Continuous duty means that treadmill will run at its listed h.p. rating with a significant workload over extended periods of time--an important consideration.Be wary of manufacturers who list "peak-performance" h.p. ratings. It sounds impressive, but all peak performance indicates is a motor's maximum power, not its sustained output.

What's best belt size?

To handle long stride and natural side-to-side movement of runners, treadmill belts are expanding in width and length. Twenty-inch-wide belts are becoming common, and no belt should be narrower than 17 or 18 inches. The length of running area should be at least 50 inches, with 55 to 60 inches preferable for taller runners.

How important is construction of deck?

Often overlooked by consumers (perhaps because it's hidden beneath belt) is treadmill's deck, or bed. Better-quality decks are usually made of thin layers of laminated wood, coated with lubricants to minimize friction between belt and deck, which in turn reduces strain on motor. The smoother deck coating, less friction between belt and deck.

Deck construction, more than belt, influences how smooth or hard your treadmill feels to run on and how well it absorbs shock. You want a surface that gives a bit but doesn't bounce.

Better decks are reversible, meaning they can be turned over--thereby (in theory, at least) doubling life of deck. Some decks require owner maintenance without which they may succumb in a year. Proper care, however, can extend a deck's life for lifetime of treadmill.

AC or DC?

Direct-current-driven (DC) motors power most home treadmills. DC motors start slowly, provide a more consistent response to speed, incline and weight demands, and tend to run quieter than alternating-current (AC) motors. With DC, you're dealing with fewer internal parts, which may cut down on repairs.

AC motors, which tend to be found in club treadmills, start belt at a faster speed. But you should be safe plugging either an AC or a DC motor into your wall outlet at home.

Pricing

A good home treadmill can cost up to $5,000 and will likely be most expensive piece of exercise equipment you'll ever buy. Why so much money to run in place? To answer this, we contacted Cybex International, manufacturer of high-end Trotter line.

Companies that make best treadmills install highest grade of parts and components available, including expensive motors, safety and comfort features and long-lasting decks. Your treadmill's components have to be able to withstand a terrific beating--more than 1,000 footstrikes per mile of running. With price of a high-end treadmill, you should get a machine that is absolutely durable, with a longer, more complete warranty that reflects its superior quality.

If you're in market to seriously educate yourself about treadmills, visit http://www.treadmilladviser.com where you can obtain more detailed information.

Addicted to Fruit?

I heard someone complain they were "addicted to fruit" and I had to wonder, what do they eat? The person who refuses to eat fruit because they believe it is too high in sugar, probably does eat cookies, crackers and sugary cereals. They might even drink artificially flavored and sweetened drinks, but they refuse to eat a natural food, grown from our earth? That makes no sense, if you think about it. Did our planet develop and thrive based on processed foods? No, of course not. They are very recent in evolution of our world. Very recent. In fact, we've had processed foods less than 200 years, while our planet is millions of years old.

With high incidence of obesity, and our high consumption of processed foods, it's hard not to draw conclusion that one causes other. You won't hear big industry stating that case because our economy depends on us buying products being produced by companies that employ us. You'll never see it reported that "scientists discovered refined flour kills," even if it were proven true because it doesn't support our way of life. We need industry.

Witnessing epidemic of food illnesses such as Mad Cow, and now Bird Flu, I can envision a society without mass produced meat industry. It will come to pass - nothing but your local farm will be allowed to sell meat because big farm industry cannot guarantee safety of food supply. Meat will become much more expensive because when they can no longer mass produce it, there is nowhere for prices to go but up. So do we whine and cry and moan about our misfortune or do we start to think of meat as something to savor and enjoy like Sunday roasts we had years ago? We never ate meat every day then - and we weren't so fat either. We simply didn't eat as much processed foods. Most of us had moms at home cooking us dinner, making our lunches and even fixing our breakfasts.

Yes, progress marches on, but when it comes to your body, common sense rules day. The Common Sense Diet! Try it on for size today.