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Thinking about getting a treadmill...


petitepedal

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I would pass.  I know people that have treadmills and use them.  I know vastly more folks that got them and don't use them.  50 to 1, something like that.

If you know, and I mean KNOW, you are going to use the hell out of one, get one.  If you think you would start strong and then lose treadmill motivation, then don't.  Think of it like a stationary trainer, and ask yourself "Have I lost my mind?  What the heck is wrong with me?".  If those questions resonate, then pass.

SW uses his for running and presumably laundry drying at times.  He would be an excellent person to ask.

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1 minute ago, Randomguy said:

I would pass.  I know people that have treadmills and use them.  I know vastly more folks that got them and don't use them.  50 to 1, something like that.

If you know, and I mean KNOW, you are going to use the hell out of one, get one.  If you think you would start strong and then lose treadmill motivation, then don't.  Think of it like a stationary trainer, and ask yourself "Have I lost my mind?  What the heck is wrong with me?".  If those questions resonate, then pass.

SW uses his for running and presumably laundry drying at times.  He would be an excellent person to ask.

this makes so much sense

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14 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

Maybe 3 months of the year this would be difficult. 

It is longer there, maybe 5 - 6 months where it might be a challenge at least some/most of the time.  But yeah, lots of money for walking.

That said, Petite could be one of those people that make up their mind to use it and really do.  She has stuck with healthy exercise and such for a while now, even through injury.  If it were for me, I would pass, but I have bad knees.  I am starting to warm up to this idea a little.

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First, I (me, and only me) would and do hate exercising indoors when the outdoors is an option.  A bike trainer is a non-starter - after having a fluid trainer and a Kickr both not "fit" my exercise expectations.  I can, maybe 350 out of 365 days a year, have reasonable weather to get outside and exercise, so it works FOR ME. 

For you, though, either a treadmill or a bike trainer might be reasonable options.  Likely one but not both due to space constraints.  A trainer takes up less space when not in use (or serves as bike storage double duty).  A treadmill - a good one - is heavy and large.

Without a "gym" area in my house and a firm floor beneath it, I would not get a trainer.  They are loud and large and likely would drive neighbors nuts if sharing walls/ceilings/floors.  Also, a "good" treadmill is expensive - BUT worth it!.  If you ever use a good gym model, and then use a "home" model, you see how much more robust those gym versions are and those are the ones you would want to buy, so factor in that when pricing them.  Do NOT go cheap.  It is a complete waste of money.

Keep in mind we're talking roughly a $1,000 - $2,500 price range, so that's a LOT of months at a gym!

Finally, it is finally spring where you are.  Do you need a treadmill any time soon?  I'd say December is when I would even think of getting one. Why have it taking up space for 8 months until you actually have a reason to use it?

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I have a treadmill and I use it a lot.  If I lived In a cold, snowy and rainy climate such as Minnesota, I would probably use it even more.  I also have an indoor exercise bike and free weights with workout station equipment.  

One great advantage (to me, at least) in having your own exercise equipment is that it frees you up to do what you want, when you want.  Many days, I may be busy with other things, but with my own indoor equipment, if I want to go for a walk or a ride or do a complete workout at 9 or 10 PM or even later, I can still do it in complete safety and without concern for the weather conditions.  I often go for walks and indoor rides late at night.   

I recommend you try it if it appeals to you.  Only you can decide if it is right for you and you likely can't know that without giving it a try.

They main consideration for placement is that it must be in view of a TV.  That way, you can watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and get your walking in at the same time.  :)

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21 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Finally, it is finally spring where you are.  Do you need a treadmill any time soon? 

Maybe, since it is getting nicer out, pick up a used one from someone who had good intentions at one time?  If it is a fairly recent model you can get used, then you could sell it later if you find you are not using it enough to justify and not lose a boatload to depreciation.  Just ideas.  

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I left planet fitness in Feb of 2020 because I couldn't get on a treadmill during my after work workouts..normally I would warm up for 15 min on the treadmill then spend an hour doing weights..3 days a week..2 or 3 other days I would do 30 to 40 minutes on the treadmill. When LA fitness wanted to continue charging me to have my membership on hold..I quit them..and I had used that membership maybe 4 times before the covid shut down..that was a waste of good money..at least $300

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We had a treadmill and some thoughts from our experience:

A good treadmill is expensive, heavy and takes up a lot of space. Even when folded up. Do you have space and will they deliver it to where you need it? My delivery guys sucked balls and dropped it in my garage. They refused to go farther.  My brother & I could not get it upstairs no way no how so it stayed in the garage. 

Cheap treadmills can be rickety & unstable and not worth spending money on.

We used mine a lot and I live in an area with good weather.  Sometimes my wife just wanted to get her sweat on and not worry about seeing people. She also was self conscious about people seeing her sucking wind and breathing hard.  I’m less concerned about seeing others but it was nice to  jump on it, get a good quick run in, shower & go to work. 

Ours had incline function. I can’t run hills without driving somewhere so back to the time efficiency issue, treadmill wins when time was short.

Ours died when we had a flood and we didn’t bother to replace it but I often wish I had one. 

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5 hours ago, Dirtyhip said:

Just seems like a ton of money for just walking.

It is. But Ethan has ptsd from a dog attack, and he won’t walk around the neighborhood any more. Three years of behavior therapy hasn’t helped. He will walk at the University campus or at the Botanical Gardens or Zoo, so we take him there when we can. 
A treadmill in his space, though? He’d be on it several times a day. I think he’d do a recumbent bike, too. And I’d like that more. 

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8 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

You might want to avoid this brand:

 

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I have a similar one.  I love it and prefer it to running outside.

It gets regular updates, there is a trainer that talks to you the whole time, it goes faster / slower and up / down on its own.  Now it picks a zone to keep me in and self adjust for my zone. 

Mine is somewhat forgiving in that it has a little bounce - by design.  It feels a lot better on my knees and ankles than the road.

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On 4/16/2021 at 8:49 AM, Dirtyhip said:

Why not just go for a walk? Maybe 3 months of the year this would be difficult.  Those times you could yoga or do body weight workouts in your home.

Just seems like a ton of money for just walking.

 

They are gentler on the joints than walking if you have leg joint problems.  I had Achilles tendon problems from the time I damaged them in the Maryland Marathon in 1987, had one operated on in 1989, and they were sore the next day if I ran more than 2 miles - which I did often coaching the high school cross country team through 2002.  But I could do an hour on my sister's treadmill and there was much less soreness.

Eventually, taking up bicycling in 2011 and having my seat fitted so I was extending my legs 1" less than normal cured those tendons within a couple years.

I can walk as far as I want now and am fine afterward.

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23 hours ago, Randomguy said:

Are you going to get one, Petite?  Now is the time if you are. You can pick up a used one at the bottom of the market now, and sell it at the top in late fall if you find you won’t use it after all. 

???

You have more stick-to-itiveness than lots of folks do, so you just may be one of the ones that makes good use of one!

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