Making the right decision

Now you're equiped with the right information, it's time to make a shortlist. Here are the questions you should ask yourself before you buy.

What are my fitness goals?

Decide what you want with your decision of buying a treadmill? Want to be healthier, want to lose weight, and want to become an athlete?

What different treadmills will do?

If you want to	Take a look at
Lose weight	Any treadmill capable of taking your body weight
Get fit	Any treadmill, but a heart rate monitor will help you train
Become stronger	Motorized treadmill with inclines to build strength and endurance
Become faster	Motorized treadmill with programmes and heart rate
Have fun	Motorized treadmill with inclines and programmes
Train for an event	Motorized treadmill with high maximum speed

Will it fit my home?

Treadmills take up a lot of space. In general, allow at least the same space you'd allow for a single bed, with half a meter or so on each side to make sure your elbows aren't hitting the walls when you run!

What are the costs?

Simple manual treadmills are great value for money and don't take up much space but stay away if you have any injury. If you want to train seriously and become fitter rather than just burn a few calories now and again, try to afford a motorized treadmill with programmes | there are some excellent machines available with BSAWORKOUTS.

What else do I need?

A treadmill on its own is a very useful piece of equipment. But it won't exercise your upper body or back muscles much. If you're not buying any other piece of equipment, add some press-ups and sit-ups to your exercise routine to round out your workout.
There's a huge variety of great treadmills on the market - but the one you choose needs to fit your healthy lifestyle, too. Now you're equipped with information, head for home gym equipment at www.BSAWORKOUTS.COM

A guide to treadmills

If your goals include general fitness, weight loss, or building up stamina, then a treadmill makes a great choice | and they're really easy to use for people of all ages.

Choosing the right treadmill

There are two main types of treadmill:

Manual treadmills - 'pushed' by your feet, and are quite basic.
Motorized treadmills - offer more options including inclines and heart monitors

Not only can treadmills be used for running, but they can also be set on lower speeds for walking on the flat or at an incline to mimic a hill. Not all treadmills have variable inclines, so look out for ones that have 3 or more levels.

LCD screens

The display is an LCD digital readout giving you useful information | your running speed, total distance travelled, time and so on. The console controls, usually surrounding the display, let you switch the display to the numbers you're most interested in and enter or change the programme.

Treadmill speed

All treadmills have a maximum speed. If you're starting out, a machine that goes up to 12 kilometers an hour (about 7.5 mph) will be fine. As you get fitter, try one that can take you up to 14 or 16kph | if you're training for an event, you might even want to push it to 20kph.

Making space for your treadmill

Measure up before you choose your treadmill. In general, allow at least the same space as a single bed, with half a meter or so on each side to make sure your hands aren't hitting the walls as you run.
Treadmill terms explained.

Belt	The 'track' of the treadmill
Console	The controls on the front panel of the treadmill
Display	The digital readout on the front panel of the treadmill
Frame	The structure, usually a metal tube that all the moving parts of the treadmill attach to
Heart monitor	A sensor that takes your pulse and displays it for you
Incline	The tilt of the conveyor belt surface that simulates uphill running
Manual	A treadmill you operate by pushing the conveyor belt with your feet. Some manual treadmills contain magnets to make it move more smoothly
Motorized	A treadmill containing electric motors that move and tilt the track for you as you walk or run
Programmes	Different workouts available on a motorized treadmill
Surface	The top side of the conveyor, i.e. the part you run or walk on

When you look and feel good you feel better about yourself emotionally as well. This creates a boost in self confidence and creates a much healthier self image. Appropriate diet with proper nutrition are amongst the most important aspects of well being and even strength training. Proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and iron increase the growth of muscles and help in capable functioning of the mind and the body and the intake if taken in right quantity can work wonders for a body. One should eat more of: dairy products, meat, leafy vegetables, and cereals. Drinking lot of water, citrus juice and even milk provide strength and bring endurance to muscles reducing pain in the movement of the bones and muscles.