About The Importance of Treadmill Parts

We live in a world where our life is almost always hectic. The way we work has changed widely over the years. We tend to spend more time sitting than moving around. Hence our body does not get the much required exercise that it would otherwise get if we are running around working. This means that we need to take time out to exercise our body so that we remain fit. But we are faced with shortage of time to drive around to a gym to exercise and that’s why the popularity of treadmills is increasing multi fold. Almost all homes of an average income family are having a treadmill at home in recent times.

Whenever we use a product it is always advisable to have an idea about the working and the different parts that go into that product especially exercise equipment. Improper use of exercise equipments can lead to injury and stress problems in future. Also with a treadmill around the possibility of you having to do some maintenance and repairing also arises. For good maintenance and small repairing jobs you should be familiar with the various parts that are found in the treadmill. Through this short article we intend to shed some light on the main parts that make up your treadmill so that you can have knowledge about your treadmill and its working.

From the outside, a treadmill looks to be very simple in construction. You have a walking belt that keeps moving and you just have to stand on top and run to a specific speed that you would set. But it is not a simple piece of construction. The major part of a treadmill is its motor and the drive mechanism. A treadmill is gauged only by the performance of its motor and drive mechanism. There can also be two motors present in a treadmill – one for driving the treadmill belt and one for the incline. There are also various types of drive mechanisms that you will see in the treadmills of today.

The motor that is used in a treadmill are usually DC motors. The motors will vary in size depending on their output and construction. It is not true that bigger the motor the more the power output. Technology has grown so much over the years that even a decent sized motor can churn out enough power as a much bigger motor. The most common motor used is a 24 frame DC motor. But treadmill motors are known to be noisier than other motors. This is because it is enclosed in such a constricted space and the construction is such. But lately there have been many treadmill motors available in the market that is very silent.

The other important part is the drive mechanism for the walking belt. There are chain drive mechanisms and also belt drive mechanisms. The chain drive mechanisms earlier used to be chain driven but the newer treadmill models use only the belt drive mechanism. Motor drive belts are vital in transferring the power that comes out of the motor to the walking belt. If the drive belts are not installed properly then the treadmill will feel sluggish no matter how powerful your treadmill motor is.

Many treadmills have the option of inclination settings. Such treadmills will have another motor for adjusting the inclination and also a gear system to raise and lower the walking belt for the required inclination. When the treadmill has two motors, the cost and the power consumption of the treadmill will be more than an ordinary treadmill. The treadmill walking belt is the area which faces the brunt of you exercise. It is the area which you use to walk or run on the treadmill. The walking belts in use nowadays are highly advanced to take up the assault it gets when being used and also are designed to reduce the impact on your knees and ankles while using the treadmills.

The outer frame of the treadmill is the part that you can hold on when walking or jogging slowly. However it is not advisable to hold on to the side frame while jogging at a faster speed. The side frame can also help you to regain your balance if you feel like you are losing your balance on the treadmill. It’s a safety cum functional part of a treadmill. The treadmills of today have a lot of electronics present in them.

The sophisticated electronics help you to know the speed at which you are walking, the calories you have burnt, your heart rate, time and distance covered and lots more. These electronic bits are hidden under the console and not visible to you. All that you can see is the fancy graphics and displays on the console.

The deck is the area that covers the side of the treadmill and also the outer perimeter of the walking belt. A good deck adds top the beauty of the treadmill. A good treadmill will have all the above said parts in good working condition. A treadmill is as good as its parts. A treadmill has parts which need regular maintenance and rest assured if you are able to maintain your treadmill properly the need for repairs would be scarce.