Ready to take the plunge on a treadmill? Fabulous! I highly recommend having one, and even my wife considers it the best purchase I’ve made in my life (excepting the jewelry I occasionally get for her).

Most treadmills and other exercise equipment never get used after a couple of initial tries. Of course, most people aren’t doing the HRH Program with them!

The benefits of having a treadmill are numerous, and I discuss them in the HRH Program e-book, so I’ll keep it brief here. I think the #1 reason to have one is that the Fat-Burning Bonus portion of your workout is really effective and easy to do with a treadmill. You simply find the right zone after just a few sessions and dream of loose-fitting jeans while your walking “uphill both ways” (inside-joke for readers of the e-book).

That said, let’s find out about the actual products. The first thing you should know is that you don’t need a treadmill that costs as much as a Hyundai. The second thing you should know is that you’re unlikely to get one that will last for under $1,000. (If you do want to get one under that price, only do so if you think you’ll only use it for walking or if you’re under 150 pounds.)

I think the best thing to happen to the treadmill world is the introduction of purchasing Smooth Fitness treadmills online directly from the manufacturer. These machines are really high quality in-home models that you can buy for about $800 less than similar quality models found in stores.

The disadvantage, of course, is that you can’t test-drive it. When you’re thinking about getting a car, test driving is important. Not so with treadmills, however. I use a PaceMaster treadmill at home (because I didn’t know about Smooth Fitness when I bought it), but I’m just as happy using any of the models I may find at a gym. In other words, for all but the most serious athletes, they’re mostly interchangeable as long as you get one from a manufacturer that’s reputable.