Americans are always trying to lose weight, more often than not through the latest diet craze or weight-loss pill that will magically shrink your waistline overnight, if we are to believe the hype. The cold, hard truth about weight loss is that it takes hard work, effort, and a sustained commitment to becoming a smaller, healthier version of you.

There are many ways to go about weight loss. The best combination, though, is to focus on diet and exercise. “Diet” does not necessarily mean eating fewer than a hundred calories a day, but it does mean paying attention to what you eat. Exercise is a much easier concept: physical activity that elevates your heart rate and generally causes you to break a sweat.

One of the best pieces of fitness equipment to aid in your quest to cut the flab is a treadmill. Though somewhat expensive up front, they are an excellent investment, and if properly maintained, can last a decade or more. Treadmills are great for many reasons: they can be used indoors and take up little space, they can be adjusted to meet the needs of the user, and they force the user to push himself or herself.

If it is raining outside, or cold, or snowing, or dark, or perhaps just unpleasant, one is significantly less likely to run outdoors. This can seriously decrease the amount of time one spends running, which can adversely affect one’s health. It is important to run regularly and frequently, something that cannot always be done outdoors. Fortunately, a treadmill solves this problem. This indoor piece of equipment can fit into almost any room, and some models fold up to take up less space than the average bathroom shower. No matter what the weather, you can always put in a few miles jogging if you have a treadmill in your basement.

Someone who is in very good shape and has great cardiovascular stamina may be able to run five miles at a pace of eight minutes to the mile and barely break a sweat and have to draw a deep breath. For people like this, a treadmill is perfect, because they can adjust the pace at which they are running in order to maximize the effectiveness of their workout. Sprinters can also get a good workout on the treadmill, raising the speed for short distances to simulate a sprint and then slowing it down for longer periods of time to jog in between those sprints. Those who are not quite in shape can still use a treadmill, and they will have the added bonus of being able to chart their progress, as they are able to run faster and farther as they progress on their exercise regimens.

Treadmills force you to push yourself. If you quit partway through a run, the distance you have completed is staring you in the face, as well as the distance you have left to run. No one wants to feel like a failure, and most people would rather push themselves to finish the run than feel taunted by a piece of fitness equipment.

Treadmills are a great way to lose weight and get in shape and can help lead to a healthier, happier you.

Author Bio: I write for TIR Massage Stone about hot stone massage and massage stone therapy including hot stone therapy.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: fitness equipment,treadmill,indoor equipment,lose weight