Treadmill worth the investment?

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Replies

  • nikkinicolec89
    nikkinicolec89 Posts: 7 Member
    I've gotten a couple treadmills and always end up getting rid of them I would much rather be outside running on treadmills is not good to me unless it's freezing plus they take up tons of space
  • FitnessTim
    FitnessTim Posts: 234 Member
    I'm one of the rare cases of someone who actually uses the treadmill they bought. I love it. Turn on the TV or read and zone out. I will admit that it takes an incredible amount of mental fortitude to endure how boring it can be but like anything else the more you do it the easier it gets. I'm not blessed enough to live in a neighborhood where I feel safe running outside - plus New England weather can be brutal.

    That being said, based on the experiences of most people, I would not recommend buying a treadmill for full price. At $200 it may be worth the risk to try it.

    There may be another benefit of owning a treadmill. If you have one in the house it can be a constant reminder to workout. A $5 poster could achieve the same effect but it is a little harder to get rid of a treadmill.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I love mine now, and I don't get the boredom thing. I am not on it long enough to get bored. I am off in 55 minutes and use all the pre-config workouts and use my own custom ones. I run out side spring, summer and fall and indoors in winter. Nothing will take the place of outdoors, ever.

    It is exercise, but you do need to like to do it, or it will sit and be a clothes hanger.

    OP this is a personal choice, and if you start running outside or inside, you still need a good pair of shoes.
    Perhaps you can go to the house where it is setup and run on it a couple of times or if not go to a gym and run on one... but... they all run different though.

    Make decision on what you will enjoy doing for your cardio, do have the money to spend on running gear (shoes, etc.) and a treadmill?...
  • thatshistorical
    thatshistorical Posts: 93 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    treadmills are a dime a dozen, most people can't give them away. 200$ seems a lot, when you can get them for 25$ at most thrift stores. Even if its a high end top of the line, most people that wanna get rid of them have to pay someone to take them away.

    And if its worth the investment, that's only if you will use it. I have one in my garage, i use it enough to make it worth it for me to keep it. But i use the one at the gym also. Home treadmills need maintenance and repairs and track adjustments and stuff, so keep that in mind also. I like the gym treadmills because their maintenance guys keep them running in peak condition.

    The ones at the thrift stores are often crappy old ones with worn out or improperly maintained motors. If the one she's looking to buy is $200 and was originally $1k and well maintained, that's a good deal. Plus she knows the owner--you never know what shenanigans a thrift store item was involved in. Maybe an OK GO music video, I dunno...
  • Katie_Y89
    Katie_Y89 Posts: 330 Member
    So it turns out the treadmill I was going to purchase is 15 years old!!! Not paying $200 for a 15 yr old model!!!
    So I Sam considering looking into a new one for $300. It will legit be all the money I have basically but I think it will be worth it in the end. Going to give it some time and think about it. Maybe a few days or a week.
  • daveharris54
    daveharris54 Posts: 20 Member
    Something that has to be considered about a treadmill is the noise level. Your feet hitting the belt is noisy plus the sound of the motor and belt can be very annoying to your neighbors if you live in an apartment or with other people that may be annoyed while you are using it. If that is not an issue and you will use it, then go for it, otherwise they make good clothes racks and dust collectors.
  • mean_and_lean
    mean_and_lean Posts: 164 Member
    Katie_Y89 wrote: »
    I am highly considering buying a treadmill off my friend's mom for $200. I really want one and have for a long time and I feel it will help me achieve my wt loss goals. I'm just very hesitant because I bought a gold gym exercise bike from goodwill and I never use it. Butni feel like I don't get that much of a workou in on the bike as iIwould a treadmill and iI'd liketo start running.
    Getting a gym membership would be a huge inconvenience and would never be used. It be nice to have the treadmill available whenever.

    Is it worth it??

    $200 bucks I say go for it. Put it some place where there's a tv so you can hop on and watch a show. I have a treadmill. It's in the living room. I've been using it a few times a week for walking. I just throw on a show and walk for 45 minutes. It's also good for me when I start training for races in May/June. Where I live it's really cold and if there's usually snow and ice on the roads until mid April so it's been a godsend to me.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Katie_Y89 wrote: »
    So it turns out the treadmill I was going to purchase is 15 years old!!! Not paying $200 for a 15 yr old model!!!
    So I Sam considering looking into a new one for $300. It will legit be all the money I have basically but I think it will be worth it in the end. Going to give it some time and think about it. Maybe a few days or a week.

    A new 300 treadmill is very low quality. In general you would be much better off with a good used machine from Craigs list or another source for that kind of money. If for some reason you can't get a used one (delivery issues or whatever) I would skip it.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Me too. Especially if money is tight. There are so many other ways to get cardio. A cheap exercise device is usually more of an annoyance than a help.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    Katie_Y89 wrote: »
    So it turns out the treadmill I was going to purchase is 15 years old!!! Not paying $200 for a 15 yr old model!!!
    So I Sam considering looking into a new one for $300. It will legit be all the money I have basically but I think it will be worth it in the end. Going to give it some time and think about it. Maybe a few days or a week.

    keep an eye out, people area always getting rid of high end ones for really cheap. I'm glad you researched it, your moms friend almost scored , she wont be able to give her treadmill away. Tell her its 15 years old and you'll take it for free if she needs it out of her house.
    Something also to consider about a treadmill, i have one and its a pretty nice gym quality treadmill and its noisy with my feet and the track and motor and stuff, so when my boyfriend is home i don't like using it because its loud and we are very quiet people. I also hate the maintenance part, and they are a machine do need maintenance to run smoothly. But i do like having mine in the garage when i need a quick energy burn off or at the end of the day if i feel i didn't get enough exercise for the day.
  • bwaits07
    bwaits07 Posts: 150 Member
    I have one at home and love it. But it's manual. I still love it and it's enclosed and mainly for walking. I use it everyday.
  • Malenurse51
    Malenurse51 Posts: 181 Member
    I had a treadmill for several years and finally sold it when I moved. I used it a lot when we lived in the "cold country" of the Midwest. If you're buying one, my number one suggestion is to make sure that it's wide enough. If it isn't wide enough, you will have a tendency to "wander". It's very difficult to run in a perfectly straight line.
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
    I have a bit of an emotional attachment to my treadmill. I had it for a good 2 years before I actually used it. It was 4 years ago and my husband was going to sell it and I told him not to I want to use it... his reaction was "yeah right, sure you are". I'm super competitive so of course had to prove him wrong. I used it everyday and lost 27 lbs never to gain it back again. It was the convenience of it in the winter that I love most - I never used it in the Summer.

    Anyways I am rambling lol.. I would suggest investing in some dumbbells instead..maybe a squat rack. You can always run outside.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I don't think we can answer that for you. We have a treadmill and I use it a lot. Other people let theirs sit and gather dust.

    This^

    I had one. Used it for awhile, then it gathered dust. I found walking DVDs more interesting, so I started using those instead. Tastes change.

    $200 isn't super risky. But yes, find out what it goes for new.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    If you'll use it, yes. I had one and loved it.

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