I’m thinking of buying a treadmill. The purpose will be to try keep fit (OK, let’s be honest - get fit) and stop my weight increasing. I have no intention of training for running races or anything serious. I am 45, 6’ and 190 - 195 lbs.
There is an argument for buying the cheapest on the grounds that I may not use it more than a handful of times (best intentions and all that). I will certainly not pay $1,000+. However, I have to make a decision based on an assumption that I will keep using it.
Anyway, does anyone have advice as to what to look for when making a buying decision?
Personally, I’d go for an elliptical machine or a cross-trainer, for a couple reasons: both put a lot less strain on your knees than a treadmill, and both allow you to get a decent workout with a lower perceived exertion than you would on a treadmill. The cross-trainer also has the benefit of making you do work with your upper body, which adds to the calorie burning. Beyond that, I can’t make any specific recommendations.
Be forewarned that aerobic exercise in and of itself is not the greatest program for weight loss. You will need to make changes to your diet, and to make any kind of progress that you’ll be happy with, you’ll probably need to start weight training.
Weight loss is not a major goal - more like weight stabilization - trying to stop the 1 - 2 lbs I put on each year since I was at college. Staying at 190 would be fine. Yes, sneaking down to 185 would be better, I admit.
I should also have mentioned that part of the fitness aspect is to give me stamina for tennis, which is the one sport I play that requires some physical exertion. Yes, I know that sprints are more relevant for tennis, but I want to build up stamina.
Is the suggestion of weight training to achieve weight loss or fitness/stamina? I hope the former, because I really, really don’t like weight training.
Over the course of doing aerobic exercise, you’re going to lose a little muscle. This drives down your metabolism, which makes it easier to gain fat in the future. It will also help with your stamina, but that’s really a side benefit to the previous one.
Tuco, one big reason for getting a treadmill is that one can use it throughout the entire year, rather just when it’s relatively nice out. And, of course “fresh air” isn’t to be found everywhere.
Here are some criteria for treadmills:
Relatively inexpensive - $300 is about as low as one should go and still get a decent one; there are, believe it or not, cheaper ones, but they’re cheaper for a reason.
Sturdiness - a lot of the cheaper ones just aren’t all that sturdy.
Name brand - it’s something you’ll be walking on a lot; you don’t want some knock off, if you can avoid it.
Convenience - many treadmills will fold up for easy storage; you might want to look into this if you have a small place, like an apartment.
There are a lot of places to look, too. I bought mine through Sears online, and I eventually sold it through eBay.
I would like to use it a lot, but I was just recognizing the fact that a lot of treadmills are bought with good intentions, then the novelty wears off and they get moth-balled. Obviously, I am not buying one with that intention.
I could run outside all year (Atlanta) and would do so occasionally. My concern about that is that I’ve seen a lot of people damage themselves by running on the roads. My hope is that the cushioning effect of a treadmill would reduce that danger.
