For convenience, many modern treadmills include built-in heart rate monitors on the hand grips.
• When you hold onto the grips your heart rate will be displayed on the screen. In addition, a treadmill can be customized to each member of your household's fitness needs by inputting individual ages, weights and other pertinent information.

Easier on the joints

• Running or even walking outdoors can be painful on the joints because you are running on different types of surfaces, such as dirt trails, hard sidewalks and asphalt. As a result, you are more prone to injury and more likely to trip.
• Treadmills are lower impact and better for your joints.

Cost

• A treadmill can cost from $800 to $3,000.
• On the other hand, while this may seem costly, a monthly gym membership can easily exceed $100.
• Although it may be tempting to purchase the least-expensive treadmill, you are probably better off buying a machine slightly more expensive to help ensure that it lasts for three to five years.

Space

• Because a treadmill can measure more than 2 metres long and 1 metre wide, finding space for it can be a bit of a challenge.
• Many homeowners opt to place a treadmill in a basement or in the garage.
• If space is really an issue, a slightly more expensive treadmill can fold in half for easy storage.

Boredom

Because being outdoors offers access to trails and parks, it's easy to become used to exploring new places to run and walk. However, because a treadmill is not able to be moved it can become boring to run in place. Having a television in the same room is a great way to break up the monotony.