Treadmills can help you stay in shape year-round. You can use them to satisfy the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation of 30 to 60 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise most days of the week. Powered treadmills enable you to control the intensity of the workout, which can help reduce your exercise time. The CDC says that 15 minutes of vigorous exercise provides health benefits equal to 30 minutes of moderate exercise. Moderate exercise is walking briskly while vigorous exercise is running or doing intervals.
Types
The most common types of treadmills are powered or manual. Manual treadmills are not powered by motors, making them far less expensive but not as feature-filled. Powered treadmills are available in several varieties, including residential, commercial-grade, low-impact, inclined and underwater. Low-impact and underwater models are designed for people with arthritis or other types of joint and back pain that seem to flare up when those people use a traditional treadmill.
Advantages
The fact that you can use a treadmill all year is a big advantage, especially for people who live in cold-weather areas. In addition, with a treadmill, you can monitor your speed, distance, calories burned, heart rate and other factors. Many treadmills offer built-in workout programs that make it easy to get in shape while also keeping you from getting bored doing the same routine week after week.
Drawbacks
Based on 2011 pricing, it's not uncommon to see treadmills cost more than $1,000. A solid residential model can be bought for $500 to $1,000, but for some people that price may still be out of reach. A second potential drawback is the high-impact nature of treadmills. People with arthritis, osteoporosis or a similar disease may find it uncomfortable to exercise on a treadmill for a long time. A low-impact model can help in some cases but it might cost more than a typical residential treadmill.
Potential
Treadmills can significantly improve your cardiovascular health and help you lose weight. Losing weight is a matter of burning calories, and treadmill workouts can help you burn calories. A 160-lb. person can burn 277 calories per hour walking briskly, according to the Mayo Clinic. The same person can burn 986 calories by running at 8 mph for 60 minutes. That's equivalent to burning 1 pound of body fat exercising just four days per week. You can also increase the intensity of your workout by increasing the incline of the treadmill deck. The more intense your workout, the more calories you'll burn.
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