Quite simply, if you don't take your time and shop around, you could really end up wit ha lemon that won't help you reach your fitness goals. Let us examine a few parameters and treadmill ratings before you really commit yourself for going for so called discount treadmills.

First of all, consider again why you have decided to buy a treadmill. Is it because your neighbor too has one or does it have something to do with your commitment to have a healthy and fit life style? If you are like many people, you will go out and buy one because it makes you feel better about yourself, but won't really make the commitment to using it regularly.

If this might be you, examine your motives before purchasing, and make sure the machine will be utilized so that you don't throw away several hundred dollars. If you have decided to buy a treadmill for the benefit of you and your family, then you would obviously like to buy at least a decent one.

A mid range treadmill meeting most of the reasonable requirements comes in the range of around $1000 or so. Of course you can splurge as much as $3000 or more for most of the top end models. So cheap treadmills means something far less than that.

If you have already zeroed in on your buy, just consider whether the treadmill supports a few basic functions. This includes functions such as incline/decline of up to 10%, a running area which should be at least 48 inches long and 16 inches wide to prevent you from tripping over. Of course, you would not like to have that cramped feeling and a sense of being tied down every time you hit the gear on your treadmill.

A motor preferably modulated (PWM) controller one to give power without noise is an absolute must and so is a good shock absorber. You want to work out on your treadmill but not at the cost of injury to your knees and joints. So invest in a good quality treadmill having sound suspension systems.

If your treadmill supports these basic functionalities, then you can go for it and if you are not spending too much then nothing like it. You can go for higher models also for that extra zing like wireless heart and pulse monitor, LED display etc. but these features are not there in cheap treadmills. Of course, these rae really not necessary for getting in shape; while they can be nice features to have, don't be swayed into buying a decked out treadmill for a bunch of gadgets and gadgets you really won't be using.

Finally, consider reading magainze ratings of treadmills, as this can be a great source of unbiased info on which ones are best. Obviously, when you visit company websites, they attempt to sell you on their particular brand, and you have a built in bias. This isn't the case with magazine ratings.

So the bottom line is that cheap treadmills have to support some basic features. Nothing less even if available inexpensively is worth it. Invest a decent amount in the health of your family and you will feel much better about yourself in the near future.