treadmill for home worth it?

[daysoftheweek]

i got the money to burn and i dont like running outside in this area (always way too hot or raining hard) and its a rough neighborhood to boot.

i got the money for it so i was thinking just getting a treadmill and running here

[RussianGerman]

Absolutely not. It's free to run outside

[davidoff1974]

i got the money to burn and i dont like running outside in this area (always way too hot or raining hard) and its a rough neighborhood to boot.

i got the money for it so i was thinking just getting a treadmill and running here

Well if you have the budget then go for brands like PRECOR or LIFEFITNESS... This will set you back in the $3000 to $4000 range.

[kelt_22]

Why are you asking? It is a personal choice and preference thing, like should you buy a car or bike . As for having the money, about $1500 is the cheapest a real running treadmill NEW would be with 2-3 grand common on the better brands. If you are looking at the $700 crap at Walmart then don't waste your money.

[packemup87]

As others said, it's a personal preference, but I love mine. I found a barely used Precor on Craigslist for $500. It was originally $4000+. I like the treadmill because I feel like I run harder. I have to physically hit the down button to slow down, so it's a mental game and I refuse to hit that button. Outside I feel like I can just ease off the gas a bit and not notice. I prefer the treadmill. Plus I live in Wisconsin so we have snow a fair amount of the time, so running outside on snow and ice isn't all that enticing either.

As others noted, make sure you buy something that will last, not a $500 Walmart special.

[BAVE]

If you can fit a commercial treadmill go for it. I couldnt sacrifice space and went with a folding model but I have a full commercial at my office. Precor, Life Fitness, Landice, Woodway, etc.

[kelt_22]

If you can fit a commercial treadmill go for it. I couldnt sacrifice space and went with a folding model but I have a full commercial at my office. Precor, Life Fitness, Landice, Woodway, etc.

Adding to that list, vision, Matrix, true and in the sub 2k range Lifespan.

[BAVE]

Adding to that list, vision, Matrix, true and in the sub 2k range Lifespan.

Speaking of Lifespan but off topic. I have a model that they discontinued last year but not sure why. Its similar to their full size folding but has a shorter deck. Nice thing is that the deck stores virtually straight up (instead of angled) so it takes less than 3ft x 3ft of space when not in use. As compact as a treadmill can get without being a cheap walmart toy.

[dskoo65]

and its a rough neighborhood to boot.

if that is the predominant issue, an easy solution is just driving and parking in a less rough area and running there.

[rlundregan]

if that is the predominant issue, an easy solution is just driving and parking in a less rough area and running there.

I used to run through the ghetto, and I found that it had a great effect on my time...just sayin'.....

[dskoo65]

I used to run through the ghetto, and I found that it had a great effect on my time...just sayin'.....

lmao. I used to live on the west side of Chicago in my younger years and ran at all times of the day and night through a really sketchy area. if I knew then what I know now, I would have come up with an alternative.

[rlundregan]

lmao. I used to live on the west side of Chicago in my younger years and ran at all times of the day and night through a really sketchy area. if I knew then what I know now, I would have come up with an alternative.

Hehehe....yeah, I did have a tense moment with a pit bull that nearly ripped the seat out of my shorts.....and I got to the point where I would only run at about 6 AM, while folks were sleeping off the night before.....

OP, I personally don't like the treadmill that is eating up space in my garage, I would love to see a leg press there instead. However, the treadmill belongs to my fiance, so I can't get rid of it. I'll use it once in a while if I am too lazy to run through a little rain. However, my fiance's 13 year old daughter, who hates to exercise, has started using it. Now that she is using the treadmill, she is starting to ask questions about how to use some of the other equipment that I have out there. If the treadmill needs to stay to get her interested in exercising, it is totally worthwhile to keep it. Not sure what your situation is like, I just thought I would put that out there to consider.

[cmarti063]

Bad area? Get a used commercial one for sure, Precor is awesome and not too hard to find used. Gym liquidators usually have a plethora of them.

[aaure48]

The great thing about treadmill at home is you place it in front of the TV and you force yourself to run to watch. Great motivation

[Phoenix989]

I personally don't like treadmills and running on them feels very unnatural to me.

[Turt]

It wouldn't matter to me how hot it is outside if the option was run outside, or spend 1.5k for something that would probably just end up as a second towel rack.

[Stasher1]

I personally don't like treadmills and running on them feels very unnatural to me.

This^^^


It doesn't matter how far/fast/long I can run on a treadmill, it's just not the same as running outside. It's better than nothing, but it's definitely not a substitute for the real thing.

I'd follow dsk0065's advice and drive to a nicer neighborhood to do your running. FWIW, I found that the track at our local highschool was fairly well-lit for most of the night, and the measured 1/4 mile laps made it easy to keep track of distance and time.