To buy a treadmill? That is the question.

I had the rare opportunity to run outside pushing Margot in my neighbor's jogging stroller the other day. But aside from that, I've been relegated to the treadmill. My neighborhood gym is a short drive up the road and has a stocked unattended kid's room, complete with lots of toys and a televsion.

Even with that, I'm usually only able to do about 30-40 minutes until I have to call it quits. And that's on a good day. I generally have to stop at least 3-4 times, and yell at my son to stop climbing on the baby. Fortunately, when I go on the weekends I have my oldest to run interference.

Yesterday, I did an 8 mile run on the treadmill thanks to the help of our DVD player, lots of snacks, and the incentive of a big prize for good behavior. I still had to stop a few times, but overall it wasn't bad.

I don't have a sitter for the time that my husband is away, but when he gets back, I'll have more opportunities to run outside and go alone.

But I still think about purchasing my own treadmill. It would certainly alleviate having to drive (which really isn't that bad), but better, my kids could roam around and play in their own environment.

I don't know much about purchasing a treadmill, aside from what people have told me on Twitter. And I'm just not sure I want to spend a couple of thousand dollars right now.

I've looked on Craigs List, but unfortunately there's no way I can pick anything up.

So what are your thoughts about owning a treadmill? I know that my husband would use it just as much as I would, but it's a pretty hefty expense.

Comments

[Cookie]

I highly recommend a NordickTrak with an iFit slot. I spent about 1000 on mine (it was on sale at Sears), and I love it. Jillian Michaels has a series of iFit cards, which are great. I use my treadmill most mornings, since I don't have access to a gym, and it's a huge help.

[Alicia @ bethsix]

I've been considering this recently, so I look forward to hearing what other people have to say. I have four small children, so it's practically impossible for me to leave the house (at least without a meltdown). It might be hard to distract them long enough too, but at least I could try.

[Rosa]

My husband and I have one. It is 10 years old: a Proform--great brand. He searched and compared high and low for it, but never used it for more than two handful of times in 10 years. I only had it serviced once about 4 years ago, and that was just to ensure that it was tuned up and in good order. Then again, it wasn't used that often. My hubby bought it with the intention of using it often--didn't happen. I used it more to walk. He has mostly moved it from house to house and to middle America.

But now that I got on this running kick (now 2 months, and one 5K later), I am really appreciative that I have it. I have 3 kids, as well. And I love getting up (maybe love is too strong) at 5 a.m. to exercise daily. I use the treadmill 4 times a week. My husband also travels often, and so getting to a gym is virtually impossible now that I work outside of the home. I decided that I can no longer make excuses with a treadmill and a DVD player at home.

It is an expense that is a worthy investment. You will not be disappointed. Craigslist might be a great option; especially with people having the best of intentions and never putting it to good use when it arrives at their home. You can even try to find someone on Craigslist that has a van and will deliver the treadmill to your home.

I am considering buying a new one next year because I want the doodads and doohickeys for incline and speed training. A Sole F80 would be my pick. But mine is presently working fabulously and anticipate it working just fine for years to come. Good luck with your decision. I definitely know that it is hard to make that commitment to a huge purchase.

[Sabz]

I have bought and owned three over the years. It's an excellent investment into your fitness regimen. My advice would be to visit sears, sports authority and other sports stores in your area to get a feel for what kind of treadmill you like. Get one with a good sized belt. Most stores have floor models which r discounted and I bought one which worked well for me. You can probably get a very nice treadmill for under $500. Some stores will let you do no interest financing for one year on purchases over 300 or 400 (sears is one) good luck!!

[Jeanna Catlin]

We bought the brand Spirit and it was about $900. Totally worth it! I now use it to off-set The Shred workouts, and it is so nice to have while catching up on DVR'd shows or watching a movie. I find the best time to workout is when my 16 month old is napping! :)

[Kerry]

I have a Proform too, I love it. It's pretty old. As for not being able to move it yourself, you could always hire movers. A friend of mine found some that charge by how many lbs they have to move- she just checked what they had to move on their website form (fridge, washer, dryer, treadmill), and that was it. A craiglist seller would be able to tell you if they can hold on to the treadmill for a few days so you can make arrangments.
I know it is a pain, I always have to hire a moving truck because I have a two-seater car. You just have to find a good enough deal to make up for the expense.

[mom, again]

no advice about treadmills, but have you thought about trading babysitting with another mom who wants to get out of the house? Even if you could only do trades one morning a week, it'd be something. If I lived in Atlanta, I'd totally do tradsies with you. I'm currently trying to set something up with another mom here in California.

[Motherhood Uncensored]

Great idea, mom again. Actually, my super awesome neighbors have offered to watch the kiddos for me if I need it - at least once a week.

So I might take them up on it.

But also, I'm definitely in search of a sitter too!

[Rosa]

If you are looking for sitter, consider the local colleges. I've placed ads at the local university, with the university's job center. I've had tremendous success with getting a student out to my home whenever I need it. I am now working outside of the house full-time, and the youngest goes to daycare. I used their caretakers for weekends when husband was traveling. That was how I got to do my 5K on a Saturday. She came over at 8 a.m. and I ran at 8:30. Sometimes we need to "make it work" to nurture ourselves. Good luck with your decision.

[Pamela]

Kristen, how do you manage to do the treadmill with kids around? I am always afraid mine will wander too close (we do have one at home, but I rarely use it) and get stuck in it. Treadmills are apparently super dangerous for kids. Anyway, what's your technique for keeping them away when you are running?

[Motherhood Uncensored]

@Pamela - I have a kid's room at the gym that I use - it's unsupervised - so they just sit and watch a dvd and I use a gate to keep them closed in. They can last about an hour and then they get rammy.

If I had one at home, it would have to be before bed or nap/bed time because you're right - they'd want to be on it with me non stop.