treadmill question

[mommacody]

the past few times that i've gone away and used the treadmills at the hotels, i've noticed how much easier they seem to be compared to mine at home. the one i have now is about 8 years old, it's a proform that isn't made anymore. could it be that mine just isn't calibrating the right way? is there any chance that could be fixed without purchasing a whole new treadmill? this is one purchase that i'm not prepared to rush into, and i just don't have the money for what i would want right now.

i guess i could just find a pace that works and not pay attention to what the readings are, but it's frustrating, you know?

 

[krec4]

I also have a older Proform and noticed the same thing. I actually bought a Heart Rate Monitor instead of trying to guess if it was going the right speed and now I just make sure I stay in my heart rate zone for 45-60 minutes. I am also very short, so I never could go by calories or fat burned on the treadmill anyways.

You could try a light maintenance by making sure the belts are aligned and put some treadmill grease under the belt.

You could also call around and get quotes for a tune-up and see if that works. Check with local companies like Play it again sports, Sports Authority etc., to see if they recommend anyone for the tune-up. I don't even know how much it would cost as I never had one done.

Kathy

 

[JeanneMarie]

I'm also an older Proform owner. I've noticed the same thing.

I have a theory about why our treadmills are harder. I'm not even sure it's correct, but it makes sense to me.

Our older (and cheaper) treadmills have more "give" in the moving platform. It's kind of like running in sand if you've ever done that. The more your foot "sinks into" a surface, the harder it is on your muscles to rebound and pull yourself along. An older, less stable platform like our Proforms bounce more than these state-of-the-art, newer, fancier models. Therefore, it is a tougher run on our home treadmills than the ones we find at nice gyms and hotels.

 

[mommacody]

that actually makes a lot of sense! mine is definitely unstable and bouncy, lol. i do have a heartrate monitor but for some reason never wear it on the treadmill - i will start doing that and paying attention to those numbers instead of the treadmill readings.

thanks!

 

[fox2star]

It's funny you mentioned that because I think the same thing about my treadmill compared to those in gyms etc.. mine is not top of the line, but was not cheap either ( around $2000).. and it seems like when I am doing an I-Tread workout, I can;t get anywhere near the speeds that they are giving out for walkers, joggers, runners etc. I keep thinking that I am more out of shape than I thought! When they say walkers at 4.8, I would be jogging, and almost running! x(

Deb