What you should know about treadmills:
Frame construction: A solid frame construction lessens vibration and lowers frame distortion. This leads to a more solid and safer feeling while running and prevents problems of quality. A treadmill for serious training should weigh at least 100 kg. Treadmills weighing between 80 und 100kg are adequate for walking and light jogging, but also here a more solid version will guarantee your continued enjoyment while training. Of course the user’s weight is also a deciding factor when choosing a model.
Strength of the motor: Very important for treadmills is the continuous power of the motor with which the belt is pulled even at an incline. A stronger motor is quieter, more consistent and more durable. Always pay attention if the continuous power of the motor is listed or if the peak power is referred to. Peak power has no significance. For walking and occasional jogging a continuous power output of 2 HP is sufficient. For serious running a continuous power output of 2.5 HP i
Walking or running is the most natural form of movement for us humans and is ideally suited for integrated fitness training.
This type of workout is a challenge for any treadmill. With each step a multiple of the runners weight is transferred to the running deck. Only technically well engineered and extremely stable designs as well as strong motors will guarantee your continued enjoyment while training. The reason treadmills found in Gyms are so large and heavy weight is that they have to withstand the strain of continuous use.
Rooted in the nation most concerned with fitness in the whole world, Smooth Fitness offers only quality treadmills, with a construction suitable for a lasting work out.
Before you decide on a treadmill you should ask yourself the following questions:
How will the treadmill be used?
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Power walking/light jogging:
This will cause lesser strain on your treadmill as would intensive running and it is easier for the user to control the steps on the belt.
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Intensive running:
How intensively do I train? During the average work out speeds of 12 – 13 km/h are rarely exceeded and a medium stride length will be reached. During intensive training that also includes running at an incline it makes sense that speeds of up 18km/h can be attained and the treadmill should have an electronic incline adjustment.
What demands will be placed on the treadmill:
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How often is the unit used:
Do not just think of yourself here but also take into consideration that other family members and friends might use the treadmill.
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User weight demands:
What is the weight of the heaviest person that will use the treadmill. For a user weight starting at 90 – 100kg a very solid frame construction should be chosen. It is definitely advisable to allow for a little room between the weight of the heaviest user and the maximum user weight of the treadmill.
• Size of the running deck:
What is the height of the tallest user? The taller the user the longer the stride. Starting with a user height of 180cm a running deck length of 140 cm should absolutely be chosen. With the choice of a wider belt the safety of your step increases.
What you should know about treadmills:
s necessary. The higher the continuous power of the motor the more comfort and enjoyment for the user while training.
Running Deck: The larger of the running deck the more safety during your work out. It could lead to serious consequences should you accidentally step on the plastic side rails while training. For walking, running deck dimension starting at 45x130cm (w x l) are sufficient. For serious running you should choose dimension of 50x140cm.
Shock absorption: A critical subject. The shocks that occur with each step have to be absorbed well, to avoid negative impact on ligaments and joints. Common are rubber cushions that are placed under the running deck. These elastomer pads have limited qualities for shock absorption. Smooth Fitness uses the innovative, patented Swing Arm Suspension System, which optimizes the shock absorption similar to a motorcycle suspension. Our top model the Smooth 8.25e has shock absorbers that can be individually adjusted depending on your weight and personal preference
Incline: This is important to bring variety to your training. To create the feeling of running outdoors an incline level of at least 2 % should be chosen. The user should be able to adjust the incline level via the console during the work out.
Heart rate monitoring: There are three types of heart rate sensors:
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ear clip sensor
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hand pulse sensors
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chest strap
Using an ear clip sensor is not very accurate and additionally not suitable for a work out on a treadmill. For this reason most treadmill manufactures do not offer this type of heart rate monitoring with their treadmills.
Measuring your heart rate via hand pulse sensor is suitable for walking, but does not have the accuracy of a chest strap.
The chest strap is the only precise way of measuring heart rate and control the work out. For running it is best to choose a model that has a built in receiver for the chest strap, because leaving your hands on the hand pulse sensors is not very convenient while running and may cause the user to loose balance. It also assures very accurate heart rate monitoring.
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