Did you gain weight and are your stress levels higher than ever since the past year? That pesky pandemic has taken a toll on all of us… You’ve done yourself a great service by clicking on this ultimate guide on the best treadmills for runners. We’ll talk about various topics related to cardio and present our best picks of treadmills for you.
So, excessive fat and stress; it’s god awful and it all happened because the pandemic forced us to be quarantined. Believe us that, it even annoys us talking about the pandemic. In the future, once all this pandemic thing is over; our editor is going to have a blast deleting every part about it!
Anyhow, we have to deal with all this fat and stress right now! We have to get moving again, our bodies crave exercising and a good diet! First things first, let’s talk about exercising and why you should invest in a cardio machine.
Exercising is something we all should incorporate into our lives. You may love strength training, cardio or CrossFit; staying active and pushing yourself each and every week is the key. Nowadays, going outside or to a gym is a risk. So, this is the time to choose one of the best treadmills for runners from our list.
Most people think about the price of getting a treadmill because it’s a one-time purchase even though; they pay more to a gym in the long run and there are lots of affordable options like you’ll see in this guide. Also, once you invest in a treadmill you’ll feel obligated to make your money’s worth. You’ll be on that treadmill every day walking or running while watching your favorite show.
What if you lose motivation? First of all, remember why you started and think dramatically like if you stop working out you’ll be betraying your past self and disrespecting all that grind. If that doesn’t help, imagine all the money you put in and now the treadmill is collecting dust. After a few months, getting on your treadmill will become a habit, your mind and body will crave that feeling and rush every day.
Basically, trick your brain until it’s a habit. This law applies to everything in life. It’s quite fun to see how much correlation there is between exercising and success in general.
It’s all about taking the first step. Stop overthinking to a point that pushes you to decision inertia, it’s not that complicated. After you get yourself a treadmill, just start doing one of the HIIT programs we have in this article called; “7 Best HIIT Workout on the Treadmill That Will Make You Lose Fat”.
Okay, so what about the diet? Just check these articles below after you finished reading this. Keep in mind that; all this knowledge needs to be put to use! Start implementing these into your life to avoid that hurtful feeling of regret.
Articles related to diet;
“27 Super Foods for Weight Loss That Will Make You Lose Belly Fat Quickly!”
“11 Super Foods High in Iron to Fight Against Diseases”
Treadmill vs Running Outside
Some people consider running on a treadmill as inferior to running outside. Well, technically there are no differences in how your body moves; the dynamics are the same. However, we should say that running outside has its own benefits such as; fresh air and nature. It will always feel a bit more normal to you than running on a treadmill.
Still, not everybody lives close to a park or a running trail and sometimes you won’t be feeling like going outside; so, having a treadmill at home is more accessible than going outside and running. Especially if you’re living in a city; nowadays, it would be best to avoid crowds. Choose one of the best treadmills for runners from our list to not stay behind anymore.
Let’s take a look at the pros of treadmills and then the pros of running;
Pros of Treadmills
- It’s more accessible. The bad weather conditions don’t affect you and sometimes you don’t feel like going out.
- Bad weather conditions create danger. If you go outside to run on a rainy day, you can face many problems and if you are not wearing a proper pair of running shoes; you might fall or sprain your ankle.
- Incline and decline settings. When you go outside, it’s not that easy to find a challenging route. However, on a treadmill, you can create your own conditions anytime you want if you want to exercise your calves more simply turn up your incline.
- You can do more than just running. Compared to running outside, running on your treadmill is much safer. So, you can watch something, listen to music or a podcast without facing possible dangers. The best treadmills for runners offer much more than only running.
- Speed control. While running on a treadmill, you can stay consistent by setting your speed. So, you’ll be doing your cardio more effectively.
- Easier on the joints. Most treadmills offer shock absorption to put less stress on your joints. While running outside, the terrain might slow you down or worse; make you slip and fall.
- You’ll lose fat faster. You’ll run on your treadmill more than going outside and running because you won’t be motivated at all times.
Pros of Running Outside
- You can run anywhere. Well, you can’t carry your treadmill with you everywhere. When you are traveled somewhere new, you only need a pair of running shoes and a safe route.
- It’s free. You don’t have to get a gym membership or get a treadmill to run. You only need to invest in quality running shoes to avoid injuries.
- Fresh air and nature. This is a huge plus. Just being outside taking in the fresh air and looking at the scenery is an awesome experience.
If you are looking for a pair of affordable and quality running shoes, check our list of “15 Superior Quality Trail Running Shoes for Women” and also “Awesome Gym Shoes for Women That Are Relentless.
Is Treadmills Good for Weight Loss?
While running on a treadmill, you’ll be able to check your target heart zone and find it easier to stay in your fat-burning zone compared to running outside.
Your fat-burning zone equals 75% to 90% of your target heart rate zone. Treadmills show your target heart zone, however, if you want to do manually;
Maximum Heart Rate for men = 220 – Age
Maximum Heart Rate for women = 226 – Age
We recommend that you should do both HIIT and LIIT exercises to maximize your weight loss. You don’t have to decide between them. Still, if you don’t have much time, you’ll be glad to hear that HIIT training on its own is amazing for weight loss. Basically, after doing fast intervals, thanks to EPOC (Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) your body will be pumping oxygen like crazy by using energy and burning calories. This intense high-metabolism state can burn tons of calories even after you finished your workout.
What else can you do to up your weight loss? Let’s take a look at some tips and tricks one by one;
1. Do More than Only Cardio
Doing only cardio training might seem like it’s enough but, there is more than you can do by only adding half an hour of training on your workout days. Add in strength training even if you only do main compound exercises like squats and deadlifts. Some women avoid strength training because they don’t want to look “bulky”. You won’t become bulky by strength training, in fact, you’ll make good muscle gains that will make you lean.
Also, add in some light stretching at the end of your routine. We say light because if you do too much, you may strain a muscle.
2. Make Small Changes
It sounds simple but even making a small change like taking the stairs every day instead of the elevator can make a huge difference. Another thing you can do is, try to go to bed earlier and stop looking at your smartphone two hours prior to your sleep.
You may be wondering, what does this have to do with weight loss, well; bad stress is the enemy of progress. Remember all the times you binge eat and felt like not getting out of bed… Our smartphones are wired to give us worthless notifications to keep us occupied with trivial things. Instead of increasing your anxiety levels by checking your phone all the time; turn off most of your notifications.
This is especially important while you are working out, it’s better to keep your attention on your body and mind.
3. Don’t Neglect Incline Settings
Use one of the presets of your treadmill or simply increase your incline for two minutes while doing your routine. The best treadmills for runners have both settings of incline and decline. These settings can give you a challenging workout experience, still, don’t go overboard with incline because too much stress may hurt your muscles or joints.
4. Stay Consistent
Find a routine that you can do several times a week, consistency is one of the keys to losing weight. If you catch yourself losing focus while training; choose a faster workout like HIIT.
As we’ve said staying consistent is important, however, it’s good to change up things every 3 to 6 months to push yourself further. Our bodies adapt pretty quickly to workout routines.
5. Diversify Your Food Choices
Please no more zero-carb or zero-fat diets, you need to have your macros every day. You gain weight not because carbs or fat are evils but; you go overboard with your consumption of processed and unhealthy fast foods. Find the balance and make half of your diet contain fruit and vegetables.
Don’t listen to charlatans who say that fruits are evil because it contains sugar. They only try to get attention by saying the most ridiculous things. Just make the most of your diet consisting of the food choices below and you’ll be fine;
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
Our favorites are; Sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, garlic, carrot, kale, beets, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, berries, oranges.
- Legumes
The best legumes are; Chickpeas, lentils, peas, kidney beans.
- Whole grains
You should consume whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, oats, quinoa, sorghum, buckwheat, and corn.
- Nuts
Keep nuts consumption at moderate. You can eat almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, and peanuts.
- Seeds
Flax, chia, hemp, sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds are all considered healthy options.
- Fish
Salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, tuna are great omega3 sources.
- Meat
Beef, lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, liver, and kidney.
6. Cut Alcohol
Most people think that they don’t drink that much but they do. Alcohol can cut your progress short and a night of heavy drinking can ruin a week’s worth of exercise.
If you can’t give up on alcohol, at least stop drinking beer because it contains a lot of carbs. Instead of drinking beer; drink wine, vodka, or whisky. Still, keep your alcohol consumption in moderation to not hurt your progress.
Benefits of Running
There are critical benefits of running besides weight loss such as;
- Improved endurance
- Increased energy
- Lower levels of stress and anxiety
- Stronger muscles
- Healthy levels of blood sugar
- Increased HDL (good) cholesterol
- Less fatigue
- Healthier and cleaner skin
- Better joints
- Improved brain power, memory, and cognition
- Improved immune system
How to Choose a Treadmill?
There are many things to learn and consider before choosing a treadmill. You shouldn’t choose one just because it looks good, by reading this part you’ll be an informed buyer! Let’s dive in.
Features of Treadmills
There are 9 important features of the best treadmills for runners.
Horsepower: If you want to run non-stop, you need to get something more than 2.0 CHP. Some even suggest that runners should aim for at least 3.0 CHP because less motor power equals a shorter lifespan of the treadmill. Also, if you push your treadmill that has small horsepower by using incline and long-span runs all the time; it’s going to make a lot of noise by trying its hardest to keep itself cool and of course it will eventually break down.
Preset Programs: If you are not advanced at exercising, preset programs for; weight loss, cardiovascular performance, speed, and incline training can help you a lot. When you try to manually set your workout, you may go too easy on yourself.
We recommend to you that, first, a master at one program before moving onto another.
Incline and Decline Settings: Incline is one of the most important settings of treadmills. Sometimes you need to change it up to increase your output. Let’s not forget about the decline setting, not every treadmill has this critical setting. Using only 3% of decline can give you tons of benefits because it will be simulating running outside.
Speed: If you are not an advanced runner; you don’t need a treadmill that has more than 10 mph. However, if you are serious about running you can choose something close to 15 mph. Keep in mind that using your treadmill at maximum speed at all times can seriously shorten its lifespan.
Belt Length: 55 to 60 inches enough for runners, if you are tall you may even need more than that.
Still, short individuals might not want to pay a lot for a big treadmill because it takes a lot of space. Don’t worry, we got every kind of treadmill in our list of best treadmills for runners.
Belt Width: A good treadmill belt should be at least 20 inches to give you enough space. Again, this changes according to your size. If you are 5’2, you don’t need a belt width of 20 inches.
Cushioning: The treadmill you use should feel lighter on your body. If it feels as impactful as running on the pavement; it’s doesn’t have enough cushioning. Running is a high-impact cardio exercise and people with weak joints or who had injuries need to get a good treadmill with comfy cushioning.
Invest a bit more to not have health complications in the future.
Easy Controls: You are going to need to change your speed, incline, etc. while running; so, it would be best if you get yourself a treadmill that has a touch screen. Also, you should be able to see your progress like calories, heart rate, time, and distance to adjust yourself accordingly.
Weight Limit: If you are overweight, you should be extra careful to get a treadmill that can handle your weight.
Best Treadmills for Runners
Our first pick is ProForm Pro 2000; it’s awesome for runners and also affordable.
Large horsepower is important for the best treadmills for runners because it needs to be able to take the daily impact; this treadmill has 3.5 horsepower! Besides that, it also has a 22 by 60 inches’ belt deck that gives more than enough space. This treadmill can support people up to 300 lbs.
Treadmills need to have different incline and decline settings to simulate running outside. However, most treadmills don’t have a decline setting… Well, ProForm Pro 2000 does! Adding to its 15% incline, it also has a 3% decline. You’ll feel like climbing a hill and reap its benefits by losing tons of calories!
There are large horsepower, durable belt deck, and important incline and decline settings; what else? These are enough to put this treadmill at the top of our list, still, you know what the icing on the cake is?
One year of free iFit membership! Thanks to its 7-inch screen; you’ll be able to follow workouts which will make you lose weight faster and more efficiently!
It has a lifetime warranty on frame and motor. 5 years for parts and 2 years of labor coverage!
If you are looking for something a bit more high-end; NordicTrack only offers the best of the best!
First of all, it has a 4.25 CHP DurX commercial motor that can take on the toughest beatings. Also, it cools itself with its fans. You can use this treadmill as long as you are not over 300 lbs.
Just like the ProForm, it has a 15% incline and 3% decline settings. Believe us that, these settings will make you sweat a lot by pushing your boundaries. Still, keep the incline at moderate levels to avoid muscle strains and unnecessary stress on joints.
So, NordicTrack 2950 is quite techy; through the 22” touchscreen you can follow workouts from iFit and also use the Google Maps feature. Wait, Google Maps feature on a treadmill, what’s the purpose of that? You can create your own route anywhere in the world! Just pick a location on your Maps tab and then NordicTrack2950 will automatically deliver the same incline and decline of that route within your training!
Also, the iFit Coach app gives you personalized workout recommendations, lets you choose virtual studio classes, and more! It’s free for the first year! This feature on its own makes this one of the best treadmills for runners.
It has a lifetime warranty for the frame and motor, 5 years for parts and electronics, also has a 2-year labor warranty.
The only reason NordicTrack 2950 didn’t take the number 1 spot is its price. It’s quite pricey but if you can afford to buy this treadmill; you can consider yourself a determined runner!
If you work at home and got tired of sitting all the time; walk and work at the same time with an under the desk treadmill. Check this article; “7 Best Under the Desk Treadmill – Ultimate Guide”
3) LifeSpan TR5500i Folding Treadmill
Back to budget-friendly options; LifeSpan TR5500i is a durable treadmill that has a 4.0 CHP motor, 22 by 60 inches’ belt deck, and 3-mm thick belt. It’s seriously one of the best treadmills for runners.
There is a 6-inch LCD screen that you can follow your workouts and check your progress. So, how many workouts this treadmill offers? There are 40 preset workout programs that can push your limits.
The incline is %13, the decline is %2 and the speed can reach up to 13.5 mph! It offers everything a serious runner needs.
Finally, it has a lifetime warranty on the frame and motor, 5 years for parts and two for labor.
4) ProForm – SMART Performance 400i Treadmill
ProForm 400i offers a cheap and reliable workout experience. It’s a smaller treadmill compares to the other ones on the list, however, a 2.0 CHP motor is enough for people who don’t look for much. The speed limit is 10mph and the maximum incline is 10%.
Running on a treadmill is considered as high-impact cardio compared to low-impact cardio equipment such as exercise bikes and ellipticals. Still, ProForm 400i offers ProShox deck cushioning which protects your joints from the impact of running. This feature makes this a great choice between the best treadmills for runners.
One year of free iFit membership is an amazing feature. You’ll be motivated to use this treadmill every day because you’ll want to follow your personal trainers through super cool routes. Also, the incline-matching tech will adjust your treadmill automatically to simulate the path your personal trainer follows.
Through the 7” HD touchscreen, you can check your stats and see your heart rate to adjust yourself. After you are done with your workout you can fold this treadmill to save space.
Surprisingly, even though ProForm 400i is a small treadmill, the user weight capacity is 300 lbs.
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Nautilus has a strong motor that’s 3.5 CHP and has 15% of incline which will help you lose fat. You don’t have to worry about the impact your joints will face because the 20 by 60 inches’ belt deck has Rebound cushioning system.
There are 26 workout programs you can choose and you can monitor your heart rate with included chest strap or integrated grips. Also, there are three-speed fans that will cool you off according to your speed.
You can connect your device with Bluetooth and use a lot of different apps that can quicken your progress. It has the World app which lets you run on 40+ global routes that adjust automatically in real-time with your speed.
If you are overweight, this treadmill has a weight capacity of 350 pounds.
Do you find your electric bill too much? Well, Assault Fitness AirRunner uses no electricity! It’s a non-motorized and manual treadmill. The surface size is 17 by 62 inches which is enough if you are not very bulky.
You set the speed by running on it, so basically it doesn’t have a max speed! It was designed for HIIT training and longevity. You can use the same belt up to 150,000 miles!
You can check your data such as speed, distance, time, pace, and estimated calories burned through the LCD screen.
Even though it’s quite pricey, if you are looking for a treadmill that you can use for a long time without disregarding the environment; you should go with Assault Fitness AirRunner. Some people consider it as one of the best treadmills for runners.
Bowflex Treadmill 7 pretty much offers everything you want on a treadmill. First of all, it has a super-strong 3.75 CHP and 22 by 60 inches of running path with Comfort Tech deck cushioning.
You won’t be bored while running on this treadmill because you can watch streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video through the 7-inch console.
Also, it offers to Explore the World option which lets you run on 40+ global routes that auto-adjust in real to your speed. It’s a super fun experience to be able to run those routes without leaving your home.
If you don’t want to be connected to somewhere and only focus on running; there are 100+ unique workout programs.
If you are a person who gets bored pretty quickly of regular exercising; Bowflex can help you have fun and do your cardio at the same time by offering one of the best treadmills for runners.
XTerra Fitness TR150 offers an affordable treadmill that has a lot of features.
Let’s talk about motor power and surface size. Well, motor power is 2.25 CHP and the surface size is only 16 by 50 inches. This machine takes much less space than other treadmills and you can fold it easily to store it away. However, if you are a big individual, look for something else.
You can follow your data like time, calories, and pulse through the LCD display. There are 12 preset workout programs you can follow. You should know that the max speed you can reach is 10mph and the max incline is only 2%
If you don’t have much to spend and also small, this treadmill is definitely enough for you.
9) Sunny Health & Fitness Folding Treadmill
Our last pick for the best treadmills for runners is super cheap because not everybody has a lot to spend. In this price range; Sunny Health & Fitness offers a great treadmill.
It has 9 built-in workout programs which are quite enough. The digital monitor displays your speed, distance, time, calories, and pulse; all these data will help you adjust your workouts and see how much you’ve progressed.
The maximum speed is 9mph, there are 3 incline options up to 4.37%, and the user weight capacity is 220 lbs. Just like the XTerra Fitness TR150, you should consider getting this treadmill only if you are small. Big and bulky individuals have to pay a bit more to find a bigger and faster treadmill.
Even after you’ve seen all these options and still can’t make up your mind, maybe you are looking for a different kind of cardio equipment. Check the articles below, however; remember that it’s in your best interest to take action!
“Best Elliptical for Home 2022 – The Ultimate Guide”
“The Best Home Exercise Bike to Burn Fat Like Crazy”
“8 Best Rowing Machine for Home – Ultimate Guide”
Conclusion
So, if you’ve read all this guide of best treadmills for runners; kudos to you! This was seriously a heavy guide with tons of info and due to you reading this, half the battle is won! You are ready to start your weight loss journey.
What are you waiting for? We said you are ready. C’mon just go! Don’t be like one of those people who know a lot about fitness but don’t put in the real grind. Trust in your abilities, you got this.
Before you go, let us know in the comment; what’s your favorite treadmill ever?
Thank you for reading.
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