Walk this way - on a treadmill

Take a cold winter. Add icy roads, slushy sidewalks and below-zero temperatures. Throw in short days, when it's dark at 6 a.m. and dark at 6 p.m. Whaddaya get?

A treadmill.

Folks fed up with the weather and craving a way to exercise are reinventing their outdoor workouts by investing in exercise equipment, especially treadmills.

Fitness-equipment sales always jump in the winter.

"December through March are always our busiest months," says James Brackney, store manager at Elite Fitness in Colorado Springs, Colo.

People shopping for exercise equipment are interested in the newer machines such as elliptical trainers, but treadmill sales remain constant. Brackney attributes the machine's staying power to its relative simplicity.

"The treadmill is such a natural movement. Everybody who can walk or run can use a treadmill."

The machine's popularity is not just related to the weather. A survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association showed that Americans found treadmills to be the most comfortable, natural and effective exercise equipment.

But when the weather turns bad, it pushes people who might ordinarily exercise outdoors into fitness-equipment stores. Howard Bonser, a sales associate at Fitness Systems, also in Colorado Springs, says winter weather is the deciding factor for many of his customers.

"The common nature of people is that when something gets harder to do, find an easier way to do it," he says.

"A lot of folks will wait and see what happens with the weather. But when they've gone without their exercise and can't get out, they start looking for other options."

And they seem to be choosing treadmills over other exercise equipment. Why?

"Walking is a natural way to exercise, and people stay at it," Bonser says.

That helps ease the treadmill sticker shock: They cost about $300 to more than $4,000. "People stick with a treadmill longer than any other piece of equipment," Bonser says.

And a treadmill workout is one of the most efficient ways to exercise, says Tony Shockency, a branch executive at the YMCA of the Pikes Peak (Colo.) Region. Shockency says the 16 treadmills at the downtown Y rarely sit idle, and their effectiveness hasn't gone unnoticed among those who exercise there.

"Walking on a treadmill is a weight-bearing exercise, and you will burn more calories than on other exercise equipment such as a bike," Shockency says.

"It's hard for people to have enough leg strength to burn the same number of calories on a bike unless they are extremely strong."

Walkers and runners frustrated by icy roads and trails might be spurred on by a desire to start moving, but Bonser suggests they do a little research before they head out the door to buy a treadmill or any other piece of equipment.

"The main thing in exercise equipment is that you get what you pay for," he says. "The level of quality of a treadmill - the motor, the components - are what determine the price point."

One place to turn for help with a treadmill purchase is the February 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, which rated eight nonfolding and 10 folding models.

Tips for buying a treadmill, from the National Sporting Goods Association, Consumer Reports and Fitness Systems:

- Before you leave home, measure the space where you'll keep the treadmill. A typical machine is about the size of a small couch. Most are heavy enough that you won't want to keep moving them all over your house.

- Decide how you are going to use the treadmill. If you're a walker, lower-priced machines might work for you. If you're a dedicated runner, choose a nonfolding model or higher-end model.

- Plan on trying out several machines. Wear running or walking shoes - the ones you will wear at home.

- Look at treadmills with these elements in mind: construction, programming features and warranty.

- Construction: Look for a motor with a minimum 2.0 continuous-duty horsepower (the motor's ability to function under a load for a long period of time), which will hold users who weigh more than 180 pounds. Look for a belt that's at least two-ply, 17 inches wide and 49 inches long.

- Programming features: The more you pay, the more programming options you'll get. Lower-priced machines show variable speed, time, distance and calories. Higher-priced machines allow the user to design programs and vary the workout intensity automatically.

- Warranty: Some machines have a lifetime warranty on the frame, with features and components covered by a warranty that ranges from 90 days to 3 years. Higher-end machines often come with a one-year, in-home labor contract.

You don't have to be as proficient on your treadmill as the band OK Go to get a workout (to see what we mean, check out their video for "Here It Goes Again" at www.okgo.net/video.asp). Here are some tips from experts:

- Warm up at a slow pace; after five minutes, stop the treadmill and do some light stretching. Get back on and continue your workout.

- Wear the same shoes you would wear to run or walk outdoors. No slippers, no flip-flops; running shoes with a shockabsorbing design are best.

- Do interval training - run or walk at a speed that's slower than your average, and set the incline at 1 percent. Go for two minutes, then raise the incline to 4 percent for two minutes. Continue to raise the incline by 2 percent every two minutes until you reach a 10-percent incline. Then reverse the steps until you've gone 20 minutes.

- Let go of the handrails. Studies have shown that holding the handrails reduces heart rate and oxygen consumption.

- Don't make it too easy. Set the treadmill at a brisk but comfortable pace so you can reach your target heart rate (subtract your age from 220; that's your maximum rate; your target zone is 50 percent to 90 percent of that number).

- Customize your treadmill workout. Many people watch TV or listen to music while they are working out. If you're not a TV person, check out "video assisted exercise," videos or DVDs that simulate walks through the Alps, the Grand Canyon or other locations around the world (for Web addresses, go to http://walking.about.com/cs/treadmillreviews/tp/treadmill acc.htm).

- Try to work out on your treadmill daily. If you exercise in the morning, try to eat a snack before you start (but not a full breakfast) - something with a few carbohydrates and, if you want, some caffeine.

- Make one day a week an easy day.

- Keep a record of your mileage.

- Add weights to your workout. Two or three days a week, walk on your treadmill holding light (1- to 2-pound) weights in your hands. Swing your arms while you walk.

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Sources: treadmilladvisor.com, YMCA of the Pikes Peak (Colo.) Region, CarmichaelTraining Systems