Are you the proud, health conscious owner of a treadmill or going to buy a one, one of these days? In both the cases, you would need a good treadmill mat. Now, for the uninitiated, a treadmill mat is what you have under the treadmill to protect the ground from it and vice versa. It makes an essential accessory.
While you are working on the machine running at top speed, burning calories and being happy about it, something is taking the beating. That's you floor. It is not only taking the heavy pounding but is also suffering on account of the oil, grime and debris from the motor unit of your treadmill. And who pays for the damage? Of course, you!
A treadmill mat covers the ground beneath your machine, absorbs the vibrations from it, together with all the oil and grime dropping off the machine.
Besides that, it also makes your treadmill stay intact for much longer than it otherwise would do by absorbing the vibrations from it. These vibrations not only damage the floor, but also reverberate within the machine, thereby wearing it down sooner. In addition to it, the treadmill mat reduces the carpet fibers from getting sucked into the electronic or mechanical parts of the machine.
So, if you had thought that having a regular carpet under the machine would make you do without a treadmill mat then you are wrong. A regular carpet can do harm to the machine, the treadmill may also be injurious to it. And then, a carpet can be much costlier than a treadmill mat. Why spoil the carpet when treadmills are available.
Coming to the price, it is determined by the thickness, size and the material used. So, the thicker and larger the mat, the more you pay for it. Standard treadmill is around 6.5 feet x 3 feet. This size is enough for most of the treadmills, but the larger machines, which may stretch to seven feet, demand a larger mat. So, if you have paid $3000 or more for the machine, in all likelihood you'll need a mat larger than the standard size.
Thickness of the mat is mostly around 1/4 inch, but you might need a thicker one if you plan to put the machine to some heavy use everyday. You may go for a mat that is 3/8 inch in thickness. They'll not ordinarily be too demanding on your budget unless you settle for something particularly expensive on account of its brand name or style.
