If you’re looking to pickup a treadmill, one of the essentials you’ll want to make sure you have is a treadmill mat. Now that you’ve made the decision to stay fit and healthy, you want to ensure that you keep your machine as well as your flooring in prime condition as well, the best way to do that is with a quality mat.

Many people when they purchase a treadmill completely neglect to get a mat, but considering how cheap they are, there really is no excuse for you not to have one.

If you don’t get a treadmill mat though, here are just a few of the things which can end up going wrong:

1. Your treadmill can collect fibers from the carpet

This is horrible. If you leave your treadmill on the carpet, over time some of those fibers can work their way into the machinery and cause damage to the internal workings over time. They can get wound up around the motors and end up damaging or disrupting the natural flow of the treadmill. This is why it’s critical that you leave a barrier between your treadmill and your floor.

2. You Damage Your Floor

Another thing that can go wrong is that you can wind up damaging your flooring due to the vibrations and impact from your running on top the treadmill. It doesn’t matter if you have a wooden floor or tiling, it’s best to play it safe and just get yourself a sturdy and thick floor mat to help absorb the vibrations.

3. You Damage Your Carpet

If you don’t get a treadmill mat, not only will your carpet damage your treadmill, but you can even damage your carpet! Not all carpeting is made equal, and some carpeting is not as resistant to pressure from above. If you leave a heavy machine like a treadmill on your carpeting for an extended period of time, it can leave permanent indentations in the carpet which can never come out, even when the carpet is steam cleaned professionally. This is something which can affect the resale value of your home or condo or just cause unsightly marks, so it’s best to avoid this by investing in a treadmill mat.

Now aside from this, you’re going to want to make sure you get the right treadmill mat as well, not all of them are made the same. You will need to find a treadmill mat that is big enough to fit your treadmill. If you bought yourself a treadmill that is over $1000, chances are it’s a big one and will need a mat that’s 7x3 feet. If you’ve got a regular sized treadmill though, you can get by with the standard 6.5x3 foot mat.

Now aside from the size of the mat, you also want to look into the thickness of it. You can get them ¼ an inch thick or 3/8 an inch thick. The thicker the mat, the more expensive it’s going to be, but it won’t be by much. If you’re really concerned about damaging your flooring though, it’s best to go with the thickest you can find.

As far as the price of a treadmill mat is concerned, they’re not all that expensive, they range between $30 and $50 on average.

Now besides the mat being the right size, the right width and the right price, you’re also going to want to take a look at how sturdy it is by making sure it’s made of a durable material and lastly, you’ll want to make sure that it’s not prone to attracting dirt. You really don’t want to be getting down and cleaning that mat very often so make sure that the mat is not a dust/dirt magnet.

I’d say that pretty much covers everything you need to know before you get a treadmill mat. If you’re looking for where to pick one up, you could probably pick one up at your local fitness store, although its best to just get one along with your brand new treadmill.

If you still haven’t gotten yourself a treadmill, look online for one, as you can sometimes save $100-200 by picking it up online off of Ebay or Amazon rather than in stores.

Related Hubs you may also want to visit:

Portable Treadmill
Treadmill Equipment
Elliptical Bike
Treadmill Fitness Equipment
Elliptical Exercise Equipment
Motorised Treadmill