I have written before about spending long hours on the treadmill and because you are not outside and not running in the nature, you won’t see the changes in the environment. On treadmill you are static - running all the time in the same place and that becomes boring after a while (or even in the first week).
So what to make an exercise stimulating and maybe even entertaining. You can watch TV, listen to music, video, have a conversation on the phone, reading a book (well I haven’t tried it yet) … I have chosen to have my laptop in front of me.
At first I have made some ad hoc solutions to have it on the right height, but this weekend I have managed to buy a shelf and mount it on the wall. 20 minutes of work because I needed to dig 2 holes in the wall and a few turns with the screwdriver.
My new view is now this:
I love the screen in my eye height, I love speakers and I can’t wait to test them with some great concert DVD.
If you are interested in some other solutions check out these innovative setups:
http://flickr.com/photos/86803208@N00/2117302606/
http://flickr.com/photos/18954106@N07/2581846309/
http://flickr.com/photos/44228007@N00/2556466698/
http://flickr.com/photos/platinum/2443546161/
http://flickr.com/photos/platinum/2443544597/
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/06/treadmill-desk.JPG
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/2791643984_197f00afc1.jpg?v=0
Gosh, I didn’t think that treadmills are so heavy! The boxed treadmill weighted almost 90 kilos and there is no way that you will be able to move it without additional pair of hands.
Here are two pictures with the treadmill in a box:
Then I started to open it up and remove all the packaging.
On top are the manuals.
Then comes unwrapping of the “gift”.
When you fold it and add the necessary screws it is almost ready to run.
The final step is to put in the safety key and plug it the electricity.
My next homework is to go through the manuals and see how it works, which programs are the most useful for me and run a CD that was included.
The exercises on the treadmill were put on a side a little as I am currently painting my bedroom in a nice brown color and this gives me enough exercise in these days. But I’ll get back with my observations and more info about weight loss.
The first question the future treadmill runner has is which treadmill should I buy? A tough choice, but after you will start to investigate what is on the market it will become much easier.
First of all I did not want to buy the most expensive equipment I could get. Why? Because I don’t need it and most of all I can not afford it. Later I became avare of the fact that even a mid priced treadmill can give me everything I need and especially I am a complete beginner I could not benefit from maximum speed or maximum incline. I would probably die trying to run at it 12 mph (20 kmh)!
So how did I choose the right treadmill for me? First I looked at all main retailers and got the datasheets of all treadmills. Some of them looked prettier, some had better characteristics, some of them used Polar for measuring heart rate others did not even have HR monitor. As my main objective for the next months is to lose some weight and get into shape I have chosen a mid-priced Power Run 7.0 HRC by Energetics.
Characteristics:
- Speed: 0-16km/h
- Motor power: 2,0 PS
- Incline: 0-10%
- Dimensions: L 169.8 cm / W 84.9 cm / H 130 cm
- Dimensions of the belt: L 130 cm / W 45 cm
- Measures: distance, speed, incline, used calories, HR, time
Fortunately I have enough space in my two room apartment to put it next to the bed and not on some packed corner and there will still be enough place around it to feel free while exercising. It can also be folded so I don’t expect its size will bother me. The belt is big enough to walk or run and 16km/h is by far enough for me to do a satisfying exercise. I especially like that I will be able to use my old Polar belt to measure heart rate as I had it since I bought Polar AXN500 watch a few years ago.
Task for you
I suppose you came accross similar questions while choosing the right treadmill for you and I would like to ask you to share your experiences or just describe why would you like to buy a treadmill.
