Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You do not have to spend $1000 for a treadmill - unless you want to.
I see that you are deciding between a treadmill and an elliptical. Right now, I prefer the elliptical. At first, I could only do about 10 minutes but quickly (just like a treadmill) my body adjusted and can now do 30-40 minutes. It does take a bit more effort in my opinion.
Ringo1,
That is encouraging, thank you!
Yes, I like the idea of being able to get an upper and lower body workout at the same time with the elliptical. Seems like they may be more durable too or just not have as many parts so prone to breakdown. And yeah, I could work up to longer workout times....with a little discipline.
Overall, I'm getting the impression that there aren't as many downsides with an elliptical. The only thing I can think of right now is that I'm tall and I've read that tall elliptical users tend to bump their heads on things like ceilings. Right now, I have 8ft ceilings but that could change, as I am in the process of planning a relocation.
Another way to save $$$ on treadmills or ellipticals is to buy the floor models on display. These are new items that still have full warranty on them, and yet you can haggle down the price just because customers have been testing them in the store. They're still in better shape than 2nd hand/used models, though. Besides, you have the full warranty to protect your purchase in case of problems.
Great idea, ndfmnlf!
So far, I've been doing most of my shopping by phone and online but I will visit some stores and see what kind of deals can be had.
Last edited by I. B. Trippin; 01-09-2012 at 02:00 PM..
So glad I could help. Def try the elliptical at a gym and see how you like it. I loved what it did for my back. That was always one of the hardest places for me before when I was only using the treadmill. I'll admit it maybe a bit difficult at first but one you build up your stamina you'll be doing 45 minutes in no time. And it sounds like you love walking for more than just exercise purposes (I do as well) and had stopped enjoying as much when I was using the Treadmill because there was no scenery, no smell of the outdoors, no people passing by, you get the drift. I knew it was exercise, it felt like exercise and the out door walks I used to take so frequently went out the window.
As far as a stationary bike is concerned, those are good too. And if your bird picks up on any choice language you can just use him/her as a wonderful tool to offend away any unwanted company...lol
Also when I first started out I found myself getting frustrated by slow results which ended up killing my morale and and beating on my self esteem and then I stared doing very light beginners yoga and that helped me so much with the emotional aspect a lot of us put ourselves through when battling getting back in to shape. the light stretching and calm focus really was medicinal for my mental/emotional turmoil. Not saying that everyone has this but if you find that you do... it's always worth a try.
Again.... good luck.
Thanks, Livefan,
Yes, I agree that most of the extra benefits of walking are not there when using a treadmill. If I did get a treadmill, I wouldn't give up walking outdoors, altogether. Still, there's something about repetitive manual labor that helps me organize my thoughts and I find that includes walking on a treadmill.
LOL! My bird already has quite the vocabulary for unwanted company and yet, has a better social life than I do. Go figure, right? Now, if I could just teach him to answer the phone.
Yes, I can relate to the need for motivation and focus and that's where I find exercise to be therapeutic for all the turmoil. Some types of exercise are more therapeutic and lend themselves to concentration and consistency more easily but I think our minds are capable of amazing things, including transcending various physical barriers to gain focus through relaxation techniques and exercise. The nature of exercise, of course, is that in order to continue to grow, one must overcome barriers, such as physical discomfort. I can see how being able to enter an alpha state of meditation during exercise would be great for overcoming barriers, maintaining concentration and experiencing an optimal workout.
Thank you all for all the great info and insights!
There's something else that occurs to me that I wanted to get your thoughts on. Lots of the material I've read says that it takes a professional to assemble a treadmill. Is that the case with an elliptical, as well?
If I order online, most sellers will deliver for an additional charge but don't specifically mention assembly. Is assembly extra? Do you have to expressly request assembly at the time of purchase?
On the other hand, if I buy a treadmill or elliptical at a retail location, will they provide delivery and assembly, if applicable, for a reasonable additional charge?
I've never bought exercise equipment that wouldn't fit in my car before but neither a treadmill nor an elliptical would fit in my current vehicle.
For the love of God, buying an elliptical or treadmill at home is the dumbest, dumbest, dumbest thing one can ever do
35 bucks a month and you get access to an onslaught of all kinds of mills in the gym. Why would people invest in this junk and let ants, spiders and insects play on it?????
A treadmill is not something you can BUY, like chicken breast or HDTV. You get used to an exercise machine, like getting to know a person. Otherwise, it's a shotgun wedding deal.
Last edited by Currency Pair Crocodile; 01-10-2012 at 02:06 PM..
For the love of God, buying an elliptical or treadmill at home is the dumbest, dumbest, dumbest thing one can ever do
35 bucks a month and you get access to an onslaught of all kinds of mills in the gym. Why would people invest in this junk and let ants, spiders and insects play on it?????
A treadmill is not something you can BUY, like chicken breast or HDTV. You get used to an exercise machine, like getting to know a person. Otherwise, it's a shotgun wedding deal.
Yeah but at $35/mo in 1 yr you have $420. That's more than my new bike cost me last year. In 2 yrs you can have a $500 treadmill with $340 leftover.
I'm not telling anyone to go either way. I tend toward the cheap, but I can understand people who like the camaradie of the gym. OTOH, I was one of those kids who was always picked last in PE.
I paid $99 extra for delivery and assembly. I absolutely cannot put that kind of stuff together; well, maybe I could but I hate every minute of it.
Yeah, if I sit and stare at it long enough, I eventually figure it out but I'm not mechanically inclined and from what I've been reading, we're talking about a machine that's dependent on so many factors coming together in just the right way for it to function properly, long-term.
$99 sounds expensive, (another reason to start with a lower price on the treadmill or elliptical, itself), but I'd gladly pay it for the peace of mind of knowing that I'm not gonna be stuck calling everyone I know who has a pick-up truck and then wondering if the thing is gonna fall apart anyway, cause I forgot to attach the gaffenhausen to the riktofrass.
Oh! And I forgot to ask, Was it the treadmill or the elliptical or both that you paid extra money for delivery and assembly, Ringo1?
Yeah but at $35/mo in 1 yr you have $420. That's more than my new bike cost me last year. In 2 yrs you can have a $500 treadmill with $340 leftover.
I'm not telling anyone to go either way. I tend toward the cheap, but I can understand people who like the camaradie of the gym. OTOH, I was one of those kids who was always picked last in PE.
But people do not do it regularly, becoz the damn thing is always home and there's always this "Oh I can do it on my own flex schedule coz you know it's not gonna go anywhere, it's always in my house and nobody's going to lock it up", and in the end it simply rots, serves as a clutter for waste items like detergent containers, canisters, dogs get to pee and laundry baskets find a temporary home to sit upon.
I have lost count of the number of friend's houses I have seen treadmills and ellipticals serving as an item inside a corner of the house, I even know a lady who hangs her bras from the ellipitical handle
And even if you do it for 10 days you realize it's not the right one for you and you won't want to go thru the ordeal of changing it or getting a new one and re-assembling it. Waste of investment, I have never known anyone having lost 100 pounds from the treadmill they picked up in target.
Treads and ellipses are starter machines. You need a variety of machines and differences in mood/ambiance to make it a ritual every day. It's hard to explain. Bally's has a membership for 20 to 25 bucks, even that would suffice with a variety of 3 or 4 treadmills and other equipment. Do not waste money on this junk, folks. You are not doing yourself any favour. You may feel better for 10 days for having attempted to change your lifestyle, but it's not going to work out in the long run, unless there's an exceptional weirdo who oils his treadmill every day and became a supermodel, thanks to the finely lubricated machine.
But people do not do it regularly, becoz the damn thing is always home and there's always this "Oh I can do it on my own flex schedule coz you know it's not gonna go anywhere, it's always in my house and nobody's going to lock it up", and in the end it simply rots, serves as a clutter for waste items like detergent containers, canisters, dogs get to pee and laundry baskets find a temporary home to sit upon.
I have lost count of the number of friend's houses I have seen treadmills and ellipticals serving as an item inside a corner of the house, I even know a lady who hangs her bras from the ellipitical handle
And even if you do it for 10 days you realize it's not the right one for you and you won't want to go thru the ordeal of changing it or getting a new one and re-assembling it. Waste of investment, I have never known anyone having lost 100 pounds from the treadmill they picked up in target.
Treads and ellipses are starter machines. You need a variety of machines and differences in mood/ambiance to make it a ritual every day. It's hard to explain. Bally's has a membership for 20 to 25 bucks, even that would suffice with a variety of 3 or 4 treadmills and other equipment. Do not waste money on this junk, folks. You are not doing yourself any favour. You may feel better for 10 days for having attempted to change your lifestyle, but it's not going to work out in the long run, unless there's an exceptional weirdo who oils his treadmill every day and became a supermodel, thanks to the finely lubricated machine.
What works for you may not work for everyone! Treadmills and ellipticals are great machines to have at home - they can get one started on a program, compliment various gym classes, etc.
But lots of us working parents - don't want to take the time to head to a gym 7 days a week when I can hop on my elliptical at home.
I will go to a gym 3 days a week - but not 6 or 7. Gotta work full-time and make dinner, etc. Sorry - gym all the time does NOT work for all of us.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Great idea, ndfmnlf!
Def try the elliptical at a gym and see how you like it. I loved what it did for my back. That was always one of the hardest places for me before when I was only using the treadmill. I'll admit it maybe a bit difficult at first but one you build up your stamina you'll be doing 45 minutes in no time. And it sounds like you love walking for more than just exercise purposes (I do as well) and had stopped enjoying as much when I was using the Treadmill because there was no scenery, no smell of the outdoors, no people passing by, you get the drift. I knew it was exercise, it felt like exercise and the out door walks I used to take so frequently went out the window. 
