I bought myself a new small treadmill. After looking at several brands, I finally settled on this Deer Run Folding Treadmill with Incline. I wanted a new treadmill because the one I had is so big and bulky. Here I see it before our home gym was destroyed.
That treadmill was so bulky that I had to take it apart every time I wanted to move it into a new room. It wouldn’t fit through any of our doors without being taken apart. In fact, one time I didn’t remove enough parts before trying to move it out of a room and it got so stuck in the doorway that my brother had to come help me get it out of the way. Even when I was moving that treadmill out of this room so the floor could be repaired about four weeks ago, I took it apart as best I could and still had a hell of a time getting it through the bedroom door.
I’ve been wanting a new, much smaller treadmill for a while now. And when I originally planned to combine a workout area and closet (in the current guest bedroom), I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the big treadmill and buy a much smaller one.
This is what the new… looks like
It’s so small compared to the big one! I like that it has adjustable handles that can be moved so they don’t get in the way.
It also folds up out of the way. It can easily be placed under some beds (but obviously not all) to keep it out of the way.
And if you unplug the power cord from the back of the treadmill, it can even stand up on its own.
I really like how compact this little treadmill is. The other one I had could be folded up, but it wasn’t compact at all. And I was always terrified that the pin holding it up would break and everything would fall on Matt or my cat. So the only time I put it up like that was when I was vacuuming the room. Then I put it back in its place.
I have the one with incline capability, but the incline is manual and there are only two settings. You can use it flat or at a 6-degree incline. There aren’t really any other options as far as I know. And to set it up, you have to stand it up, remove two pegs, move the bar to another setting, and replace the pegs.
It’s not a very steep incline, but it’s enough for me. I’d probably keep it at that setting, so the pain of having to manually set it doesn’t really bother me.
Another thing that may be inconvenient for some is that to fold it you have to loosen two screws.
So I don’t think it’s an option for someone who thinks they’re going to put it away most of the time, but take it out and use it daily. The hassle would prevent all but the most determined people from using it daily if they’re not in a place where they can have it set up all the time.
Luckily, our long-term plan is to have a permanent workout area or home gym, so I’ll be able to leave it set up all the time. And for now, it’s small enough that I can find an out-of-the-way spot to put it, even if it has to stay in my studio for a while. And because it’s so small and has wheels, it’s super easy to move from room to room.
There are some obvious pros and cons to trading in a nice, big treadmill for a small one. On my full-size treadmill, I could change the incline with the touch of a button. I also had pre-programmed workouts where the incline changed multiple times during a workout. Obviously, with a manual incline setting, I would miss out on those options. But to be honest, I never used that feature anyway. I would always set it to an incline setting and walk for 20 minutes.
While I’ll miss out on fancy features like touch-of-a-button incline adjustments and pre-programmed workouts, the smaller treadmill is great because it doesn’t take up much space, so it can fit into virtually any empty corner without getting in the way. It’s also easy to store, as it can stand upright and takes up very little floor space.
I think for me it was a good compromise. With the small treadmill, I’ll be able to move it around as needed while our house is being built and I’ll be able to continue walking every day. With the old treadmill, that wouldn’t have been an option. I would have had to put it away for now and store it until I had a permanent place for it. And even then, I’d have to hope and pray that I could get it through the door(s) to get it where it needed to go.
I think I’ll be perfectly happy with the little treadmill, but I’ll keep you posted.
Addicted 2 Decorating is a place where I share my DIY and decorating experience while remodeling and decorating the 1948 home my husband Matt and I purchased in 2013. Matt has multiple sclerosis and is unable to do physical labor, so I do most of the work around the house alone. You can learn more about me here.
