Sometimes it’s tough owning a large piece of electronic equipment. It might be odd to think of your treadmill as an ‘electronic’ piece of equipment, but it really is. And since you already put out good money for it(hundreds or even thousands of dollars) your owner’s manual for that piece of equipment is your best friend. Ouch!

Does that mean you have to read that manual? Yes. Seriously, trust me on this. Reading it just once will ensure that your investment pays off for years to come. If that manual gets put on the shelf without ever having been read, that might spell trouble.

For example, let’s say you blow a fuse. That’s an easy fix, right? You just replace it with a new fuse you already have tucked away in your garage somewhere or in your toolbox for your car. Correct? Wrong. You must use the fuse recommended by the manufacturer (as stated in the manual) to fix the problem or you risk damaging your treadmill. Yes, reading manuals is boring, but not reading them cost you lots and lots of money down the road. In most cases, the solution is easy and inexpensive, but you won’t know that if you haven’t read the manual.

You also need to ground your treadmill to an AC outlet to protect the data you’ve got stored on the treadmill’s computer. With the higher quality treadmills having such a large weight (heavy steel added for stability and sturdiness) we oftentimes forget that they have very fragile computer components that are subject to damage by power spikes. All your personal workout data is saved and stored right on your treadmill. You can lose this information just like you can lose information on any computer. You need to protect the AC to your treadmill like you would with your computer by guarding against potential power surges. And this is another example of a solution that is both simple and inexpensive, but that can save you many hours of frustration and hundreds of dollars in unnecessary repairs.

Also, by reading the owner’s manual, you will learn things about your machine that the salesman or personal trainer did not tell you about. Every treadmill is a bit different and they all have their own unique features, layouts, buttons, etc. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you will eventually figure things out just by using the machine! If you do that, you will surely miss out on a large percentage of the machines powerful features, simply because you were not aware of them.

For more great information and advice on selecting your next piece of fitness equipment, make sure to visit FitnessArmory.com where we review and provide insider advice on home gym fitness equipment, like the new Sole F63, Sole F80 and the Sole F83 treadmills. Let our homework remove your grunt work. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.