Items You Need For Your Treadmill

Items you need for your treadmill

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By Simon Gould

Treadmills are great for getting exercise and losing weight. If you’ve bought one you know how expensive they can be especially if you get a decent one. You may think that’s it, you just get on and run. But aside from the regular maintenance it needs, there are other items you need for your treadmill. Here I go through what they are to help you on your way.

Gear you need for running on your treadmill

  • Water bottle – There’s a special place for it on the treadmill and that’s for good reason. The one thing you need most of all whether you’re running or walking is water. You don’t want to have to stop exercising and get water, you want it there with you so you can reach for it when you need some hydration. This is why a water bottle is essential.
  • Running shoes – You thought buying a treadmill was all you had to do but you really need running shoes even though it’s just a treadmill. You may wonder why you need running shoes on a treadmill, but you’re still running and you need the best support for your feet. Go for good running shoes even though they may cost a little more because they will last and make all the difference as to whether you’ll experience any injuries.
  • Towel – This is something all of you will have but something you need nearby on your treadmill. This is especially the case when you start walking or running for longer distances. You’ll sweat like you wouldn’t believe especially if you’re hot so you need to wipe yourself down. This can be done in the middle of your exercise if you have a towel hanging off part of the treadmill within easy reach.
  • Running apparel – This is not something you need straight away but the right clothing will help make your running easier and more comfortable. Running socks are the first thing I would recommend as these help prevent any blisters you get, plus they could make your running shoes last longer. Other running gear will stop you sweating so much if you’re exercising in cotton tops, this goes for shorts as well.
  • Entertainment – You need this whether you’re running at home or at a gym. You need to keep your mind occupied and make treadmill running something you look forward to doing. You need the right music or TV in front of you when exercising at home. If it’s something you only watch or do when taking a treadmill run it will make the run more fun and you’re less likely to avoid it. You’re favorite new DVD or TV show would be ideal.

Gear you need to look after your treadmill

We’ve written extensive articles on how to look after your treadmill. This includes what to do after each use, monthly, quarterly, yearly and more. Maintaining your treadmill can make it last for years and this is what you want when you spend so much on it in the first place. You don’t need much to regularly maintain it. Here’s some of what you need.

  • Treadmill mat – This doesn’t make your treadmill last longer as such but will help your floors and noise. Your floor, whether it’s hard wood or carpet, needs a mat underneath your treadmill. This is to help the floor last, stop the treadmill moving and to stop dust and debris from coming from the floor and into the treadmill. It also helps prevent too much noise from rooms next to or beneath you if it’s on the first floor.
  • Terry towel – You need a towel while you exercise on a treadmill and you need a towel to keep it clean. You need to wipe it done after use but there is a way you can clean between the belt and the deck and you need a terry towel. You can clean the belt easily, it doesn’t take long and you’ll be amazed at the amount of dirt and grime you get rid of. This stops gunk getting into the motor and makes it last longer.
  • Lubricant – You need special silicone based lube for your treadmill. You can buy this from Amazon but first see if the manufacturer sells their own, this is so you don’t invalidate any warranty. Here’s how to lubricate your treadmill. It needs this done every 3 months or so and keep the Allen keys that come with the treadmill in case you need them for this job. This will greatly extend the life of your treadmill.

Summary

Buying the treadmill is definitely the most expensive part but there are other things you need as you can see above. Some of the things you may not need straight away but we’d certainly recommend you buy them especially for taking care of the treadmill. The lubricant is specialized but is cheap to buy and applied every 3 months or so.

The gear is pretty important too. The last thing you want to do is stop your exercising to get a drink. Running shoes are essential too as they are specifically designed for the job. Running apparel you only need when you are start to walk or run long distances. Overall this guide will give you everything you need to get the most out of your treadmill.

Thinking of buying a treadmill? Here’s my favorite, I always recommend it when asked.

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