Cheap Treadmills Make You Look Better--Naked

On your gift list, you may be looking for something that would do this:

• Increase your stamina
• Make you feel better
• Add to your sex appeal
  
• Help your clothing fit better
• Improve your skin
• Make you better looking
• Can be used no matter the weather
• And is cheap
  

A treadmill will accomplish all these things, and a good selection of cheap treadmills will give you plenty of gifts to choose. In this article, you'll get an outline of the essential features to get in a cheap treadmills, what you should avoid, and what features do little more than add to your expense.

We'll define our list of cheap treadmills, as units that cost less than $500 for a new model. This seems to be the break point between the hyper do-everything-for-you units, and the basic treadmill.

1. Size of the motor. Bigger is better. If the motor isn't rated high enough, each time your foot falls to the belt, the treadmill will lag, jerk, or pause. This can cause a loss of balance and lead to injuries. Look for a cheap treadmill with at least a 2.5 horsepower motor. You'll want to look at the continuous power rating, not the peak horsepower. Continuous power is the best adjudicator of cheap treadmills functions. Compare motor warranties. This is one place where a longer warranty does make a big difference in quality.
   
2. Make sure it has a motor. Some really cheap treadmills are manual with no motor. These are friction units and are probably not what you want.
   
3. Belt size. The wider the better. Twenty inches wide and fifty two to fifty five inches long is a good place to be. When you walk or run on a treadmill, you gait flows from left to right and back. If the belt is not wide enough, you can again lose your balance and get hurt.
   
4. Motor noise. Quieter is better. More expensive too.
5. Weight limit. There is a suggested weight allowance for most treadmills. Know what it is for the cheap treadmill you are considering.
6. Power or manual incline; Speed adjustment controls.
   

Don't be swayed by the fancy buttons or workout programs, or heart monitors on the treadmill. If one of the cheap treadmills you are considering has all the bells and whistles, its there to cover up a lack of function in other parts of the machine. Focus on the mechanics, not the look of the unit, if saving money is your goal.

Two other considerations that will really take you out of the cheap treadmills area and send you toward used machines, or dent your bank account more have to do with size of the user. If your treadmill user is more than 6' 2" tall or weighs more than 225 pounds, you need to move out of the cheap treadmills to a more durable machine. You won't get your monies worth from a cheap treadmill as they aren't built for the length of your stride or weight.

Cheap treadmills are a decent way to get all the benefits at the top of the article. You'll need to shop hard to get all that you want for a good price. The main benefit of cheap treadmills and any kind of exercise: You'll look better naked.