Top 9 Treadmill Benefits | TreadmillReviewGuru.com

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Treadmills are one of our main fitness equipment of choice. We have tested all kinds of models from all of the main brands, as well as lesser-known brands. Treadmills can help with weight loss, improve your cardiovascular fitness, and are great for overall health. These are probably the main benefits of a treadmill that you first think of and they’re valid reasons to buy one.

Why our team prefers treadmills extends beyond those benefits though. So, stick with me as I take you through our top 9 treadmill benefits on why we love treadmills from our team of treadmill experts. I’ve also included a mini treadmill buying guide to help you find the best treadmill for you. If you’re ready to buy, you can check our top recs, here.

1. Convenience

Having a treadmill in your home ready to be used is extremely convenient. Many of us, myself included, have a hard enough time setting aside time to workout. Things like work, kids, and life in general can make it challenging to fit in a workout. Although having a treadmill in your home won’t guarantee that you actually use it, it will help.

A home treadmill eliminates factors like the weather, driving to the gym, time of day, and time of year. Much like the intro to Friends, your treadmill will be there for you, no matter what.

2. No Excuses

Along with added convenience, having a treadmill helps to eliminate excuses. Have you ever talked yourself out of a workout? I know I have, but it’s a lot harder when the machine is right in front of you. I know we’re busy, but we have 5 minutes. Sometimes that is all it takes to get in a good workout.

Having a treadmill or a complete home gym makes for fewer excuses than if you were to run outside or go to the gym. A treadmill is there to be used at any time – no matter if it’s sunny or rainy, in the middle of winter, or during a heatwave. A treadmill allows you to make the time because there are fewer reasons to not hop on the deck than if you were to go to the gym or run outside.

3. Improves Mental Health

A lot of focus on treadmills and exercise in general are the physical benefits. Don’t get me wrong, physical benefits are great, and physical activity is vital for our health. But, mental health is also important. Have you ever gotten runner’s high? Or even just ended your treadmill run in a better mood than when you started?

It has been proven that walking and running can help reduce symptoms of depression. Less anxiety and stress have been shown with regular exercise, too. Plus, hopping on your treadmill’s deck, even for a few minutes can increase your energy levels and when it’s right there in your home, it can be used as a quick pick me up. Try swapping it out for your afternoon caffeine, there’s no crash and you’ll feel way more energized than having that second coffee.

4. Controlled Environment

Using a treadmill in your home is a controlled environment. Along with factors like the weather and climate, you don’t have to worry about things like cars, other people, animals, plants, curbs, or other objects like you do when running or walking outside. Just as you control the temperature of your thermostat, you control the pace of the belt, either with adjustment buttons or your feet (if you’re using a manual treadmill). The belt of the treadmill is consistent so there’s no stepping over or dodging obstacles. And you control the area where you’re using the treadmill.

Plus, as an added bonus, many treadmills come with built-in fans to help keep you cool, as well as cupholders for convenience. You can, of course, plug in your own fan, too.

5. Vary Your Workouts

Many treadmills come with different features like incline, some decline, and many go up to 12 mph. Motorized treadmills often adjust automatically based on the programs or workouts available on the console. You also have the option to adjust them as you go with the buttons on the console. Either way, motorized treadmills have many different training variables to vary your workouts.

Although curved, manual treadmills don’t have an incline, the belts have no max speed so you can vary your pace as much as you want on these treadmills.

Treadmills (both manual and motorized) are great equipment for low-intensity steady-state training, HIIT, heart rate training, walking, jogging, running, training for a race, and even hiking. You can vary your pace, keep a consistent pace, change the incline (on motorized treadmills), or keep the deck flat. A treadmill offers a lot of variety and is a great tool to help achieve your fitness goals.

6. For All Abilities

Treadmills work for most people. Because they vary in features and training capabilities, treadmills appeal to pretty much all fitness levels and abilities. The controlled speed of the belt makes them suitable for most people. Whether you’re new to fitness or a seasoned athlete, a treadmill is valuable and can work for you.

7. Extra Guidance and Motivation

Many treadmills come with onboard workout programs and even entertainment and subscription training content. Nowadays, if you want extra guidance you can get it with a training app. Whether you use it on your phone or stream directly from the treadmill’s screen, there is a lot to choose from.

Most treadmill brands that we test have some sort of app that you can use with the treadmill. Even ones that don’t have a subscription app, connect to 3rd-party training apps. Most training apps feature an instructor who guides you through the workout. This is helpful for beginners and those who like instruction. Sometimes using an app, whether it features a trainer or not, can be motivating, too.

Even standard onboard workout programs provide guidance. They come with preset speed and incline settings for the treadmill to automatically adjust to. This way, you can be sure to get in a complete workout, if you don’t want to create your own.

8. All Kinds Of Treadmill Types

Treadmills come in all shapes and sizes. As with the varying types of consoles with different content features, there are all kinds of treadmill types. From compact and folding, to large and high-inclining, there is a treadmill for you. Some treadmills don’t require electricity while others slide under your adjustable desk to type while you work.

Treadmills are one of the most accessible pieces of fitness equipment because of the varying types. So, no matter your goals, you can find a treadmill to help crush them.

9. Treadmills For All Kinds Of Homes and Budgets

You can also find a treadmill to work for your home and your budget. Not only are different treadmill types appropriate for different people, but they work for different spaces. Some treadmills require designated spaces, while others fold up and can be moved out of the way.

Just as they vary in type, they vary in price. We have tested treadmills priced at less than $500 up to over $10,000 and in all kinds of budgets in between. Just as there is a treadmill for your training goals, there’s one to fit your budget.

Finding The Right Treadmill

If you’re in the market for a treadmill, you’re probably thinking that all of these benefits sound great, but how do I find the best treadmill for me? We have our top recommendations, but ultimately it comes down to you, your home, and what you want to use the treadmill for.

Your Home

When finding the right treadmill, you want to be sure it will work in your home. You want to be sure you have enough floor space and ceiling clearance to use it safely. Checking the dimensions and the incline range (if applicable) is a good place to start.

Fortunately, if you’re short on space or live on an upper-level floor, there are compact and lightweight treadmills. Many high-quality treadmills with folding decks can help cut down on their overall size when you’re not using them, too. Checking features like folding and the treadmill’s weight is a good idea, especially if you live in a place like an apartment.

Your Goals

As I mentioned above, there are all kinds of treadmill types. From compact and non-folding, to under-desk and curved manual, there are treadmills for all kinds of homes and to fit all kinds of training goals. You can learn more about the different types of treadmills to buy, here.

And You

You are also an important factor when it comes to buying a treadmill. Along with the weight limit, to be sure you don’t exceed it, I would consider your stride length and running surface preference. Do you like a lot of room to run on? Is your running stride length long? Do you have joint issues while running? For most strides, 60” long decks are optimal. 55” are better for walking and for those with shorter stride lengths.

The deck cushioning varies a lot from brand to brand. Some brands have a lot of shock absorption so they feel softer to run on. These are better if you get sore joints while running. If you run outside on the road, you’ll probably want a harder cushioned treadmill.

This is a quick guideline to follow for buying a treadmill. For our more in-depth guide, check out this.

I hope this has helped convince you that a treadmill is a worthwhile investment in your health and daily life. Our goal here at TRG is to help you find your perfect treadmill, so check out which treadmills we consider to be the best, and let us know in the comments if you have any questions.