Sorry if this is covered somewhere else as I haven't really posted before. I have two very young children I find getting out to run difficult and get frustrated at how little time I get for running. Although I much prefer getting outside to run, I have decided to get a treadmill at home to enable me to squeeze in some miles in those times when the children are asleep and I'm stuck in the house. But, I have no idea where to start, what brands are better etc. I am willing to spend up to around £1000 but obviously would like a good deal!
Can anyone out there offer any advice? Thanks!
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I prefer being outside but there are limited places to run on dark mornings/evenings here, so it's better than no run!
It has been covered before but... First, in your situation, getting a treadmill sounds sensible, so ignore anyone who just tells you to save your money and run outside. Second, your budget is reasonable. I got a Horizon Paragon 408 for about £800 a couple of years ago (note pretty much ALL the online prices are PERMANENTLY "X reduced to half-X", so the real price is half-X). Third, do some homework online (e.g. go to http://www.treadmill-running-machine-review.co.uk/ and look at the reviews etc.) BUT then go and try before you buy, as the one which sounds exactly right on paper may feel awful - to you - when you try it (happened to me).
Main points to look for: decent warranty indicating the manufacturer has a reasonable belief in what they're producing... Mine came with lifetime frame & motor warranty and 10 yrs everything else (excluding normal wear and tear).
Reasonable power, max speed and max incline - you want the max speed to be a few mph faster than you think you're going to want. Mine has max speed 12 mph/20 kph, max incline 12%. Some top-end machines go to 15% but 12% is quite good.
Ease of operation and changing speed - my biggest regret for mine is that the preset speeds jump from 7 mph to 10 mph and I'd really like a setting between those (although I can speed it up in 0.1 mph increments rapidly).
You may or may not make use of preset programmes for hills, speed etc.
The more "extras" there are, the more there is to go wrong. So don't worry about an inbuilt fan (have a desk fan you can set next to the treadmill instead) or an i-pod station.
thanks for the advice - the cold weather and dark mornings are really restricting my running - have to work late sometimes so no energy when I get home - what flooring is best for a treadmill - have a room I can convert to a mini gym / spare bedroom so want to get it right
I saw some good treadmills on ebay, one of them was in the deals section here http://bit.ly/1boNpwK and I nearly bought it due to the specs. Hope that helps