Treadmills with built-in workouts: Get motivated and stay on track

Eduardo Saverin

1 year ago

Lacking motivation when it comes to hopping on the treadmill? Then a treadmill with built-in workouts might be right for you. Many treadmills come with a screen; you can use them to stream live or pre-recorded workouts. Those workouts are usually produced by the treadmill brand, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same. In fact, the best treadmills with built-in workouts offer more than just a variety of activities; they offer a diverse, friendly community.

Shop treadmills with built-in workouts for a variety of budgets ahead. Some offer live classes, and all offer on-demand workouts. Plus, some subscriptions even offer classes you can complete away from your treadmill. And if budget is a worry, there’s more good news: Many of these treadmills come with free trials of their corresponding programs.

And don’t take our word for it. We spoke with fitness experts about their favorite treadmill workout programs, to help you get inspired.

Great treadmills with built-in workouts

Here’s a quick look at the best treadmills with built-in workouts.

Try these treadmills from Bowflex, Peloton, Echelon and more.

Best monitor: Bowflex treadmills

“If you are looking for a treadmill that can help you take your running to the next level, the Bowflex line of treadmills’ sturdy design and excellent tech deck are a great fit,” certified personal trainer and studio owner Lauren George told CBS Essentials. “The longer, cushioned belt is ideal for heavier mileage.”

Bowflex treadmills boast motorized incline ranges from -5% to 20% for your cardio session, Comfort Tech deck cushioning, SoftDrop folding systems and Bluetooth capabilities. They also come with a one-year JRNY membership ($149 value), which grants you access to the JRNY app, featuring a wide range of fitness classes taught by world-class trainers.

“One feature that the Bowflex JRNY offers that is above and beyond other workout platforms is that it adapts with you as you progress,” George says. “The app suggests different workouts as your fitness improves.”

Bowflex Treadmill 10, $1,999

Bowflex Treadmill 22, $2,699

Most durable: Echelon Stride treadmill

This 4.3-star-rated Echelon Stride Treadmill features a 20-inch by 55-inch deck, a 10% maximum incline and a maximum speed of 12 mph. Heart rate sensors are integrated into the handlebars. This piece of home gym equipment includes a 30-day free trial to Echelon Premiere, which offers access to 3,000 live and on-demand classes by fitness professionals.

Echelon Premiere offers classes on and off equipment, plus a whole community to chat with. You can travel the world — virtually, of course — with scenic classes, and see where you rank against friends on the leaderboard.

An Echelon Premiere membership runs for $35 a month, or $33 a month if you commit to a year.

Echelon Stride treadmill, $1,170 (reduced from $1,300)

Fun classes: Peloton Tread

Get access to — not a typo — thousands of classes on and off your Peloton Tread, like running, walking, hiking, strength, bootcamp, yoga and more with a Peloton subscription. Just subscribe separately, starting at $13 a month. There are three different membership tiers. This treadmill has an HD touchscreen for streaming and speed and incline knobs to easily adjust controls. It measures your speed, mileage, pace splits, heart rate zones, elevation and more.

Lohre told CBS Essentials that Peloton has her favorite treadmill workout program.

“I use a Peloton Tread that I love because it is super high-quality, powerful and the connected classes are fun and motivating,” she says.

Peloton Tread, $3,495

Beloved trainers: NordicTrack Commercial 2450

This treadmill offers workouts with beloved trainers like Kayla Itsines and Tommy Rivers — a famous cancer survivor who runs marathons and inspires countless fans — via iFIT. A 30-day iFIT trial membership is included (worth $30 a month). The NordicTrack Commercial 2450 treadmill has a tilt-and-pivot HD touchscreen and can fold to be stored away. This treadmill both inclines and declines and it can make automatic, hands-free adjustments during trainer-led programs. Rotate its screen to take yoga, HIIT and more classes on the ground, too.

NordicTrack Commercial 2450, $2,999

iFIT for less: ProForm Pro 9000

ProForm treadmills also come with a trial for iFIT, and can automatically be adjusted by iFIT trainers. This treadmill also has an HD touchscreen, but it doesn’t pivot. This folding treadmill has a built-in fan to cool you down, and a cushioned deck. It can both incline and decline.

ProForm Pro 9000, $2,099 (reduced from $2,299)

Most affordable: Sole F63

The Sole F63 is your most affordable option here, but you must provide your own tablet. It pairs with the Studio monthly membership. Your purchase comes with a 90-day free trial for the membership that includes more than 3,000 routines, and costs $20 monthly thereafter.

The model also boasts an impressive 15 incline levels and six preset programs, plus cooling fans and built-in speakers — not always a given. Its display shows speed, incline, time, distance traveled, calories, pulse and pace.

Sole F63, $1,000 (reduced from $1,800)

Do you need a treadmill with built-in workouts?

Treadmills with built-in workouts tend to run pricey, so another option is subscribing to the programs on your tablet and using your own treadmill to complete them. But some of the treadmills here can even be auto-adjusted by instructors, so you may not get the full workout experience by using the program with your own treadmill.

If you’re in the market for a high-quality, sturdy treadmill, it can’t hurt to invest in one of these higher-tech treadmills that pair with corresponding workout programs.

How we chose these treadmills

When picking the best treadmills with built-in workouts, we considered:

Customer reviews: We combed through verified customer reviews — in other words, real buyers — to ensure they were consistently pleased with these brands and models.
Expert recommendations: We spoke with certified personal trainer and studio owner Lauren George, and certified personal trainer, certified nutrition specialist and “American Ninja Warrior” contestant Julie Lohre, for their thoughts on treadmills with built-in workout programs.
Star rating: All of these products have a four-star rating or higher.
Your needs: We picked treadmills for a variety of budgets and needs, such as affordability, durability and more.