Manual Treadmills

Manual treadmills are rare these days, but they do exist. In fact, there are some advantages to using manual treadmills.

How it works.

A manual treadmill has no power source. The only power source is provided by the user – YOU! As you move, you push the belt, forcing it to move along with you. The harder you push, the faster the belt moves. The difficulty lies in the initial pushing part. It’s always hard to get the belt to move fast enough. A lot of inertia has to be overcome.

Advantages of using a manual treadmill.

Since it has no motor, you don’t have to worry about the motor breaking down. A manual treadmill can be very durable. You only need to replace the running belt due to wear and tear.
Sometimes, modern treadmills breakdown because of electrical faults. Electrical components may fail occasionally. When that happens, all the features become redundant. That will never happen to a manual treadmill.
Since you are powering the machine, there is no power consumption. You save a few dollars of electricity bills!
If you live in a city with frequent power stoppages, a manual treadmill may be what you need. You don’t have to worry about not having power for your cardio sessions.
Manual treadmills are mostly foldable because these machines are meant to be portable. They weight about 50 pounds and can be transported easily. This is useful if you travel often.
A manual treadmill is much more affordable when compared with a motorized one. You can easily purchase one at less than $150. For beginner runners, this looks like a good price point.

Disadvantages of using a manual treadmill.

Of course, without power, you have no modern features. That means no heart rate monitoring, no MP3 audio and all the other useful features. However, some manual treadmills do come with built-in electronic components that display basic information such as speed, distance, time and calories.
The pushing of the belt during the starting phase may cause unnecessary stress on your joints.
The incline cannot be changed since it’s a manual treadmill. You have to stop the machine, get off, and change the incline manually.
You are not pushed by the machine because you are the one providing the power. A motorized treadmill can push you by providing the speed. You just have to keep up with the speed of the belt. On a manual treadmill, if you get tired, the machine slows. If you stop, the belt stops.

Compare the above with the pros and cons of a motorized treadmill.