How to create a better office environment with furniture, supplies, and products

Having a treadmill in your office or in a gym area of your office building is a convenient way to work off some stress and get those endorphins coursing through your veins. 

When purchasing a treadmill, consider the level of use it will get.  If you are a serious runner and want all the bells and whistles, expect to pay $3000+ for a serious machine.  But for the rest of us, the following models are recommended by Consumer Reports as their best buys (prices approximate as of February 2006):

    • Vision Fitness T9200 Simple , $1300
    • Vision Fitness T9500 Deluxe , $2000
    • Horizon Fitness CST4.5 , $1000
    • Horizon Fitness Performance Series PST8 , $1600
    • Bowflex 7-Series , $1500


If space is at a premium or if you want to be able to fold up your treadmill to store it out of sight, then you'll want a folding model.  Note that the Vision Fitness models above don't fold up, but the Bowflex and Horizon Fitness ones do.

And if you just want to do walking on your machine, this budget model will do the trick just fine:

    • Image 19.0 R , $600

The Image 19.0 R isn't as high powered as the higher priced treadmills listed above, but it is a good machine with all the basic features you need for a walking workout.  As a bonus, it folds up too.

When purchasing your treadmill, be sure to check the warranty.  A decent warranty would have lifetime coverage on the frame, and two to three years warranty on the motor.  Better warranties would include some degree of labor coverage as well.