Please review some things before beginning a health regimen

1)      No special equipment is needed for walking, just good fitting shoes and a road.

2)      Walking does not cost any thing at all unless you want to purchase some of the extras like a step counter or water bottle or ipod to take with you.

3)      There is no learning curve just get out there and put one foot in front of the next.

4)      Walking is just you and the road so there is no competition and no one to make you feel bad.

5)      You can walk with someone you know and converse about your day with them.

6)      You can take you own pet out on a walk with you or do a favor to someone in the area and take their dog out.

7)      Use the time to clear your head and re-focus yourself.

8)      Walking can become a part of anyones workout and weight loss program, it isn’t straining and doesn’t cause long term side effects.

Your walking can also be incorporated into any of your daily activites.

You can set you vehicle further away than normal so it forces you to walk further to get to where you are going.

Rather than taking the elevator you can opt for the stair case incorporating some extra cardio and muscle training into your day.

When you are at the mall make a conscious effort to walk all the way around it before you start your shopping.

If you live close enough to a place you routinely go to then try walking there instead of taking the car.

Walking ca really be done regardless of the weather.  But it is important to keep yourself from getting sick so if you always have inclement weather you may want to consider buying used treadmills to supplement those bad weather days.  Other benefits of the at home treadmill is the fact that you can set it up in front of the TV.

The very basic treadmills are the very basic for a few reasons. First, they have limited programming functionality. That means the treadmill is unable to give you a variety of running routines, mixing incline with speed. Having a diverse set of routines keeps your workout fresh and new. If you are the one that always has to do determine speed, distance and incline, than your human nature will choose the path of least resistance. On the other hand, if you are an avid runner, you are well aware of how to vary the speed and distance of your workouts, which means multiple functions may not be something you will want.

Here is Lori from Ford Models explaining how she uses interval training in her workouts.

Some people are persuaded to purchase treadmills because they offer heart rate monitoring, and the truth is unfortunately those heart rate monitors rarely work. If the heart rate monitor does work, it is hardly ever accurate.

Medium grade treadmills will offer a decent amount of programming functionality and may allow to adjust speed with both an arrow and nine key pad number system. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you are cruising along at 6 miles per hour, it is much easier to hit the 3 button than it is to hold the arrow down and wait for the speed to drop. These treadmills also offer a small variety of pre-programmed routines which can help you get a better workout.

The highest grad treadmills will offer everything from automatic fans to blow air in your face, inset plasma TV’s, and a long list of pre-programmed workouts. While I enjoy using the highest grade treadmill, they do not necessarily provide anything extra to the home treadmill experience.  You control the temperature of your house, you can place the treadmill in front of  a TV, you can customize the experience however you would like. o

Just make sure that when you buy used treadmills you choose one that meets your needs.

“I am super excited about this treadmill.  I’m a novice to the whole treadmill thing and I can’t see the difference between this on and the other more expensive model.  I guess what I mean is that I don’t miss all the bells and whistles from the other model.  Its smooth and quiet and has a lifetime warranty.”

“I consider myself to be fairly handy but this thing has been a monster to install.  The bolts and screws are really sturdy but the are really difficult to install.  It is really hard to lube up the moving parts on the treadmill base and the on off switch is difficult to find.”

“I got the product in the time frame I was promised and found it relatively easy to put together.  I also had some trouble with the on off switch but its not a continual issue.”

“So I love the treadmill.  It did take a few of us to put the thing together and I did have a problem with the last two screws under the console.  I did have a slight issue, I lost the safety key and there is no way the machine will work without it.  On top of that it takes what seems like a signed note from the president to get another one.  DO NOT LOSE YOUR SAFETY KEY!”

“My machine arrived and we set it all up properly only to find the machine not working at all.  As I imagine this can happen every once in a while so I assumed it would be an easy switch to get a working one.  It is not and in fact the customer service people have been a disaster to work with.  I wish I’d never bought the treadmill.”

It will be wise as a consumer to verify a few things before you purchase a used treadmills.  First make sure you know what their return policy is and see if you can evaluate future customer support.  Nothing like having Dumar Kubadeshi walking you through an install from Bangladesh India.

You can actually purchase treadmills from just about anywhere, sporting goods stores, Target, and online but the best place to purchase them from used is either on the internet or from a dealer with a warranty.  When you buy a treadmill it is just as important where you buy it from as what you are actually buying.

You should ask the sporting goods store whether or not they have a checklist they work through when they evaluate the machines or if they just simply clean them off and re-sell them.  Finding a store that offers a warranty will definitely make sure you are protected against buying a lemon.

It is also possible to find treadmills at a thrift store or the salvation army but this carries much more risk because you have no idea the history of the machine.  There is a high likelihood things like the electrical will be out of whack and obviously there won’t be any kind of warranty.  If you just want a bargain machine without any frills this might be the way to go but chances are you are looking for something that is user friendly at the least.

Your local gym will lease the equipment from a large dealer and at the end of the lease the machines will be resold either to the public or a hotel or another gym or maybe even a school.  This may be okay with them but typically these machines are used 12 hours a day everyday for several years.  They time the lease to end just before the machine gives out.  This way the leasing company can resell the equipment at a higher price just before it reaches its point of uselessness.

The hands down best place to purchase a used treadmill is from someone who bought a new one thinking they wre finally going to get into shape and just never did.  They usually have been lightly used and you can negation the price down to within your budget.  Whatever you do take the time to find as much about the history of the machine as you can.

According to many experts the best way to consistently lose weight and feel better is to keep your exercise fun and interesting and one of the best ways to do this quickly is with a treadmill or elliptical machine.  Don’t limit yourself to just these machines either, while the treadmill burns more calories the elliptical offers less impact to you joints.

The elliptical has a few advantages that the treadmill just doesn’t offer, but it really depends on the machine you buy and what your goals are.  One of those advantages is a more complete all over body work out.  This can be accomplished because while your hands are engaged at the top of the machine they are moving with you forcing your core muscles into consistent tension.  This allows the abs and butt to develop some more tone.

The downside of course is that if you just cruise along with the elliptical you don’t get the same cardio workout that you do with the treadmill.  The treadmill is harder for you body to move on and requires more from your muscles providing more resistance and a better cardio experience.  It is however constantly putting pressure on your joints which can be uncomfortable and lead to other health problems down the line.

I recommend taking advantage of both of these machines by using what is called interval training.  In other words spend half the time on the treadmill and half the time on the elliptical.  This will allow you to benefit from the use of both machines.

If the treadmill is too much in the beginning and standing in line waiting for one at the gym seems a little intimidating just relax and start with the elliptical.  Of course you can always purchase used treadmills and have it at you home for your own non judgmental use every day.  In the end its up to you for how you want to lose the weight and increase your health.