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Years ago, after my heart attack, I bought a Sears treadmill and used it a lot. It was nothing special, just a multi speed version but I would put on earphones, crank up the rock and roll, and walk for an hour each day. I also put a tv in front of me and watched it while walking/running.
I dropped weight, and when I went in for my stress test they had a hard time getting my heart rate up to the number they wanted because I was in such good shape.
I found it more convenient than walking outside, especially here in Florida with the heat, bugs, and cars to contend with. I did it in the air conditioned convenience of my home and that hour passed by quickly. I only got rid of it when I divorced because we sold the house and I didn't have a place to store it.
Are you running or walking? I used a treadmill to walk on while recovering from a knee injury and then switched to from elliptical to treadmill at the gym. I am not a runner but I appreciated that I could increase the treadmill speed enough to get a real cardio workout and also increase cardio time.
Craigslist is a good place to look also ask at your local goodwill if they will call you if they get one in.
I think an alternative is a Planet Fitness membership. Yes having the treadmill and fitness equipment owned and at your house might cost less in the long run, but there is something to be said to head to a fitness center and have others there to help motivate you. PF is a very reasonable $10 a month and you have access to the equipment that you would not be able to have if all you have is a small space in the basement or spare room. Now I know that PF can't be everywhere yet but reasonably priced fitness centers are popping up all over so it might be something to look around and see what is available.
I think an alternative is a Planet Fitness membership. Yes having the treadmill and fitness equipment owned and at your house might cost less in the long run, but there is something to be said to head to a fitness center and have others there to help motivate you. PF is a very reasonable $10 a month and you have access to the equipment that you would not be able to have if all you have is a small space in the basement or spare room. Now I know that PF can't be everywhere yet but reasonably priced fitness centers are popping up all over so it might be something to look around and see what is available.
I've done it both ways, use of a fitness center and having my own equipment at home, and much prefer having my own stuff. Unfortunately in California, we don't have basements, so I now use a fitness center for weight lifting, but I do have an exercise bike and rowing machine in my house.
I dislike the extra time involved in getting prepared and then traveling back and forth to the fitness center. I'd much rather just go to the equipment in the house and get moving.
Seems to me that she got plenty of advice here (albeit some that was a little off topic since she was only asking about a treadmill). But harmless nonetheless, and people were just trying to give other avenues to take.
the best treadmill is the one you can hang the most clothes on
That is what happened at my house for a long time. I even had two treadmills at one time. Now down to just one but I don't use it. I prefer the fitness center. I can do other things besides pound my knees into mush.
I'm not near retirement but can envision some concerns. I have used and suggest an elliptical trainer; it is much easier on the knees and will be more "forgiving" of less-than-perfect form. By that I mean if one leg is stronger than the other, if one heel might tend to "drag", etc. the treadmill will amplify those issues. From experience, treadmills are much more of a hassle to maintain or repair. Also walk in the Great Outdoors, that's why it's there!
I have had the exact opposite experience. I have tried using ellipticals several times and they always hurt my knees, unlike treadmills. I asked personal trainers why that is, and they don't know the answer. I think it's because I'm quite short and there is no way to shorten the stride that I know of, so it always feels like I'm stretching my legs farther apart than my natural gait. I also prefer treadmills because you can change up your workout more. You can walk rather than run, do different intervals, hills, randoms, cardio, fat burning, but with ellipticals it's just the same motion with little variation, even doing different programs. However, it is lower impact.
Ironically, I find treadmills boring as well, but running is a great workout, more efficient than anything else. So to combat the bore, I watch TV and listen to music. I put my TV on closed captioning so I can read it while playing my head banging music and before I know it, I'm done.
Someone mentioned rowing machines as a great workout. They are, but they are extremely physically demanding, which is why they are used a great deal by Crossfitters. And with rowing machines, proper form is key. Without proper form, it's easy to hurt your arms or back. When you get fatigued, your form naturally falls off, which increases the likelihood of injury. I also find the same repetitive motion very dull, but that's just personal preference.
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