New York Magazine has an interesting and extensive article on how humans are ruining their feet with modern shoes. Cultures where shoes are not worn have the healthiest feet, where cultures with near constant shoe use (read: Americans) have the least healthiest feet. The article chronicles how shoe makers continue to pad and coddle your feet to the point where your feet aren’t working the way they should, and worse yet it changes your gait for the worse. Efforts are being made to make shoes that more closely mimic barefoot walking while still providing your feet protection from the cold and sharp objects, but I think the bottom-line is people need to spend more time barefoot.

Try your next treadmill workout without wearing shoes - and you may realize you have been neglecting your feet.

[New York Magazine – How We're Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take]

One of my favorites:

Squats Using Smith Machine
What it’s supposed to do: Train chest, biceps, and legs
What it actually does: The alignment of the machine—the bar is attached to a vertical sliding track—makes for linear, not natural, arched movements. This puts stress on the knees, shoulders, and lower back.
A better exercise: Body-weight squats. See “Seated Leg Press.”

[The Best Life – 10 Machines You Must Avoid at the Gym]

While the treadmill isn’t normally the subject of much laughter, I couldn’t help but pass on these two funny treadmill clips from Break.com. Apparently these two didn’t heed the warnings on proper treadmill usage in the instruction manual.

Treadmill Handstand Attempt Video [Break.com]

Guy Owned By Treadmill Video [Break.com]

• Eat fruits for snacks. If you snack on junk food during the day, have some fruits by your side at all times. When you’re feeling hungry for a snack, eat a fruit. One of those bags of small apples is a handy thing — you can’t go wrong with apples.
• Make pizza instead of ordering. Homemade pizza is the best, and if you haven’t made it yet, you should. The simple way is to get a ready-made whole-wheat crust, although making your own tastes even better. Start with the simple version, though, as you don’t want to make things too difficult.
• Nuts instead of chips. If you normally snack on chips, try unsalted peanuts or raw almonds.

Following a similar regimen, Leo says he was able to transform himself from a burger-loving junk food addict to a pretty healthy eater. If nothing else, it’s worth keeping in mind that the details can make a big difference in your diet.

A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before (Zen Habits)

Here at the Revue I’ve noticed a trend that needs to be addressed : treadmill manufacturers have decided that their treadmill design is perfect and has no room for improvement, therefore they have stopped working to make a better quality treadmill and instead will lure you into buying their model or replacing your aging one with new worthless doo-dads. If you go shopping for a new treadmill today, you will be dazzled with treadmills that have heart-rate sensors,  body-fat analyzers, connections for an ipod, speakers - some even have subwoofers, LCD televisions, dvd players, and more. Even the lowest end models now have some of these extras - other times the only difference between two models is some extras that just aren’t worth the price difference. Let me help you out by shedding some light on these frivolous extra - some are nice to have, some are near worthless. Here’s the scoop:

That heart-rate sensor is worthless, but is standard in all new models and you are likely not paying extra for it.

These are worthless for two reasons - the first being they are cheap and inaccurate, and the second being that the second you stop the natural swinging of your arms and slow down enough to use the device - which typically involves you holding firmly onto sensors - your heart-rate will drop by at least 40%. There is one type that is more accurate and can be used while running full-throttle, and that is the type that straps around your chest and hooks up to your treadmill (some are wireless, others have a cord). This has its own caveats however - they are a pain, and eventually the contacts that read your heart-rate will wear out and the sensor will need to be replaced. I personally don’t know anyone that uses the device more than once. This is one feature that is included in EVERY treadmill produced right now, down to the lowest end model, so you will get it regardless of how useless I say it is.

The body-fat analyzer is inaccurate and tedious to use - buy a scale that does this.

Some newer treadmills include a body-fat analyzer that uses the same sensors that the heart-rate sensor uses to tell you what percent fat you are. The problem lies in that the treadmills need your weight, age, and gender to be accurate - and if your treadmill has more than one user, it can be a tedious process to input all that each time. Even with that information in my experience the results are inaccurate, often grossly inaccurate. If you buy a treadmill that happens to have this feature, great - but do not pay extra solely for this - go buy a dedicated scale that includes a body-fat reader for this purpose.

A cute little fan to keep you cool.

Nearly standard on every new treadmill is a small one or two speed fan that sits in the center of the console. They do a passable job of giving you a slight breeze near your face (or neck/chest if you are tall) - but will not replace a normal fan if you run hard or in non-air conditioned rooms. Like the heart-rate sensor though, you can’t get around getting this add-on and it is nice to have. On some models these fans are fairly loud for how small they are - so put on some headphones, or turn up your treadmill’s television system.

Audio Input/Output

This allows you to hook up an audio device to your treadmill (say, an Ipod or Zune) and then hook up your headphones to the treadmill itself (as opposed to the device). This has one big benefit: if that cord gets yanked, it is going to disconnect from the treadmill itself and not send your shiny new Ipod flying across the room. This is cheap for manufacturers to include and for the reason above is nice to have if you, like me, like to listen to tunes while running. This add-on isn’t quite as common as the others, but is included on a few models.

Speakers - Because your whole house wants to hear your loud techno music blaring from your cheap crappy treadmill speakers.

Treadmill makers are always trying to one-up each other - and here’s the latest: treadmill speakers. Essentially the treadmill has a stereo on the console, where you can plug in your own device and have it played over the speakers. Now, if you live by yourself, aren’t interested in audio quality, and don’t already own a stereo this could benefit you. If this describes you, you might be the only person like this. For the rest of us, this addition is useless because: 1) It’s loud - you will need it loud enough to overcome the THUD THUD of your treadmill, so if you live with other humans, they may have an issue with this. B) The speakers suck. Really, did you think NordicTrack is going to put in Klipsch? 3) It makes the console look gigantic and goofy. This gives your treadmill the appearance that you should be using it to travel to space, not run on. D) Don’t you already own a boombox you could do this same thing with?

Television - Your treadmill is now your new home entertainment system, just put a chair on the belt part and make some popcorn.

In addition to the speakers described above, some high-end treadmills have gone as far as to put in small (7-9″) LCD televisions on the console. Here are my problems with this - 1) You probably don’t have a cable hook-up near your treadmill. 2) The televisions are cheap and poor quality. Go read the buyer comments on Amazon - these are not Pioneer Elite televisions people. 3) The TV is in a fixed position, and on many models was hard to watch for any length of time - neck strain from having to look down at an angle is common, and I personally just find it hard to be vigorously running and watch that little TV. Maybe if you walk a lot it could be nice? 

I did find it useful for one purpose: hooking up my Zune to it using the AV cable and watching television shows and movies on the treadmill played off the Zune (the Ipod that can play video can do this as well). Ideally however this would be done using my alternative suggestion below:

You are far better off having a regular television in the room and watching that. If you don’t have one, or don’t have the room, I suggest this: Go buy a small LCD television for a few hundred bucks and mount it on the wall at eye-level in front of the treadmill. At this position you can see it without straining your neck and then get all the benefits of owning a real, actual television.

Conclusion

None of these “features” are necessary nor should be considered in the treadmill purchase. Pick out a treadmill based on the components that matter - a little television will not make up for a treadmill that can’t handle your vigorous workout or that has reliability problems. Choose a treadmill based on the standard basic components of the ‘running’ part of the treadmill and reputation of the manufacturer - and then if that model happens to include some of the above features, than great - but do not make your purchasing decision based on these so called features.

Note: This is a picture of a sheep running on a treadmill that powers a clothes washer. We each need our own motivator, for this sheep, it’s knowing that they will slaughter him if he slows down.

When you first buy your treadmill you are apt to be excited and enthusiastic about running and getting into shape. The reality is however that after using it for a week you will realize that it isn’t fun, it is hard sweaty work that requires dedication. While I often consider articles such as this one to be futile, as I believe that in the end only YOU can make the decision to get and stay in shape, here are some helpful tips:

• Pick a favorite television show and only watch it when you exercise.

Pick a TV show you really like, and only allow yourself to watch it while walking or running on the treadmill. Use a nearby television or if you don’t have one consider using an video iPod loaded with new episodes of your show. When you have an itch to watch that new episode, you will have to hop onto the treadmill in order to watch it.

• Don’t fold up your treadmill or put it out of sight.

Most new treadmills can be folded up to open up floor space. I say, if possible, leave it opened and ready to use. Just having to go "through the hassle" of unfolding it may be enough to psychologically convince yourself that you can’t exercise, or don’t have the time. And don’t even think about shoving your treadmill against the wall inside a closet or other inaccessible area of the house. If you have to go through a bunch of hoops just to run for a bit, believe me, you will never do it. Keep your treadmill ready to use at a moments notice at all times.

• Make an appointment with yourself to exercise.

If you lack self-discipline, like me, this could help: Get out your Palm Pilot or whatever calendar system you use, and schedule in your run/walk for the day. Then, stick to it. Keep that appointment just as you would any serious work meeting. Don’t schedule anything else on top of your workout appointment. This is a serious appointment that is not to be missed.

• Be careful of the snowball.

Often we talk ourselves out of working out because we already screwed the day up. For example, often my wife caves to temptation and eats some fatty horrible thing she shouldn’t. She will then justify not working out that day because, "I already screwed up." We all fall at times, don’t let minor setbacks ruin your workout routine. And if you do miss a scheduled workout, don’t allow yourself to use that as an excuse to miss the next one.

• Weigh yourself and look in the mirror daily.

These are insignificant things that can play a big psychological role in how dedicated you are to getting/staying in shape. Weigh yourself each day and record it in a logbook, then look at yourself with no shirt on in the mirror. This is your daily motivation to workout, whether it be to maintain that good figure or improve on your current one.

In this day and age of gimmicky fad diets its refreshing to see some barebones common-sense dieting advice from New York Times Jane Brody - if you want to lose weight, EAT LESS AND EXERCISE MORE. The article bluntly explains, "If you consume fewer calories than you need to maintain your current weight, you will lose."

New York Times - No Gimmicks: Eat Less and Exercise More

The treadmill industry is shady - they are notorious for selling crappy products and providing poor customer service and warranty service. They make it nearly impossible to compare treadmills, they change models often for no apparent reason, and thrive on taking advantage of the uneducated purchaser. Arm yourself with some information - here’s a quick buying guide.

• Don’t be a cheapskate.

Unless the treadmill is for your grandma who is going to walk at 1 MPH once a week for ten minutes, plan to spend at least $600 for a decent treadmill. If you plan to run the shit out of it, or multiple people will be using it on a regular basis, plan to spend at least a grand. Cheap out, and you will be stuck with a 300 pound paperweight.

• Ignore motor HP ratings.

These are worthless because there is no industry standard to measure the HP output of a treadmill motor. At best use it as a very loose guide for motor strength - price is a more accurate indicator however, in general the higher-end models have better motors.

• Watch out for gimmicks that jack up the price.

A fan? Speakers?? A god-damn television built-in?! If the treadmill you have picked out fits your needs and HAPPENS to have these often worthless extras, fine. But absolutely DO NOT justify buying a more expensive treadmill SOLELY because of these. Fans are so small and underpowered they are useless. Speakers and TV’s are shitty (I mean, poor quality). Your treadmill is to EXERCISE WITH, not use as a home entertainment system. Buy an iPod if you want to listen to music or watch videos while you workout.

• Research and pick-out your treadmill BEFORE going to the store.

Your brain will often rationalize picking out a shitty treadmill or spending more than you planned because, hey, you made the effort to drive to the damn store. Might as well go home with a shiny new treadmill. NONONO. Pick out your treadmill on YOUR TERMS, the Internet makes this easy. Now, don’t be afraid to go and try out your pick at the store - just don’t show up without any unbiased information. And for god sack, do NOT ask for the $6/hour employee for buying advice.

• Beware of USED treadmills.

Exercise equipment is often a great deal to pick up used - people buy it in January and have stopped using it by June and want to get rid of it. This is great for immovable equipment that requires no maintenance - for example, smith machines, weight benches, barbells, etc. Treadmills are similar to cars however - they require maintenance and wear out over time. All those moving parts wear out with use - the belt, the board, the rollers, etc. If the previous owner ran the shit out of it and never maintained it, you might end up with a 300 pound paperweight in your bedroom..

• Once you buy it, maintain it.

A treadmill can last near forever if maintained. Nearly every part that breaks or wears out can be replaced. Read your manual, but in general - keep your board/belt lubricated. They should come prelube’d from the factory (check though, they forget sometimes), but require periodic lubrication - typically every 6 months or so depending on use. Keep the belt clean and check the bolts for tightness periodically. Check the belt to be sure it is centered and the correct tension.