January 2nd, 2010
by
in
What you need to know |
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Treadmills can get to be fairly pricy, but you can definitely reduce your cost by picking up one that has been used. Because there are so many moving parts to treadmills a lot of things can go wrong so it is important that you know what you are getting into before you buy.
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.
January 2nd, 2010
by
in
Best Practices |
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If you are like most of the overweight Americans out there than one of your new year’s resolutions is to lose some weight and get in shape. Great news here, you are not alone in this goal. It is pretty commonly considered the most common goal across the board for the New Year. Whether it is be healthy, eat better, look better, feel better they are all the same –people wanting to lose fat.
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.
