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The 7 Best Treadmills for the Heavy or Overweight Person

Let’s be honest here. I am a curvy girl. I love that we live in an era where we are allowed to be confident in our bodies and feel great about the way we look. My scale goes up and down, but one thing is for sure – I will always be curvaceous. It’s just the way I’m built. However, heart disease runs in my family, and I know the importance of good cardio health. Because of that, I have been looking into equipping myself with a treadmill to keep my heart healthy, so I am sharing my research on the best budget treadmill for heavy people.

A Note About Walking

Before you get worried about jogging and feeling like you need to run a marathon to get heart healthy, consider walking. Yep. Walking. It’s that simple. We need to keep moving to improve our health. This article from the Mayo Clinic addresses the many health benefits of walking. Here are some of the benefits listed by the Mayo Clinic:

“For example, regular brisk walking can help you:

Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat
Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes
Improve cardiovascular fitness
Strengthen your bones and muscles
Improve muscle endurance
Increase energy levels
Improve your mood, cognition, memory, and sleep
Improve your balance and coordination
Strengthen immune system
Reduce stress and tension”

Have I sold you on the benefits of a treadmill for home use? Even if weight loss isn’t your goal, there are many great reasons to walk daily.

Important Features

High Weight Capacity

When looking for a treadmill that will work for a heavy user, you must first consider the weight capacity. Of course, consider all the members of your household. You may not even be the heaviest person in your home, but another family member may want to jump on and take a turn, so be sure to consider who will be the person with the most pounds that will want to use your new treadmill.

A great choice is a treadmill with a max capacity of 350-400 lbs. Some even come up to a 450-lb weight limit.

Deck Width

Heavy duty treadmills with a higher weight capacity will also have better shock absorption and a wider running surface (belt). I am not overly coordinated, so I appreciate the extra space for my need to flail about while walking or jogging. Be aware of the width of the running deck in proportion to how much space you’ll have to place your treadmill at home.

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Portability & Storage

Not everyone has a home gym, so for those with a small area to place the treadmill, consider whether your new treadmill offers an easy storage option, such as the ability to fold or fit into small spaces. The best treadmill for you may be the one that you can slide under the couch when you have company.

Speed Ranges

Since I don’t anticipate running any marathons, the perfect treadmill for me doesn’t need to have a super-fast top speed range. However, if you plan to jog or your spouse or teen wants to hop on, that may be more important to you. Keep an eye on the speed range when shopping to ensure that the maximum speed will be fast enough for your needs.

Incline Features

Some treadmills operate as a flat surface at a stable 90-degree angle. Some have an incline feature that allows you to walk uphill. In this case, the treadmill belt will rise at a particular angle. This feature gives you a chance to work out different muscles. Some treadmills have an automatic incline feature, and some have a manual incline, which means you will adjust it yourself before stepping on.

Bluetooth Connectivity

Another essential feature to look for is Bluetooth connectivity. When I’m at the gym, I connect my earbuds to the port to listen to the gym tv, but I have been known to get tangled in the cord while walking. The last thing I want to do is strangle myself to get my heart rate up!

You won’t need to connect to the TV at home, but you may want to forego earbuds and steam your music or show while you walk. For this reason, when you’re shopping, you’ll want to note what treadmills have Bluetooth connectivity.

The 7 Best Treadmills for a Heavy Person

Best Treadmill Designed for Family

Botorro R5 Folding Treadmill

Max Capacity: 265 lbs
Deck Width: 18 inches
Assembly Required: No
Speed Range: .6-9.0 mph
Incline: None
Features: Bluetooth speakers, Folds easily, two wheels for easy movement
Amazon Reviews: 4.5 of 5 stars

Best Treadmill for Up to 400 lbs Max Capacity

Sole TT8 Treadmill

Max Capacity: 400 lbs
Deck Width: 36 inches
Assembly Required: Yes
Speed Range: .5-12 mph
Incline: 15 settings
Features: Integrated tablet holder, USB port for charging, Bluetooth audio
Amazon Reviews: 3.7 of 5 stars

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Best Treadmill with Highest Amazon Rating

Treadmill 350 Plus

Max Capacity: 350 lbs
Deck Width: 19 inches
Assembly Required: Yes, but reported to be very easy
Speed Range: 1 – 10mph
Incline: 15 settings up to 15 degrees
Features: Smart console with large LED display, easily folds and moves with one person, built-in workout programs
Amazon Reviews: 5 of 5 Stars (only two reviews at the time of publishing)

Best Budget Treadmill for Heavy User

Exerpeutic TF1000

Max Capacity: 400 lbs
Deck Width: 20 inches
Assembly Required: No
Speed Range: max speed 12mph
Incline: 2 manual incline positions
Features: Easily folds, speed adjustment on handrails
Amazon Reviews: 4.1 of 5 Stars

Best Deluxe Treadmill with Max Weight Capacity

Bowflex T10 Treadmill

This great treadmill has a built-in 10” console so you can conveniently watch any of your favorite steaming accounts while you work out. With a wide running deck of 22” and a max weight capacity of 350 lbs, this excellent choice by Bowflex will give you all the features you need.

Max Capacity: 350 lbs
Deck Width: 22 inches
Assembly Required: Yes
Speed Range: max speed 12mph
Incline: motorized decline/incline from -5% to 15%
Features: Built-in console, JRNY membership allows world exploration and coaching, and feedback in realtime
Amazon Reviews: 3.8 of 5 Stars

Best All-Around Budget Treadmill for Heavy People

Sole F80 Folding Treadmill

Max Capacity: 375 lbs
Deck Width: 22 inches
Assembly Required: Yes
Speed Range: .5 – 12mph
Incline: maximum incline percentage of 40
Features: 6 built-in programs, easy assist folding deck design, 7.5” LCD screen with integrated speakers
Amazon Reviews: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Best Under Desk Portable Walking Treadmill

UREVO 2 in 1 Under Desk Treadmill

This fantastic treadmill is perfect for the home office. Dare I suggest you could even place this treadmill beneath your table-style desk and work while walking!? Kill two birds with one stone on this bad boy that folds up and comes with a handy remote!

Max Capacity: 265 lbs
Deck Width: 16.9 inches
Assembly Required: No
Speed Range: max speed 7.6mph
Incline: none
Features: Easily folds, stores easily beneath furniture, foldable design and transportation wheels make it easy to move and store, LCD screen shows speed, distance, time, and calories burned
Amazon Reviews: 4.5 of 5 Stars

BONUS PINK TREADMILL

Best PINK Treadmill for the Stylish User

Sunny Health & Fitness P8700 Pink

You know the Hip Grandma has to recommend a pink treadmill! This one has excellent function in addition to being the best color ever! Note that this one is meant for the smaller user with a max weight capacity of 220 lbs and the narrowest of the deck widths. But hey – pink!

Max Capacity: 220 lbs
Deck Width: 15.5 inches
Assembly Required: No
Speed Range: max speed 9 mph
Incline: 3 options of manual incline levels
Features: Easily folds, 9 built-in workout programs, pulse sensors in handrails, easily foldable and movable
Amazon Reviews: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Wrapping it All Up

There are hundreds of heavy-duty treadmill options available. If you do your homework and look within your price range, you can narrow it down to your most important options. This list is not exhaustive but is designed to get you started in looking at the choices available and deciding what means the most to you.

In the long run, what will mean the most to you is to get yourself healthy and keep yourself fit and healthy for your loved ones!

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