One of the big things I enjoy doing for fitness is cardio. There’s something pleasant about pushing oneself to go farther and faster, all while burning calories and fat. Given that my knees are pretty shot from three decades of fight training, I usually opt for cycling because it allows maximum distance while still getting a good burn without all the impact on my knees. This is why I opt for the elliptical during the winter. But despite having the centre of gravity equivalent to a rock, I can run. I usually choose not to, but I can.
During the late autumn and winter months, I’ve taken advantage of using the gym located in my office building. I’ve posted videos of what that location has to offer and it’s served me well. But in recent weeks, I’ve come to find out that circumstances may take this location away and I’ve once again found myself in a position where cardio will take a back seat. I mean, let’s be honest… I have free weights at home. I have a punching bag at home. And I now have a dojo at my disposal. This means that cardio is very literally the only reason I would use the gym location in question.
I’ve gotten rather lazy in recent weeks, missing some classes and negating the aforementioned cardio. There are a number of reasons behind this, including but not limited to the increased work load that has kept me from taking time to run at work. And I kind of enjoy spending some time at home, you know? With this in mind, I started looking for something I could do at home. A traditional elliptical machine or stationary bike would be too heavy and cumbersome to get downstairs, not to mention it would cost a fortune.
Enter: the GoZone Walking Treadmill. I purchased it from a local retail outlet and I usually don’t make it a point to endorse any particular distributor, but it doesn’t take a genius to guess what location I’m talking about, given the brand name. Pricing in at about $250, it’s currently on special for about $160. It supports a maximum weight of 265 pounds but only weighs 40 pounds, itself. it doesn’t boast a handlebar with a bunch of fancy buttons and displays but it definitely serves the purpose for an at-home workout area.
I started by plugging it in to a nearby wall socket and set upon my laptop for music/streaming. It comes with a small, handheld remote, which controls speed and time. The digital display alternates between elapsed time, speed (in mph), distance (in miles) and energy burned. There’s a memory key on the remote that allows you to set maximum distance or time, and a rounded button for speed adjustment. Maxing out at 6 mph (approximately 10 kph), it allows for a reasonable jog. It wouldn’t be fitting for someone looking to train at hard running but definitely serves its purpose for some at-home cardio.
I hadn’t run or performed any significant cardio in months, so I decided to test the treadmill out by running a simple mile (1.6 kilometres). I had Disney+ playing on the laptop and I was watching “According to Jim.” The mile crept up quickly and I could feel the shin splints building as I neared the end. It was a good burn, albeit brief, and once I stopped, my core temperature decided to catch up and I was sheathed in sweat. my blood sugars also dropped, making me grateful for training at home. Nathan also hopped on and trotted for almost half a mile.
Honestly, I was a bit concerned that the track would start to falter with me running on it. But it held up pretty well. I don’t know how long this thing will continue to work as smoothly as it does but it will make an excellent addition to my fitness routine. Given the low, reasonable cost, light-weight design and portability for storage and reasonable speed, the GoZone “Walking” treadmill is definitely recommended. I keep putting “walking” in quotations because I’ll only ever use it for jogging. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 
Wow, no safety rails at all? I wonder if that thing would even be legal for sale in the US with all our nanny laws.
Irony is, as much as part of me agrees with the idea of the rails, if the treadmill pulls your legs out from underneath you, those rails aren’t keeping you horizontal anyway.
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To be honest, I’m surprised that they even sell it here. And yes, I’ve seen people have their feet swept out from under them at the gym only to land face down anyway, or smash their face against the rial bar. I’ve used it a couple opf times and it’s pretty good, so long as you focus and concentrate on what you’re doing. Can’t absent-mindedly watch a show or like I would at the gym. Still totally worth the low cost…
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