When you belong to a gym or health club it doesn’t really matter what the brand name or features of the treadmills that they have to offer are. It is basically a case of “it is what it is”. If you don’t like what they have then you either don’t use them or you find another health club to go to.

Buying a treadmill for the home is a completely different story. Like every other major purchase, you are going to want to get the biggest bang for your buck that you possibly can. With that in mind let’s take a look at the things that you should be concentrating on if you are looking to buy a treadmill.

Of course, the first consideration for most people is money… how much exactly does a quality treadmill cost. You can get a quality treadmill for around $1000. You can actually get one for a few hundred dollars but many of these lower-priced pieces of exercise equipment are not of the highest quality.

When you want to buy a treamill and really want to go with a top-of-the-line model then plan on spending anywhere from $1000-$3000. A brand name treadmill in this price range will usually include a high-quality motor, an excellent shock absorbing belt and a computer program in which you can vary your workouts and monitor your heart rate.

As far as the motor goes you are going to want to get at least a 1.5 hp continuous duty motor. The belt should be at least 48 inches long and 16 inches wide. Any smaller than that and you risk accidentally stepping off of it and injuring yourself.

It is nice to be able to set the treadmill on an incline to increase the intensity of your workouts. You absolutely need cushioning under the belt as well to absorb the impact on your feet, knees and hips.

Make sure that the treadmill you are looking at has a stable base. You do not want it to shake or vibrate. Many people also prefer to have a computerized program built into the treadmill itself that allows the user to input information such as age and weight in order to show you how many calories you’re burning during your workouts.

The program can also have different workouts loaded into it so that you can vary your physical fitness routines. This is important for several factors including optimizing your cardio workouts and it also keeps you from getting bored by doing the same exercise over time.

A great place to shop and compare just about anything you can imagine is the Internet. You can also read reviews and join forums to ask questions of people that are familiar with the equipment. That way when you are ready to buy a treadmill you will be armed with as much valuable information as you can possibly get.

There are several important factors that you want to keep in mind when shopping for a new treadmill. First and foremost is of course, price. You can expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $1500 or more for a quality treadmill. That is of course a lot of money so you’re going to want to shop around to find the best deals.

Shopping for discount treadmills is not at all difficult. It is just a matter of knowing where to look. You can start by keeping and eye on your local newspaper advertisements. Many sporting goods stores will advertise in the Sunday paper where they will list their sales items. Another great way to find discount treadmills is to go online.

The Internet is a wonderful place to comparison shop and exercise equipment is no exception to that rule. By going on the World Wide Web you will be able to instantaneously access the products and prices of just about every manufacturer and retailer doing business today. That makes it very easy to compare the various brands and do a little bit of competitive price shopping.

Of course price alone should not be the determining factor. You also want to keep quality in mind. Your treadmill will do you no good if it is breaking down or not functioning properly. Make sure that any treadmill you’re looking for has a warrantee before you buy it. There is nothing worse than bringing home a new purchase only to find out that it doesn’t work.

There are many review sites online and you can also consult publications such as Consumer Reports to get reviews. It is well worth doing your homework to know that what you are paying for will be a good investment for many years to come. Remember that discount treadmills means that they are inexpensive, not cheap. There is a difference.