Hello all,

I am in need of either a treadmill (I would prefer this) or elliptical trainer that can take at least 180kg. 200kg would be perfect. Here's the catch: I need something affordable (i.e. something under £1,000 would be great - I'm based in the UK).

I have found an elliptical that has a capacity of 150kg that costs £300, which is excellent...however, I'm not sure I should risk buying and using it when I am 50kgs over the maximum...What do you think?

ANY help is much appreciated.

I wish I could recommend a place to look. I looked up my treadmill, a nordictrack c2000 (~8+ years old), and the weight limit was 135kg. On nordictrack's website, even the more expensive current models seem to go not much higher than that, up to either 300 (135kg) or 350 (160kg) pounds. The elliptical limits appeard to be lower. I didn't look at any other brands. I hope you can find something that meets your needs, be it a treadmill or an elliptical. Maybe a used commerical one from a gym, though I have no idea the specs on those.

That aside, for choosing between the two machines if you find options for both, from what I've read on this forum a lot of people that start out quite heavy find they get a lot of knee pain on the treadmill and less so with the elliptical. Have you taken the impact of the two types of exercise into account for yourself?

Honestly, I haven't seriously exercised in a while...the last time I used an elliptical, I was 89lbs lighter than I am now, but I don't remember any knee pain. I find that stair climbing irks my knees, and the only problem I encounter whilst walking is waist/lower back pain.

The few 180kg+ machines I've seen are upwards of £3,000 : (

£1,000 isn't a lot for an elliptical so I'd focus on a treadmill. I used to use bikes when I was 360 lbs but my stomach got in the way somewhat so I always had to slouch a little. If you were in the 300 lb range though, I'd probably say go for an exercise bike.

Any particular reason you want a piece of equipment? You might do better off if you did something like Walk Away the Pounds DVDs.

Oh and I found this website that seems to be right on for recommendations:
http://www.treadmilltips.com/best-buy-treadmills.html

there are some treadmills rated for 400 lbs but they are also around $2,000. If you look in the section about best buy treadmills from $500 to $1000, you'll see 2 treadmills, one rated for 325 lbs and the other for 350 lbs. I don't know if these treadmills would be more in the UK but they are an idea. The only real concern with using a treadmill rated below your weight is putting extra stress on them although I'm sure exercise equipment is built tougher than the official ratings.

I would probably still say you might want to hold off for a little while. I'd definitely look at Sole treadmills though when you are ready, they have a good reputation.

I really want a piece of kit I can use at home, now that it's much colder. I feel like having something there 24-7 will be good for me. I do plan on getting DVD's as well to change it up.

Oh thanks for the link, I'm going there now!

I have a Sole elliptical and I can vouch for the quality. If their treadmills are of a comparable quality, I think you'll be happy provided that you find one that meets your requirements.

Good luck!

I have a sole and I LOVE it - Very close to health club quality at home. I've had cheap treadmills before trust me this is not one area where you want to cut back on quality. You'll want one with a higher HP with your weight so you'll probably end up using most of your 1000 pound budget. Mine was 1500(us) I think mine is the F85 or something like that. It was sorta the middle of the road option, but I was happy in the end I didn't go with the cheaper one.

You might also consider getting ahold of a table bicycle. You can sit while you do it and nonetheless, it is exercise. There are also walking DVD's by Leslie Samsone that are amazing and definitely beginner.