Introduction:
If you’re on a budget and shopping for fitness equipment to use in your home, then you’ve no doubt learned that prices quickly escalate, especially for treadmills. It’s not uncommon to see full-featured treadmills selling for as much as £2500.00 to £3500. Many of us don’t have to financial resources to invest in an expensive treadmill, but know that we need to begin an exercise programme. Did you know that there is an alternative to large, bulky and expensive motorised treadmills? It’s called a “manual” treadmill, for good reason. Here’s some information about the manual treadmill and a brief review of one we particularly like: the Pro Fitness Manual Treadmill Cross Trainer
Overall Rating:
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Key Features:
The Pro Fitness manual treadmill with arm levers is a self-powered treadmill with adjustable resistance. It includes dual-action arm levers at the front that simulate the arm movements of cross-country skiing, an innovative feature. The treadmill is completely self-powered (see below) and has pulse sensors built into the hand grips.
Price:
About £149.99
Product Description:
Generally, the type of treadmill you see in gyms, health clubs and fitness equipment retailers is powered by a motor. The Pro Fitness manual treadmill with arm levers has no motor and is self-powered. This means that the user is the “motor” that moves the belt solely by walking, running or jogging on it. Unlike powered treadmills, when the user stops moving, so does the belt. This is a safety feature that gets high marks from us. We appreciate that the speed of the treadmill is completely under the user’s control. To increase or decrease speed, simply walk slower. This action controls a flywheel, which is the mechanism that drives the whole machine. This treadmill also has an innovative feature usually found on cross trainers and steppers: arm levers. So, it’s one of the few machines we’ve encountered that delivers a whole-body workout.
Product Specifications:
Running surface size: 111cm long x 34cm.wide
Extras: Dual action upper body cross country ski style exercise levers work arms and shoulders
Heart rate sensor: Yes. Located in hand grips
Console display feedback: Includes: speed, distance, time, calorie, pulse and scan functions
Folds flat for storage: Yes
Maximum user weight: 100kg (15st10)
Batteries required: Yes, 2 x AA (not included).
Size: 128 x 70 x 138cm (HxWxD)
Weight: 31.5kg
Assembly required: Yes
Conclusion:
We like this manual treadmill for its simplicity and durability. It has a much smaller footprint than powered treadmills, a real plus for those with limited space. This treadmill does not have the bulky motor housing found on powered treadmills. If you aren’t ready to commit to an expensive machine, the Pro Fitness manual treadmill with arm levers is a great way to try out this category of fitness equipment to see if it’s for you. All in all, this an affordable, well-designed and safe machine that fits the bill quite nicely for those on a limited budget.