Newcomers to treadmill exercise would normally opt for a cheap treadmill to get the touch and the feel of it before splurging for the real thing. There is nothing wrong with buying cheap treadmills if they are well-made and function as desired. But therein lies the problem – cheap treadmills are actually poor performers and, even worse, they might overwork the muscles and cause harm to them.

Treadmills are generally priced in three levels. The first level is the cheapest, which is less than $500. Then there is the range of $500 to $3,000. This level has moderate treadmills which have more or less the same features, with differences in their qualities and function. The most expensive treadmills could be higher than $3,000 and may go even up to $6,000.

Before buying a treadmill, one should consider why some treadmills are priced low and some priced exorbitantly. Some treadmills are priced low for the simple reason that they do not use quality parts. Their belts may be wobbly and their deck not strong enough. Manufacturers of such inexpensive treadmills do not even bother to lubricate the area between the belt and the deck – this makes the treadmill noisy and takes away the joy of treading. Since the deck is not sturdy enough, over time the treadmill loses its levelness with the ground and the belt may sag or shift to one side. This means frequent alignment of the belt and also frequent maintenance.

Most significantly, cheap treadmills are manual. Their belts are worked by the user. As the user paces on the belt, it is pushed backward, which causes the whole conveyor effect. Hence, the belt will move with the person, not the other way round. Of course, this greatly diminishes the impact of the whole exercise. It may also permanently affect the gait of the person. And then there is the question of the extra effort that the person has to make in order to keep the belt running. Exercising on such a manual treadmill may cause shin aches or calf muscle aches to last throughout the week.

There is also a significant psychological factor involved. If a person works out on a cheap treadmill that is wobbly, shaky and noisy, it may wreak havoc with the motivation factor. Working out on a bad treadmill may make the person give up exercise completely. Treadmills that are priced low do not have other motivating features like odometers, calorie burnout meters, heartbeat recorders, etc. The lack of these can make the whole exercise rather dull.

Having said all that, it is necessary to also mention that there are some companies who manufacture and sell treadmills at prices markedly lower than others. These companies, however, make it clear to the buyers what they are getting and more importantly, what they are not getting. It lies totally on the discretion of the buyer whether to buy a brand-new, cheap treadmill or go for a better quality used treadmill, both of which would cost approximately the same.