5 Useful Treadmill Features You Didn’t Know About

Ifit Live
About every five years the treadmill makes a giant lead forward in technology. The latest treadmill innovation is the iFit Live fitness system introduced by Icon Fitness. The iFit system brings the treadmill into the social networking era by enabling users to synchronize their fitness routine with Facebook or track calories on their iPhone with the iFit app.

How it Works
The iFit system is essentially a portable personal trainer that is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The user interface allows for tracking calories burned and calorie intake. Users can track the calories are burning on treadmills, elliptical trainers, and other physical activity performed during the day like sports. The iPhone app makes it easy to track calorie intake with a calorie tracking feature.

If you’re using a treadmill or elliptical trainer compatible with the iFit Live system you will be able to run trails found on Google maps as well as simulate conditions of popular marathons. The iFit live system includes plenty of help from famous fitness gurus like Jillian Michaels who designed and recorded audio-based fitness programs that will help anyone take their workout to the next level.

I really like the iFit Live system because it is everything anyone trying to lose weight could possibly want; guidance, stat tracking, and professional advice available at any time and anywhere with an internet connection.

Heart Rate Control
Did you know that your heart rate greatly affects how many calories you burn? Treadmill designers have known this for many years now and responded with something the fitness industry calls heart rate control. Heart rate control allows a user to set a specific heart rate and the treadmill’s computer will automatically adjust speed, incline, or a combination of both to get the heart to reach that heart rate. Heart rate control is almost useless without a good heart rate monitor. So, the fitness industry developed heart rate monitors that can be worn like watches or worn around the chest. Heart rate monitors are usually far more accurate than the built-in metal heart rate monitoring strips on most treadmills and elliptical trainers. If you want your workouts to be the most efficient they possibly can be get a treadmill of heart rate control. Heart rate control works!

Oh, and check out this About.com article on ideal heart rate zones>. Lots of good information on determining an ideal heart rate range for losing weight.

Built-in Ipod Controls and Speakers
The fitness industry is very competitive and designers will jump on anything that might give their treadmills an advantage over other treadmills. One of the features that has taken off in recent years is built-in iPod controls. Consoles that feature built-in iPod controls allow users to scroll through tracks and playlists without actually picking up the iPod. Instead, there is usually an array of large and easy to buttons that allow users to play, pause, and scroll through music. Well designed iPod controls require much less finesse than an iPod touch screen. Built-in iPod controls are probably not all that attractive to people who just plan on walking on their treadmill, but for serious joggers and runners built-in iPod controls are a godsend.

Decline
I am sure most of you are aware that treadmills have an incline feature that allows people to simulate running up hills. What most of you probably do not know is that some treadmills have a decline feature that allows users to simulate running down a hill. You will probably not find a decline feature on a treadmill that retails for less than $1500, but if you plan on buying a treadmill for some serious marathon training a treadmill with the ability to incline as well as decline will be able to much more accurately mimic course conditions. Decline is an excellent feature for the hard-core running enthusiast.

Jedi Speed Control
Smooth Fitness has built a treadmill that includes what they call “handless” speed control. I think this is a little misleading because you have to wave your hand in front of a sensor to make it work, using this feature will make you feel like a Jedi. I have seen some sophisticated treadmill features in my long fitness career but never have I seen anything nearly as cool as Jedi speed control. Jedi speed control might not be the most useful feature I’ve ever seen on a treadmill but it is definitely the coolest and deserves to make my list of

    The 5 Best Treadmill Features You Never Heard Of

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Well, that’s my list. Did I miss anything? Does your treadmill have a feature that you think deserves to be on this list? Leave a comment about it or write me an email: treadmillmaster@gmail.com. I really do like the feedback I get from readers.

Sincerely,
Johnny Bravo

http://protreadmillreviews.com