Treadmill Terminology Explained
Power or Horsepower
The term ‘horsepower’ is a unit of measurement for motor size. A large horsepower (3hp or more) generally indicates a higher quality motor which will last longer than a small motor size. Retailers often list two ways of measuring the horsepower, continuous and peak. For example, 1.75 horsepower, 3 horsepower peak. We suggest you focus your attention on the continuous duty rating, which is the lower of the two numbers.
Some lower quality treadmills refer to their power in watts. There are 750 watts to 1 horsepower unit. If you are hoping to run over 3 times per week, or you weigh over 10 stones, we suggest that you look for a treadmill with a 1.5 horsepower motor or more.
Belt
The moving part of the treadmill which you run on. Also known as a running deck. Its always best to buy a treadmill with the largest belt or running deck that you can fit in your home. This will allow you plenty of room to sprint without space restriction.
Heart monitor
There are two types of heart rate monitor; hand sensor monitors and wearable monitors. Hand sensors come with most fitness machines and take your pulse through the handgrips, they are good as a guide but rarely very accurate. Wearable monitors such as chest straps and watches are generally much more accurate than hand sensors.
Target heart rate training can be used to assist goals ranging from fat burning and weight loss to maximum aerobic capacity development. A target heart rate zone is selected before working out based on the users individual goal. A strap or watch will then monitor your heart rate, giving you real time feedback so you can maintain the right level of effort to stay in your selected target zone. Many fitness machines link to chest straps or watches and auto adjust resistance levels to help keep you in your target zone so it is worth checking product detail pages if you are interested in this type of training.