My New Tiny Treadmill (And The Pros, Cons, and Tradeoffs Of Choosing A Small Treadmill)
I bought myself a new little treadmill. After looking at several brands, I finally settled on this folding Deer Run treadmill with incline. I wanted a new treadmill because the one I had is so big and bulky. Here’s a look at it before our home gym got torn up.
That treadmill was so bulky that I had to take it apart every time I wanted to move it to a new room. It wouldn’t fit through any of our doors without being taken apart. In fact, one time I didn’t take enough pieces off of it before trying to move it out of a room, and it got wedged in the doorway so tightly that my brother had to come over and help me get it unwedged. Even when I was moving that treadmill out of this room so that the floor could be repaired just about four weeks ago, I took it apart as much as I could, and I still had a heck of a time getting it through the doorway of the room.
So I’ve been wanting a new, much smaller treadmill for a while now. And when I originally planned on combining a workout area and a closet (in the current guest bedroom), I thought that was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the big treadmill and get a much smaller one.
Here’s what the new one looks like…
It’s so tiny compared to the big one! I like that it has these adjustable handles that can be moved out of the way.
It also folds down to get it out of the way. That would easily slide under some (but obviously not all) beds to get 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 end on its own.
I really like how compact this little treadmill is. My other one could fold up, but there was still nothing compact about it. And I was always terrified that the pin holding it up would snap, and the whole thing would come crashing down on Matt or my cat. So the only time I ever put it up like that was when I was vacuuming the room. Then I put it right back down.
I got the one that has the incline capabilities, but the incline is manual, and there are only two settings. You can use it flat, or you can use it at a 6-degree incline. There’s really no other options as far as I can see. And to set it, you have to stand it up on end, remove two pins, move the bar to another setting, and replace the pins.
So it’s not a huge incline, but it’s just enough for me. And I would probably just keep it on that setting, so the pain of having to set it manually really doesn’t bother me.
Another thing that might be inconvenient for some is that in order to fold it up, you have to loosen two screws.
So I don’t really think it’s an option for a person who’s thinking they’re going to store it away most of the time, but get it out and use it daily. The hassle would prevent all but the most determined people from using it daily if you’re not in a place where you can keep it set up all the time.
Fortunately, 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 place to put it, even if it has to stay in my studio for a while. And since it’s so small and has wheels, it’s very easy to move from room to room.
There are some obvious pros and cons to swapping a big, nice treadmill for a small one. On my big treadmill, I could change the incline with the touch of a button. It also had pre-programmed workouts where the incline would change several times during one workout. Obviously, with a manual incline adjustment, I’ll be missing out on those options. But to be quite honest, I never used that feature anyway. I’d always just set it on one incline setting and walk for 20 minutes.
So while I’ll be missing out on the fancy features like incline adjustments at the touch of a button, and preprogrammed workouts, the smaller treadmill is great because it doesn’t take up much space, so it can fit in pretty much any empty corner without getting in the way. It’s also easy to store since it can stand upright and take up very little floor space.
I think for me, it was a good tradeoff. With the small treadmill, I’ll be able to move it around as needed while our house is under construction, and I’ll still be able to walk every day. With the old treadmill, that wouldn’t have been an option. I would have had to just store it away for now, and keep it in storage 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 y’all posted.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Bravo! I am not a runner and never liked treadmills, so when I needed something to use on rainy and very cold days in Canada, I got a walking pad, suggested by a fitness group I belong to. It’s very similar to your treadmill and folds away when I need it to. I found that all walking pads are not equal, but the one I chose can keep up with my 6 km per hour pace. (Yes, I walk fast!) Enjoy your new, smaller treadmill!
Please tell us which one you purchased. I’m interested in one, for the opposite reasons. I live in Texas. It was 99º on Friday, and nearly that hot on Saturday. If we don’t walk before 8 am, it’s just brutal.
I bought the Dynamax walking pad that can fold up. There are videos on youtube if you want a look at it. I did a lot of research before I bought and it’s the right one for me.
Thank you. I’ll check it out.
I have a very small house, and I also have pulmonary arterial hypertension. I bought a small, foldable treadmill when I was going to pulmonary rehab, in order to be active on my non-rehab days. I finished rehab nearly a year ago, but still use my little treadmill all the time. I put my iPad on the holder and open a book, or turn the tv on a show or a movie, and start walking. It’s fantastic, and I can slide it under the love seat when I want it out if the way, but I don’t, because I’ve rearranged so now it’s part of the room. I love that it’s quiet and has a tiny remote for increasing and decreasing the speed, and that my dogs think it’s a fun game to try to bite my feet while I’m walking and occasionally will try to step up and join me on my walks. It’s an entertaining workout. And it fits in my very small space.
You know, anything that makes it easier and more convenient helps motivate you to use it. The other one sounds like it was pretty annoying! This one will be fine, and solves lots of issues too. Some day your walk might be around your beautiful outdoor track anyway, so on bad days, you can hop on this! OMG…I kind of cringed when you mentioned the big one falling on Matt or the Cat! The thought! 😰 Glad it’s gone!!!
We moved a few years ago and had to give up our large bulky treadmill and elliptical. I so badly wanted a treadmill and we got the Sunny 7750 (Asuna?) in pink. It has 10 different inclines, some pre programmed workouts and easily folds and rolls. It gets used every single day by me and my husband (who “walks” at 6.0 on a 10 incline for 40 minutes) and we’ve never had any problems with it. Yes, it’s much lighter than the heavy duty one, but definitely has held up very well. If for some reason yours doesn’t work out, I highly recommend this one. Plus, it’s pink 💗
Keep us posted. I had the identical one to your old one and I had the exact some complaints about it. It made 4 moves with us in the military, and seem to manage the moves well, only because it took three men and a small boy to move it. But after using it here for a few years, I asked my husband to look at something else. We gave it to our friend, who has a place for it, and he is thrilled. I have the Blow flex stepper, but I do miss the treadmill sometimes. I can get my steps in here on the farm no problem, but sometimes when my back goes out, I just need the treadmill. I will be looking at this one closely. Thanks.
Cheers!
As you slim down your workout equipment, I’m curious about your thoughts on the water tower you had. Did you use and like it? Does it make the cut for your smaller workout area? Would you please remind me of the brand you had? Thank you.
I have a WaterRower. It definitely makes the cut. I love using it, and I also love that it stands upright to store and takes up less than two square feet. And its super easy to stand it up after using it, and putting it down to use.
I didn’t even know there was such thing as a little treadmill. That’s not a bad idea. Are you working on the chair?
I am! I hope to have it finished tomorrow.