The 5 Best Treadmills For Seniors [2024 Reviews]

Stay in shape no matter your age, we break down the year's top treadmills for seniors

Our Editors independently research, test, and rate what we feel are the best products. We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases.

Having a treadmill in your home is one of the best ways you can keep your health in tip top shape.

On top of that, it makes it much easier to accomplish fitness goals and be active if you’re having trouble otherwise doing so.

This gets more difficult generally, as we age. However, using one of the top treadmills for elderly people can help solve that issue.

We’ve done the research on senior treadmills so you don’t have to. Let’s get started.

Best Treadmills For Elderly People

NordicTrack NTL17915 Treadmill
MaxKare Folding TreadmillGoplus Electric Recovery Treadmill
editorschoice
Speed:0.2 to 10 Mph0.5 to 8.5 Mph0.4 to 4 Mph
Deck Size:55" x 20"44" x 19.5"45.5" x 15"
Capacity:300 Pounds220 Pounds220 Pounds
Warranty:2 Years1 YearN/A

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Treadmills For Seniors

  1. NordicTrack NTL17915 Treadmill
  2. MaxKare Folding Treadmill For Home Use
  3. EXERPEUTIC TF2000 Recovery Fitness Walking Treadmill
  4. Sunny Health & Fitness Walking Treadmill
  5. Goplus Electric Recovery Treadmill

Our reviews to the top rated treadmills for elderly people with our comparison table and buyers guide will help you choose the right one for you.


Treadmills For Seniors Reviews

NordicTrack NTL17915 Treadmill at a Glance:

  • Speed Range: 0.2 to 10 Mph
  • Incline Range: 0 – 10%
  • Deck Size: 55″ x 20″
  • Weight Capacity: 300 Pounds
  • Warranty: 2 year parts, 1 year labor

NordicTrack is quite possibly the most respected brand in the treadmill word, consistently delivering in every aspect: quality, budget-friendliness, and technology.

Their T 6.5 S is the excellent treadmill for the money, offering the best bang for your buck.

The solid-built model features everything you’d expect and deserve from such a top-performing brand, but still leaves you with cash to spare.

Including a 2.6 CHP motor, it’s not as powerful as some others out there, but for elderly users, this is just the ticket.

As it can go up to a speed of 10 MPH, we doubt you’re going to need anything faster! Expect quiet, smooth operation, which is ideal for at-home use to not bother anyone else.

The FlexSelect deck sets this model apart even further. What it does is let you select between a lower-impact, cushioned deck, or a solid deck which provides you with more of that genuine “road-running” feel.

You can change it to suit your exact preferences just by twisting a knob – it’s as easy as that.

The console is also in a league of its own, with an impressive 20 built-in programs, access to iFit (free for the first month) so you can access Google Maps.

This will give you training routes wherever in the world you’d like to venture, as well as auto stat tracking, personalized workouts, competitions with others, and more.

The 5-inch backlit display is easy to glance at quickly and take in your stats, showing your speed, time, distance, heartrate, and calories burned.

If you’re someone who just can’t run without listening to music, then we’re sure you’ll make good use of the integrated soundsystem, too.

With one-touch controls, you can quickly adjust speed and incline, and monitor your heartrate through the dual CardioGrip sensors on both handlebars.

For convenient storage, you’ll find a telescoping shock making it so you can lift and fold the deck out of the way in one swift motion.

If that weren’t enough, it also exceeds expectations with the warranty: a lifetime frame warranty, 25 years on the motor, and parts and labor are covered for a year.


MaxKare Folding Treadmill For Home Use at a Glance:

  • Speed Range: .5 to 8.5 Mph
  • Incline Range: 1-3 degrees of manual incline
  • Deck Size: 77″ x 17″
  • Weight Capacity: 220 Pounds
  • Warranty: Lifetime frame, 1 year parts, 1 year labor

The MaxKare Folding Treadmill is versatile treadmill. Not only is this machine is made for those going through rehab, and need to perform low-impact exercise such as walking.

But with a powerful motor it can be used for running up to 8.5MPH. It’s a full-featured treadmill at a very reasonable price.

The build is very durable and comes with an extra-thick walking belt to position your body in an ergonomic way and keep your spine and hips properly aligned.

On top of that, you’ll find a convenient easy access entry ramp which makes for safer use, eliminating the risk of tripping on the deck. To help you out, if you are having trouble balancing are two hand rails in the front of the machine.

The large LED display is perfect if you always find yourself straining your eyes while tracking your workout stats.

Oversized buttons further add to the convenience, and you’ll get information windows to display your time, distance traveled, speed, and calories.

Finally, it comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame, 1 years on parts, and 1 year labor which will have you covered for quite a while.


EXERPEUTIC TF2000 Recovery Fitness Walking Treadmill at a Glance:


  • Speed Range: 0.2 to 5 Mph
  • Incline Range: N/A
  • Deck Size: 50″ x 16″
  • Weight Capacity: 300 Pounds
  • Warranty: 3 years frame, 5 years motor

Third on our list of the best treadmills for seniors, is the EXERPEUTIC Recovery Treadmill. This model is specifically made for those in recovery and for use in seniors’ homes.

Because of this, you can count on it being friendly to those who aren’t as agile or mobile as they used to be, but are looking to maintain or improve their level of fitness.

The belt size is 50” in length and 16” in width, which is a good size for most anyone.

To help seniors feel more confident and help to lower the risk of accidents, there are 49” full-length walking assistant handrails on either side, complete with foam padding.

Further adding to the level of comfort while also helping lower impact, are the 10 shock-absorbing deck cushions.

With extra reinforcement, your joints will feel more refreshed, for longer.

If you or the person you’re buying for suffers from arthritis, then we’d recommend really taking a good look at this one.

The speed increments are in 1/10 MPH, and you can set it all the way up to 5 MPH.

To do this, you’ll utilize the backlit LCD display, which shows that, along with elapsed time, distance walked, calories burned, and pulse.


Sunny Health & Fitness Walking Treadmill at a Glance:

  • Speed Range: 0.6 to 5 Mph
  • Incline Range: N/A
  • Deck Size: 44″ x 19.5″
  • Weight Capacity: 295 Pounds
  • Warranty: N/A

Sunny Health and Fitness is known for being an affordable, consistently “good” option that works for most people.

With the ability to support up to 295 pounds and great shock absorption technology, you can workout with confidence and comfort.

Not to mention, it’s easy on the wallet and comes with a spacious running space for you to walk/run with a natural gait.

The 2.5-peak horsepower motor itself is quite average in every aspect, offering speeds of anywhere from 0.6MPH to 5MPH.

We did appreciate how easy it was to make quick speed adjustments on the console, however.

Speaking of which, the console is very user-friendly and comes with a simple yet complete design.

It’s here, where you can track your speed, duration, distance traveled, and calories burned.

You can also use the “Mode” button to customize your workout goals each time you step onto it.

Similar to the last model, this one also comes with long handrails. These multigrips rails offer extra support and are thickly padded for your comfort and security.

When you’re all finished for the day, the transportation wheels make it easy to move, and its low profile means you can store it under a bed or behind a door without issue.

While in looks, it’s quite plain, it really does come with everything you need.


Goplus Electric Recovery Treadmill at a Glance:

  • Speed Range: 0.4 to 4 Mph
  • Incline Range: N/A
  • Deck Size: 45.5″ x 15″
  • Weight Capacity: 220 Pounds
  • Warranty: N/A

The Goplus Electric Recovery Treadmill is a nice budget-friendly option. Made specifically for more elderly people, it’s safe, secure, and comfortable to use.

Made of high-quality steel, it’s also incredibly durable and can hold up to regular use with no problem.

While only capable of holding up to 220 pounds, it is still quite substantial in size, with a 45.5” x 15” running belt.

The belt itself is just the right softness, while still maintaining a firm enough feeling for secure operation.

As you’ve probably come to expect by now, it’s also designed with 2 long arms covered in thick and durable foam to help prevent accidents.

Further adding to safety features is the safety key which you connect to your clothing and will automatically turn off the machine should you fall or get too far from the console.

Right in the center, you’ll find an easy-to-read LED screen which will display your time traveled, speed, calories burned, distance, mode, and more.

It’s not a particularly advanced console, but again, most seniors do better with simple pieces of technology, especially when it comes to exercise equipment.

Foot pads help to protect your floor, no matter if it’s on carpet, tile, hardwood, and so on. They also work to dampen the sound, making it ideal to use at any hour of the day or night.

However, we did feel that it wasn’t quite as portable as the others on our guide, so this model would be better suited for those who can dedicate a space just for their treadmill.


Treadmills For Elderly People Comparison Table

TreadmillsSpeed RangeDeck SizeWeight CapacityWarrantyRating
EXERPEUTIC TF2000 Recovery0.2-5 Mph50"x16"300 lbs3 years frame, 5 years motor
4.5 / 5.0
Sunny Health & Fitness Walking0.6-5 Mph44"x19.5"295 lbsN/A4.9 / 5.0
Goplus Electric Recovery0.4-4 Mph45.5"x15"220 lbsN/A3.7 / 5.0
NordicTrack NTL17915 T 6.5 S
0.2-10 Mph55"x20"300 lbs2 year parts, 1 year labor4.1 / 4.0
Body-Solid Endurance T50 Walking1-5 Mph77"x30"310 lbsLifetime frame, 5 years parts, 1 year labor4.2 / 5.0

How to Choose the Best Treadmill For Seniors – Buying Guide

Best Treadmills For Elderly People
Sunny Health & Fitness Walking Treadmill

Now that you’ve read our in-depth reviews about each of the best treadmills for senior walking, have you decided which is the best for you?

If you’re still not 100% sure, then there’s no need to be concerned. We understand it’s difficult when there are so many great options to choose from.

That’s why we’ve gone ahead and written up the buying guide, below.

This guide will take you through each aspect to consider to ensure that by the time you’re done reading, there’s no doubt which machine is best for you and your needs.

Space

First, it’s a smart idea to consider the amount of space you have to dedicate to or use your treadmill in.

Are you going to have to move it back and store it once you’re finished or can you keep it there as long as you want?

Also, measure out the intended storage area, if you’re thinking of going to a treadmill that can fold up. You’ll find treadmill dimensions are available if you go to the manufacturer’s page.

We recommend the space be a bit larger than the treadmill dimensions, as treadmills often move a bit when someone is running on them, and you don’t want to risk damaging any of your property.

The ideal clearance is at least an area of 3 inches on each side/end.

Incline

As you may have noticed, most models on our guide do not have the ability to adjust the incline. This is for safety purposes, and many seniors just want to walk or jog on a flat surface.

However, if you do want the ability to do so, then there are only a couple of elections on our guide.

The NordicTrack, for example, can be adjusted all the way to a 10% incline! That would probably be your best bet in this case.

Safety Features

Safety is important for everyone, but more so when we start getting a bit older. We may not have the balance we used to, and it only takes a split second to trip.

First, make sure that your treadmill has a reliable heartrate/pulse monitor, so you’re always within a healthy, safe zone.  Next, make sure it has an auto-stop feature.

Auto-stop is typically managed with a key, where it’s attached to your body in some way, through a lanyard. If you slip or pull away, the key will pull and the treadmill will automatically stop.

Any of the best treadmills for senior walking should also have handrails so you can grip onto them if you lose your balance or just for extra support.

Included Preset Programs

Preset or built-in programs are a great feature to have, as they get you going right away without wasting any time.

If you’re not well-versed in treadmill programs, it can also take the guesswork out of it so you just have to follow the routine that works best for you.

Preset programs will let you choose your goal and will automatically adjust the speed and/or incline (on those models which have this) based on this.

Some models come with just a few, while others don’t come with any at all and you’ll have to set it all manually. Once again, the NordicTrack is going to stand out the most in this regard.

Belt

This is arguably the most important aspect of any treadmill, and there are multiple characteristics to look out for.

One, is the textured surface which can help keep your grip better and avoid slipping while running or walking with more confidence.

Second, is the amount of cushion it comes with. Treadmills aren’t particularly known to be forgiving on the joints, but well-cushioned running belts can help absorb this impact.

This is perfect if you already experience joint pain or have osteoarthritis! Some even come with belts with adjustable firmness!

Weight Limit

This is another incredibly important aspect to take into consideration. It doesn’t matter if you have the absolute best treadmill every made.

If it can’t support your weight you’re simply not going to be able to use it correctly. Make sure that this is one of the first things you check once you have your eye on a model.

LCD Screen/Display

The LCD displays are all a bit varied, depending on the model you’re looking at. Some are going to be bare bones – very basic.

They may even not be a color screen, which could be more difficult to see for you.  However, they’re going to still display the essential info to you, such as time passed, calories burned, distance traveled, and more.

These may be the more appropriate option if you’re not particularly interested or feel comfortable with more intricate technology.

In contrast, there are others that come with cutting-edge technology, are more visually appealing, etc.

The most important thing to consider here is that they’re easy for you to see, understand, and use. Bigger in this case, is going to be better.

Extras

These on their own may not motivate you to select a particular model, but they could add to your user experience, making it more motivating or overall enjoyable for you to stay on and keep on walking or running.

‘Extra features on treadmills vary from personal fans and water bottle holders to Bluetooth speakers, tablet holders and TVs.

We live in a culture of convenience, and it’s hard enough to stay motivated to work out. If you’re well-entertained, you’re more likely to stay on longer which could more quickly increase your mobility and agility.

FAQs About Senior Treadmills

Q: Is treadmill good for the elderly?

A: Yes, they are. However, it’s crucial that they’re using the correct machine.

There are unfortunately many models out there that are simply too hard on the joints and can actually make these conditions worse.

Those on our guide are specifically meant to lower the impact that regular treadmills may inflict, and offer handrails for added stability and security.

Q: What speed should you walk on a treadmill?

A: This will greatly depend on your confidence and fitness level.

Usually anywhere from 1.5-3MPH is good as it’s not too fast but it still gets the blood pumping and muscles moving.

Q: What is a healthy distance to walk daily?

A: This will also vary depending on the person and their individual bodies.

Focus on being active for at least 30 to 45 minutes for full benefits. It’s important to challenge yourself, but not to the point that you’re risking injury.

Q: Is walking on the treadmill 30 minutes a day enough?

A: Yes, it is. Of course you can do more or less depending on your fitness level or ability.

Tips For Choosing Treadmills For Seniors

#1: Make sure the treadmill works well with the size and weight of your body.

Again, it doesn’t matter which model you choose if it isn’t able to support or work with the size of your body.

#2: Always perform a cool-down and warm up.

Proper cool downs and warm ups are going to make a great difference – especially regarding injury prevention. You should do at least 5 minutes minimum of each.

The muscles should be warm before you start walking or jogging, to ensure your muscles and ligaments are fine.

Cooling down for even 5 minutes will allow your heartrate to go below 100 bpm to prevent any dizziness and get you in the mindset of relaxing your body.

#3: Never push yourself too much.

Heart rate monitors are great for monitoring just how much you’re doing. You’ll probably find that you’ve been working too hard many times!

Summary

Now that you know pretty much everything you need to select the best treadmill for elderly walkers for you, which one will be making its way into your home?

We hope that we’ve been of some help, and that you enjoy your new machine. We want to thank you for joining us, and we’ll see you again, soon!

How We Researched

To come up with the top treadmills for seniors, we researched a variety of sources for reviews such as Best Buy, Walmart, Target and Sears along with our own personal experience.

The authors consulted sources such as online magazines for research and reviews unbiased information.

By using Fakespot.com we tried to eliminate fake reviews and use only genuine ones.

With so many options available, the authors narrowed down the selections by using products they felt were the best value for the money.

The staff authors have a wide and varied background as fitness trainers, yoga instructors and runners. The authors have decades of experience and are eager to share their knowledge with readers.

In order to narrow down the options, we used personal experiences plus recommendations from other trainers and instructors.

Sources


Notice:

BestWomensWorkouts is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. BestWomensWorkouts earns fees from products sold through qualifying purchases by linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a commission on products sold through their affiliate links.

Shayanne Weeks

Shayanne is a freelance writer and personal trainer based in LA, California. Describing herself as a nomad, she has lived in Boise, Idaho and Seattle, Washington as well as Guadalajara, Mexico. As an extremely active person, she loves to train people, teach yoga, and ski. She enjoys sharing her love for teaching others through her “how to” fitness guides and workout equipment reviews. Shayanne is addicted to surfing and yoga and practices both everyday.
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