Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Treadmills For Beginners - Some New Features You Probably Didn't Know About

The treadmill was one of the first consumer exercise machines ever to hit the market. Treadmills revolutionized the way we exercise; now you could burn calories and give yourself a cardiovascular workout in the privacy of your own home, while you enjoy your favorite sitcoms. And, since their invention, treadmills have become more advanced and easy to use.

Modern treadmills have features the original manufacturers would have never dreamed of. You can watch TV, monitor your heat rate and have your own computerized fitness coach barking in your ear the whole time. Of course, you can turn off the coach if he bothers you.

Treadmills offer features such as...

-Speed control

You can decide just how fast or slow you'd like to work out. This feature has made treadmills a better option for seniors who might want to go for a brisk walk rather than a jog.

Most treadmills have speed control all the way from 0 to 12 mph. Any more than that and you'd go whipping off the machine like a cartoon character. Also, newer treadmills are equipped with commercial motors, so they can respond quickly when you tell them to slow down or speed up.

-Incline

Treadmills usually have an incline of somewhere around 10%. This is good for brisk walking or jogging. Newer models have incline options, where you can increase the incline to up to 20%. This is actually pretty strenuous, but it's a great way to burn calories.

Nordic Track offers a special "Incline Trainer" which allows you to set the incline to as high as 50%. This is for the serious trainer only! Once you feel how a 50% incline feels, you may want this option.

-Personalized training

The latest treadmill models come with options that allow you to personalize your workout. New models made by Proform offer a memory card. The treadmill has a computer that saves your data.

For example, you may choose a workout that involves light running for ten minutes, then a brisk walk and gradual slowdown to catch your breath. You can program all of this into your treadmill's computer and change the options easily later.

The latest models by Proform also have a state-of-the-art sound system with speakers. You can have your own "personal coach" cheer you on during your workout.

-Heart Rate Monitoring

This is an excellent feature of new treadmill models. With heart rate monitoring, you can actually see how you're doing while you exercise. This has become a standard feature on new models of treadmills.

-TV and speakers

Now to the good part: You can watch TV while you run. In the old days, you had to have a TV perched on a bookshelf or desk nearby and crane your neck looking at it. Now, treadmills

have small TV's installed on them. They must have really listened to those customer suggestions. These models come with high quality speakers so that you can get the fullest enjoyment out of your TV viewing... ahem, I mean exercising.

These are just a few of the features that new treadmills have. If you're interested in finding out more, head down to your local exercise shop or gym and check out some treadmills yourself.

You can also find more info on Weslo Treadmills and . Besttreadmillratings.com is a comprehensive resource to find the best treadmill.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Faulkner

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