Treadmills

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A TREADMILL

When investing in a treadmill, there are many things you have to take into consideration. Firstly, your objectives and fitness goals. This could be to improve your general health and fitness, rehabilitation, HIIT workouts, incline training, or even a mix of them all. Identifying your goals will help you decide what you want or need from your treadmill, and point you in the right direction in terms of suitability.

Choosing the right treadmill is paramount to any buyer, it’s a large investment and can highly impact any training program. So it’s good to ensure you have the best information to help guide which treadmill is best suited to you.

An incline treadmill is a superb tool for toning your body and a different type of training - mimicking the movements of hill climbs. A treadmill with incline reduces the impact on your joints as you walk/run and allows you to target different leg muscles. Many treadmills come with pre-installed incline programs or target programs that really utilise the incline feature.

Overall, the incline feature has 3 main points to remember: they make treadmill exercises easier on your joints, allow a faster calorie burn, and support enhanced muscle definition.

Most home treadmills have a maximum incline of either 10%, 15%, or 20%. Good incline trainer treadmills usually have a maximum incline of 40%.

IS CUSHIONING IMPORTANT?

Cushioning helps provide support when walking, jogging, or running on a treadmill and is especially important if you have sensitive knees and joints. This makes the cushioning of a treadmill and deck support one of the most important features of any home or commercial running machine.

A well-cushioned impact zone in the front of the machine provides maximum cushioning to absorb the initial strike of your foot, similar to that of the padded heel of a running shoe.

In the middle of the deck, a moderately cushioned transition zone provides comfort and stability as you move through your stride. To add to this, the back of the deck is normally fitted with a firmly cushioned push-off zone, which allows you to achieve maximum momentum into your next stride. Our most popular fixed treadmill that offers great cushioning is the Taurus 10.5 Pro Treadmill and is worth checking out.

Our top 6 key things to look for on a treadmill console are:

• Hot Keys: These are buttons with pre-set functions such as speed, incline, quick start, stop, and volume control. They make changing settings really simple.
• Workout Programs: Most consoles come with pre-installed workout programs, and it’s always worth checking how many programs there are, including heart rate options.
• Stats: Make sure that the console at a minimum provides you with your real-time stats: time, distance, speed, incline, resistance, heart rate, calories, and watts.
• Entertainment: Check what apps are included, this can be things like Kinomap, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Some treadmills also offer built-in speakers.
• Phone Connectivity: Some consoles allow users to connect their mobile to the console via Bluetooth or similar. This lets users connect earphones to the console, track their workouts via their phone, and more.
• Extras: This includes compatible tablet holders, screen-mirroring capability, or even different console options. These extras are always worth an ask.

• Kinomap – A workout app that connects to your equipment and gives you access to over 450,000km of routes available for running, cycling, or rowing. Kinomap allows users to record and upload their own routes to the database that can then be accessed by all other subscribed users, meaning you can run, cycle, or row along with real-life footage. Check out the cardiostrong TX90 Smart Folding Treadmill that connects to the Kinomap workout app, allowing you to maximise your workout performance.

• iFIT – Compatible with ProForm and NordicTrack treadmills, it creates a completely interactive training experience. iFIT sends you a brand new workout every day, designed by certified personal trainers, making it so you’ll never get bored.

  iFIT’s ever-growing workout library offers programs for beginners to marathoners, and automatic tracking helps you keep track of your fitness progression. There are also workouts that are based on Google Maps that will take you anywhere in the world. Check out the NordicTrack 1750 V24 Treadmill to take your workout virtually worldwide.

• LF Connect – Compatible with Life Fitness treadmills, LF connect allows users to work out and record their progress through the app. Adaptive audio coaching classes adapt to your biometric data as you work out and adjust your coaching on the fly. From Nike Run Coaches to fitness trainers, you get a coach and workout that reacts to you--and only you--in real-time. The on-demand classes can be streamed at any time as the instructors lead you on your treadmill workout.

• Fixed Treadmills: Fixed treadmills or non-folding are traditionally more stable than folding treadmills, stronger, and more robust. They tend to be more expensive due to having a larger motor size, running deck, and higher maximum weight capacity. This is why they are usually found in a commercial gym or hotel. They are designed to cater to various target audiences and to be used more often than home-use treadmills.
• Folding Treadmill: Foldable treadmills offer the perfect balance between offering a space-saving solution and allowing you to work out at home. They are ideal for those who have limited space, and most are fitted with assisted or automatic dropping technology, making it easier to raise and lower the running deck. We offer a variety of folding treadmills including the cardiostrong TX90 HD Smart Folding Treadmill. Find out more here.

• New Walking Pads: Walking pads or desk treadmills (treadmills that go under a desk) are a superb option for home and office work. Walking at a gentle pace has been proven to increase creativity and productivity as well as general health and well-being improvements. They also make it easy for you to get in your daily steps. Our favourite walking pad to highlight is the BodyMax WP60 Treadmill Walking Pad.
• Curved Treadmills: The latest trend in treadmills. Self-powered, curved treadmills allow you to run with a natural running style, on the balls of your feet, pushing you forward and creating momentum to rotate the treadmill belt.

TREADMILL ACCESSORIES

When you invest in a treadmill for your home, it is essential to ensure that you have the best possible running experience. It’s important to consider what additional cardio accessories you may need to include in your purchase and why.

We suggest investing in a CV Mat to complete your setup, which will not only protect your floor but also provide a wipeable surface for your treadmill. This can be easily rolled and stored away and is a great sound-dampening accessory.

Heart rate monitors will also allow you to keep on track with your training when using your treadmill. It’s perfect for measuring your heart rate and can connect to your treadmill or mobile device via Bluetooth. Available as a strap or wearable device.

Recovery is also equally as important as performance. A massage gun is a perfect way to aid with muscle recovery after a grueling run. Cushioning on the treadmill does reduce the impact on your joints, however, a massage gun will help aid in the recovery of your muscles. Find out more about recovery and massage guns here.

Depending on your fitness level you can program the running machine to ensure you are getting the most from your training. Many treadmills come with preset programs or are compatible with fitness apps to aid with this.

Interactive motivation: Training apps are a great way to enhance your running, walking, or jogging. And some treadmills such as the NordicTrack X32i Incline Trainer are especially good when working with the iFit app to simulate hill climbs and challenge you with interval or HIIT training, all by adjusting the incline angle automatically as you concentrate on training. Runners can become more motivated and push themselves to new heights with treadmills that offer user interaction.

Healthier lifestyle: Running on a treadmill helps you to think better, become healthier, and feel much happier. This running machine is the perfect way to burn calories, build stamina and improve your lung capacity.

Beginner
BodyMax TM70 Treadmill
✓ 2.5HP motor
✓ 10.1" touchscreen console packed with entertainment apps like YouTube & Netflix
✓ Speed adjustable from 0.8 km/h up to 18 km/h
✓ 49 pre-installed programs / 1 heart-rate monitoring program
✓ Space-saving design
✓ Integrated device holder & built-in speakers

Advanced
cardiostrong TX90 HD Smart Folding Treadmill
✓ Interactive Touchscreen: 15.6-inch console with mirror function for easy control and engaging workouts
✓ Powerful Performance: 3.5 HP motor, 0.8-20km/h speed range, 0-15% incline, and up to 160kg user weight support
✓ Varied Workouts: Compatible with popular training programmes Zwift, Kinomap, and iConsole+, and has pre-installed apps like Netflix, Spotify, and Instagram to make your workouts more entertaining and social
✓ Advanced Shock Absorption: Joint-friendly running with shock absorbers and 2.5mm thick running mat
✓ Efficient Interval Training: 16 quick adjustment keys for speed and incline customisation
✓ App Connectivity

Expert
Taurus Elite Run Curved Treadmill
✓ Cushioned running deck for joint care
✓ Crafted for authentic running movements
✓ Multi-position frame for safety and versatility
✓ Adaptable magnetic resistance for varied workouts
✓ LCD panel for data display and program customisation
✓ The Running mat consists of durable synthetic slats, providing exceptional load-bearing capacity