The vast majority of fitness experts and athletes that we surveyed agree that elliptical machines such as the Life Fitness 95Xi and Precor AMT 100i are the best cardiovascular pieces of fitness equipment today at gyms and health clubs across the nation, due mostly in part to their ability to efficiently elevate user heart rate and burn calories and at the same time, they do not do harm to your knees and other body parts, like regular running on a treadmill can. These top-shelf, health club quality elliptical trainers will exercise your quadriceps, hamstrings, arms, stomach, back, buttocks and really help eliminate love handles. Separating elliptical machines from treadmills is the fact that an elliptical will do all of this, with a no impact workout, keeping your knees, hips and ankles happy.

Even the most expensive treadmills at the top of the class do not provide the very gentle running motion, that is easy on your joints, like an elliptical does. One of the best parts about working out on a cross-trainer, rather than a treadmill, is the fact that once you are done with your workout, you will not have to take an epsom salt bath or ice down your knees.

There is a ton of literature out there on why ellipticals/crosstrainers are better tools for cardiovascular exercise than treadmills. However, the only thing that should count is whether or not the stride on the elliptical fitness trainer is as comfortable, or more comfortable, than the treadmills you are used to running on. One should always remember that the true test of how well a piece of fitness equipment will work for you, is always solved by actually trying the different gym machines and then determining their value to your workout program.

Sparked by the necessity for a portable and continual power supply, treadmills were developed to generate consistent power supply. Originating as agricultural machines, designed to power butter churns, water pumps and spinning wheels, treadmills have come a long way since their draconian days when they were used by horses, sheep, dogs and mules, to help farmers produce power, rather than help humans get and stay in shape. It wasn’t until 1952, that the University of Washington Dr. Robert Bruce, who was believed by many to be the father of exercise cardiology, along with his colleague, and fellow UW employee Wayne Quinton, developed the first medical treadmill, built to study, treat and diagnose heart and lung disease. This treadmill would be the foundation for what we exercise on today.

When discussing the origins of the treadmill, it helps to understand its etymology. The word “Tread” refers to a person or animal “treading” in place, while the word “Mill”, refers to a machine for grinding. Coming a long way from being used for the same purpose of a windmill, modern day treadmills are great tools for helping people to decrease their body fat percentage, increase flexibility, lose weight, build endurance, gain stamina, reduce blood pressure, and countless other benefits associated with treadmill usage.

Altrhough the treadmills of today can ultimately be traced back to the 19th century, todays treadmills are based off of the models that were built in the middle of the 20th century, rather than the 19th. Once the 1960′s came along, the fitness equipment industry emerged as a function of a public yearning to become healthier and the treadmill boom took effect. No longer were treadmills solely owned and operated by doctors, inventors and fitness gurus, ordinary Americans were intrigued by the health benefits associated with treadmills. Capitalists quickly realized the popularity of treadmills and decided that the commercial production of treadmills, both residential and gym (health club quality), would be an optimal investment. While the fitness equipment industry blossomed, treadmills were pushed by fitness equipment manufacturers such as Tunturi (a bicycle making business based out of Finland) & Aerobics Inc (American), developed several different models of treadmills. Even NASA (National Aeronautics Space Association) jumped on the treadmill bandwagon as NASA used treadmills to train astronauts and get them in shape for long orbits in space.

With features including user-friendly interactive workout programming, wireless heart rate controls, entertainment centers with TV, DVD, Internet & iPod functions, and an aesthetic appeal that resembles modern art more than draconian machinery, treadmills have come a long way since their nineteenth century inception. Fitness equipment companies such as Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac, StairMaster and Body-Solid, have all contributed significantly to the evolution of the treadmill, evidenced by the amount of money, time, and analysis these fitness equipment brands have invested.

If you are interested in purchasing a treadmill, let us educate you on the different parts and controls of home and commercial treadmills. Treadmill parts and products include the running belt, motor controllers, treadmill motors, running deck, frame, treadmill rollers, incline wheels, drive belts, tension motors, braking mechanisms and electronic consoles. In order to simplify things for you, make sure you buy a treadmill that has a solid steel frame, a speed motor that has at least 2.0HP, a running deck that is at least 18″W x 58″L, and an iron-clad warranty that backs up all of these treadmill parts in writing. One good thing about a saturated fitness equipment industry is that you get the benefit of having a wide selection of treadmills to chose from. Whether you are a novice or an expert, there is no benefit in buying a treadmill that is not built well. Always do your homework when it comes to buying fitness equipment such as treadmills in order to prevent yourself from not getting full value for your money.

Often looked past, is the suspension system and the suspension on a treadmill is key toward keeping its users in good health. What good is running miles and miles, while burning tons of calories, just to wake up the next morning, with severe aches and pains, because the suspension on the treadmill resembled more of an asphalt road than a grass field. Certain treadmill features come to mind when considering purchasing a treadmill and many of us look right past the suspension, while analyzing the speed, power incline, exercise programs, fitness tests and its cosmetic appearance.

People love to run in the morning, afternoon, put a reflector on and run at night. Run for fun. Running has an interesting way of making us feel healthier mentally and physically speaking. We sleep better, feel lighter, have more stamina, look healthier and eat more balanced diets when running and daily exercise are like second nature and intrinsic to our everyday lives. Other pieces of fitness equipment such as stair climbers, rowing machines and elliptical trainers are all effective cardiovascular training machines, however, treadmills give us the ability to run for as long, and as fast as possible, while allowing users to truly mimic their natural running and walking motions.

Millions of people take time out of their day to walk, jog or run on a treadmill. After all, the classic workout incorporates warming up through stretching, working with strength equipment, and running on a treadmill. Running on treadmills allow our bodies to look and feel young. Commercial health clubs and home gyms can not be complete without a gym grade, health club quality treadmill. One of the many great things about treadmills, is that they are beneficial for everyone including teenagers, adults, senior citizens, beginners, professional athletes, and even those who are disabled. Daily exercise is necessary, and treadmill usage is essential, for all people that want to burn calories, lose weight, gain speed, build endurance and get in shape.

Let’s not forget that there is no easy way to lose weight and build muscle. Short cuts don’t work, you will not get rid of your unwanted fat without putting in the work. So many people look for a magical cure when it comes to getting in shape. There are lots of effective, natural ways to lose weight, so do it the right way with safe and proven methods. There are exercise and meal plans easily available that if followed strictly, are almost sure to help. For those of you who actually put in the necessary time and energy when it comes to working out, congratulations and good for you. Keep grinding it out on the treadmill and make sure you stick to your goals. Also, elliptical trainers, treadmills, stair climbers and exercise bikes are all efficient tools for getting your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Elliptical training machines have been labeled as being much more user friendly in the sense that they protect the joints and bones of the users much more than treadmills do.

We are huge Cleveland Cavalier fans over here and very upset over their loss. I had already told myself that I was going to run for as many minutes as the Magic had points so I was on the treadmill for a while to say the least.

I run on the Precor C956 and I like it because the treadmill motor is strong and the speed picks up really fast. Inferior treadmills take a longer time to speed up because the poor quality of their motors. When I run, walk, jog, lift weights, swim, or exercise in any kind of way, I like everything to be as natural as possible. When you want to run fast but cant because the treadmill motor will not keep up with you, it can cause you to lose motivation, and ultimately prevents you from working out properly. Never let a machine interfere with you performing to the best of your ability!

When deciding which treadmill to buy, make sure you take into account its motor size and quality. Making sure you pick out a treadmill with a strong and durable drive and incline motors is key in finding the right unit. The treadmill drive motor controls the speed and the treadmill incline motor controls the elevation.