A Folding Treadmill No Longer Means Settling For Second Best

In the past, owning a folding treadmill meant owning a subpar piece of equipment. However, now you can purchase a folding treadmill with all the bells and whistles of the stand alone versions. Actually, now most residential treadmills are folding. Surprising, but true. As space becomes more of a priority for home gym users, the fitness industry responds.

Fitness equipment can take up a lot of room in one’s home, so space saving options are always appreciated. A foldable treadmill is one of those options. They unfold for your workout, and when done exercising, they easily fold up and normally have rollers on the bottom, so you can roll them into a closet or slide them under a bed.

A compact folding treadmill is another option—they help to save room both while in use and when stored. The compact option means that they use the minimum amount of space when unfolded, too. If you are someone with a small area to exercise in, this is the machine for you.

In addition to space considerations, there are some key features to look for when buying one of these. There is the horsepower of the motor, the width and length of tread belts, the safety key option and preprogrammed workouts with or without inclines. A treadmill’s motor should be at least 2.5 horsepower; this will suffice for daily home use. The higher the horsepower, the more wear and tear it can take. As for width and length of the tread belts, make sure yours is at least 18 inches wide and 48 inches long. If it is any shorter or narrower, you run the risk of falling off and injuring yourself. The safety key option is almost a necessity, as it provides an emergency shut off, in case you find yourself falling, have the treadmill going faster than you can handle, etc.

You should also consider whether or not you would prefer preprogrammed workouts. These are good for helping to vary your workout, keeping you from getting bored and providing motivation. These vary from model to model, but most include things like hill climbs, sprints and intervals. You should also consider what sort of screen you would prefer, if you want one with large, easy to read numbers, one with a scroll that keeps track of calories burned, etc, and if you want a console that holds your water bottle.

Every treadmill is different, but these new, folding treadmills can now provide you with all the extras that health club machines do.

By: Robin Dwyer

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Robin Dwyer is a fitness enthusiast and consultant for FitnessLyceum.com. We sell a large selection of folding treadmills and all types of fitness equipment from leading manufacturers at competitive prices.