Dissecting a Treadmill

This Article Is No Longer Updated For Accuracy.

Please Read Our 2011-2012 Treadmill Buyer’s Guide and Elliptical Buyer’s Guides Instead.

Dissecting a Treadmill - The Motor

The motor is what moves the belt of the treadmill. Under normal circumstances, the motor is not visible. You can find out more about the motor by reading the " The Myth of the Cushioning System and Orthopedic Beltx" article.

Dissecting a Treadmill - The Belt

This is the contact surface between your feet and the treadmill. Some belts are of an orthopedic nature. Find out more about orthopedic belts in the " The Myth of the Cushioning System and Orthopedic Belt" article.

Dissecting a Treadmill - The Deck

This refers to the surface area directly underneath the belt. When you're running on the treadmill, your foot makes contact with the belt which then makes contact with the deck underneath it.

Dissecting a Treadmill - Shock Absorption

Some treadmills such as those from Landice offer a shock absorption feature that dissipates some of the impact your feet make when it lands on the treadmill resulting in less harm to your joints. The shock absorption is usually incorporated in the design of the deck to achieve this effect.

Dissecting a Treadmill - The Frame

This is the area of the treadmill that surrounds the belt and deck.

Dissecting a Treadmill - The Rollers

The rollers like the deck are hidden behind the belt. Without the rollers, the belt is not able to rotate.

Dissecting a Treadmill - The Console

This is the treadmill's control panel where you set the speed, incline, heart rate, program and so on.

For pictures of the above treadmill parts, we recommend you take a look at http://www.landice.com/Pages/construction.html .