Newbie update and treadmill problems

[dr.girlfriend]

Hope it's okay to hop back on here intermittently.  I posted in early June, I had just started to walk regularly on a treadmill and was asking for advice.  I settled into 5 miles every day that I don't have to go in to work (so 5 - 6 days a week) and still really enjoy it!  I'm still only on 3.3 which is a pretty snappy pace with my short legs, but enjoying it is the key and I'm not super motivated to go faster.  Much to my surprise, I've lost a lot of weight...I've done cardio before and never seen sustained weight loss but maybe doing something with greater frequency is what I needed to push me past that plateau.

That said, my treadmill has been acting up lately.  When I first run it, it is extremely squeaky, and the belt movement is very jerky.  At times it will even come to a full stop, or slip in reverse.  It is *extremely* perilous for the first five minutes, then settles into about 15 minutes of just squeakiness, and then by the end of 90 minutes is pretty smooth.  I've tried lubricating it.  The belt itself seems aligned and does not seem damaged.  It lifts 2-3" up in the center which seems to be the correct tightness.  Any ideas?  My next step is to buy a hex wrench set and try adjusting the tightness of the belt a little, but I'm not optimistic.

On that note, looking at the treadmill, it was pretty much the cheapest one ever made, and is pretty known for not lasting long.  I think it was wise to invest low back then, but now that I've had several months of daily use I think it's worth buying something that will last longer.  Any suggestions?  Although the one I have (Weslo) is cheap, part of the reason I love it is that it's very small -- it fits in the dormer in our bedroom exactly, with barely an inch to spare front and back.  Anything bigger would be more obtrusive, and since I am five feet flat and hate jogging/running I'm not too worried about a long stride length/belt.  I've searched past posts for treadmill but haven't found too many recommendations.

Thanks!

[minzy]

No treadmill recs, but way to go on the rest of it! That’s awesome that you found an activity that works for you. 😊

[Wines Not Whines]

Is it still under warranty? If it is, I’d contact the company to see if they’ll send someone out to repair it or replace it. If it’s not, then as an interim solution, I would try to turn it on and run it for 10 minutes before getting on it. Since the problem seems to work itself out after a while, maybe that will help. In the long term, buying a new one seems like a good idea. I don’t have a recommendation for a particularly small treadmill though.

[sassystace]

That's great you found a routine that works for you and that you enjoy.

I got a basic Proform treadmill off of Amazon a few years ago and it has held up well. I think it was around $700. I don't see any like it for sale there now though. Costco typically sells a proform around the New Year that would be a good basic one. Or look for a used one for a few hundred.

I had a hand-me-down old treadmill die and it started going bad by doing the things you mention yours is doing. I think the motor is going.