Manual treadmills may seem ideal for your wallet since they are relatively cheap treadmills, but your feet, body, and workouts can suffer in the long run if you purchase one. The whole purpose behind having a piece of home exercise equipment is to facilitate your workouts so you get optimal results. Using a manual treadmill can complicate a workout and even hinder your progress.

What makes manual treadmills so cheap? If you have ever walked on one, you know the answer! They have no motor. You are the treadmills motor! If you have never used a manual treadmill before, you should know that most are very difficult to bring up to speed unless they are in a steep incline. This may seem like something you can deal with at first, but unlike motorized treadmills, manual treadmills have no buttons to bring their inclines down. Who wants to walk uphill every workout?

Manual treadmills don’t give you the momentum you need for a good workout. The machine speeds up and slows down as you do. Constantly bringing a machine back up to speed will put a lot of pressure on your feet, knees and joints. Exercise equipment is supposed to facilitate the workout, not make it stressful on the sensitive areas of your body.

To get the most out of a workout on a treadmill, your body needs to maintain a fluid walk, run or jog. Manual treadmills aren’t equipped to do this. As stated, when you ease up or slow down, it slows down, too. There is no push, or momentum, to a manual treadmill. To be honest, it is virtually impossible to keep a consistent motion on a manual treadmill. Yes, you may burn some extra calories getting one of these treadmills up and running, and then up and running again when it begins to slow its pace. But, in the long term, more calories will be burned if you are on a treadmill that’s motor driven because it will keep your motion consistent and regulated.

Manual treadmills are bad investments because they can actually take time away from your workout. Most people don’t have a lot of time to workout. The time spent having to get on and off a machine to adjust its incline, and the constant slowing down and building back of a manual treadmill’s momentum is really a waste of precious time. A manual treadmill’s lack of features also makes it very easy to grow bored. Boredom can easily turn into exercise procrastination!

The number one reason people purchase manual treadmills is because they are cheap treadmills. You can find them for a few hundred dollars or less. While that may seem like a good deal, for just a few hundred dollars more, you can often times find a quality used treadmill that is motorized. And if you prefer to buy new, you can find a high-quality motorized treadmill for just under $1,000.

If you are serious about wanting to own a treadmill, don’t waste your money and time on a manual treadmill. You will probably end up regretting the purchase and feel that you have thrown your money away. Save your money and wait until you can afford a used one or one of the more budget-friendly motorized treadmills that are on the market. Not only will these machines give you better results, they are more enjoyable to use – and your feet, knees, and joints will thank you.