“I’ve always been a big boy, but then it was clear that I had to do something about my out of control weight,” Greg’s email stated. “I’ve got a real problem. I’ll be in Bakersfield in a few days, and need to talk with you.”

Shortly thereafter, on one of the hottest August days of 2012, a worried 35-year-old man walked into our office, holding a diet soft drink. With a big smile, the ex-Navy resident of Lemoore said. “I always thought these were for sissies, but then, about 6 months ago, my doctor told me something that, in my mind, only happens to other people.”

“Your family loves and depends on you, Greg, but you are killing yourself. It is difficult for you to walk because you weigh over 350 pounds, have high blood pressure and are a Type 2 diabetic. You have to cut out the excess calories, the sugar, the junk, get real and start exercising at home. I want you to buy a treadmill and walk till you almost drop!”

“My doctor also told me that I was becoming grotesque and reminded him of the horribly obese people you see in Costco or Sam’s Club, shopping carts filled with chips.

“But I am one of those people, Mr. Beaver, and I was so scared by what the doctor told me,” my reader whispered.

“That day I researched websites and found a treadmill which I bought in the sporting goods section at a Hanford department store for $412. I used it every day, walking and running as much as I could and lost weight! But then, the treadmill just fell apart while I was running on it!”

“The store refuses to do a thing, saying that the 90-day parts and labor warranty has expired. They will only sell me a new one. But I don’t have that money. Can you help me?”

So many overweight people are in denial, refusing to help themselves, and then here is a guy who is trying and was almost in tears. Of course, we would help, and the first step was exercise equipment education.

Beware of exercise equipment websites — read the warranty before buying

If you ask any speciality fitness equipment retailer to name one of America’s premier manufacturers of commercial and home exercise equipment — and we asked several — you’ll hear: True Fitness Technology, based in St. Louis, Mo.

Their treadmills are considered as among the best available. True Fitness put us in touch with Regional Account Manager Brian Jamison. His advice is relevant and important to anyone looking to buy home exercise equipment, especially treadmills.

“Your reader is like so many people across America who have spent good money for what amounts to poor-quality exercise equipment, often as the direct result of recommendations from what are known as affiliate websites.

“Currently, there is no government body which fairly tests or evaluates exercise equipment from an unbiased overview. Many of the websites on the Internet today are paid by manufacturers to misinform the public as to the quality of their products through fictitious ratings. Our company does not sponsor these sites,” he points out.

“It is a very sad and very challenging part of our industry today, as there are so many people who rely on the Internet for good information, and in the fitness industry, it is not there,” Jamison stressed.

“A treadmill can easily become the most-used appliance in your household. Buy a high-quality treadmill, and it is virtually impossible to abuse it. It will not fall apart. But a poorly made product will not last. Like many first-time buyers of home exercise equipment, Greg did not know what questions to ask of the salesperson, or how to match his own needs to the treadmill he purchased.

“Greg had very specific needs in a treadmill, given his 350-pound weight and doctor’s orders to exercise daily. If he had visited a store that specializes in home exercise equipment and met with a well-trained exercise consultant, you would never have had this story,” Jamison maintains.

“But hardly anyone gives a thought about the warranty, and that is a giveaway as to the quality and value of the treadmill,” he points out.

“If you see a 90-day warranty, run in the opposite direction, as this is an indication of an inferior piece of exercise equipment. The better manufacturers have a lifetime warranty on the frame and five to ten years parts warranty.”

Next time: We look at the right way to find exercise equipment, what it will cost, and tell you why Greg is smiling more, and losing weight, on the new, quality treadmill the department store was only too happy to provide after our little talk.

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

The post ‘My treadmill fell apart’ appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

Do you know what is both the most popular and most used types of home exercise equipment?

Treadmills — probably the most straightforward exercise machines — account for more than 55 percent of the home fitness market. Put a treadmill in front of a TV or other source of entertainment, and in no time at all you’ve run or walked a couple of miles, rewarded by a wonderful dose of endorphins, and feel great when stepping off,  a true believer in the delightfully addictive benefits of daily exercise.

Routinely, health care professionals recommend treadmill exercise to their patients, sometimes to help save a patient’s life. But there is a lot more to owning a treadmill than just buying the first one you see at a sporting goods store or from online recommendations which are often misleading, as Greg, our Lemoore reader, discovered earlier this year.

He is 35 years old, ex-Navy, and describes himself as always being a big boy. Now over 350 pounds, hypertensive and diabetic, his doctor “shamed me to stop eating like a pig and exercising for the people who love and depend on me,” Greg told us.

“She ordered me to buy a treadmill and run on it every day, and that’s what I did, after research online and a recommendation from a department store salesman. But after four months use, it completely fell apart, and the store refuses to do a thing.

“They tell me that it only had a 90-day warranty for parts and labor and I have to buy a new one,” our very sad and worried reader said.

Ninety-day, useless warranties are well known to the treadmill industry, as we learned from Brian Jamison, regional account manager for True Fitness Technology of St. Louis, Mo.

“Warranties are usually the last thing that a customer thinks of, and a 90-day warranty on exercise equipment is telling you to run the other way,” he stressed.

“I can’t afford to buy a new treadmill, Mr. Beaver. Can you help me?” Greg asked.

We only have one answer to someone with that kind of dedication: You bet we will!

He relied on your employee’s eecommendation

We spoke with the corporate media relations spokesperson for the store where Greg purchased his treadmill. We told her about Greg, his health issues, and how he relied on a specific recommendation from their salesman to buy a treadmill which was clearly not appropriate for someone his weight to run on every day.

“He served our country in the Navy, and now needs your help. What do you think is fair?” I asked, confident of her answer.

A split second later, she replied: “I feel bad about this. We owe our customers and especially military service people more. I am going to have our national sporting goods manager call your reader directly, and at no cost to him, Greg will have a top-quality treadmill in his house next week.”

‘Good isn’t cheap, and cheap isn’t good’

“There’s an old saying that applies so well to exercise equipment,” Jamison said. “Good isn’t cheap, and cheap isn’t good.” He then gave us these buying tips:

1) A treadmill will be the most used and abused appliance you’ll ever buy for your home. Invest in quality.

2) It has to be easy to use. A product with a lot of bells and whistles does not equate with something that is easy to use and which encourages use. Many people make the wrong investment in exercise equipment by going the inexpensive route, and because the machine is poorly designed, uncomfortable or difficult to use, it’s not used and winds up in the garage.

“Spending $700 on something that is never used turns out to be far more expensive and simply money wasted when compared to the right investment in a quality piece of equipment. This is why it is so important to visit your nearest specialty fitness store, where trained staff will guide you to products which will suit your needs, goals and limitations. Realistically, a quality, entry-level treadmill that you just walk on will cost from $2,200-$2,600. One for running will begin at $3,000.

“Reaching your goals in exercise and receiving the benefits are a direct result of your dedication, consistency and enjoyment of your exercise experience. High-quality exercise equipment encourages use, directly impacting your well-being. Whether you are a walker or a runner, there is a feeling of better health — perhaps from that time you are away from the world and its problems, simply investing in you,” Jamison concluded.

And Greg? He has been investing in himself, on the new, quality treadmill the store delivered.

It was one he could never have afforded. Along with it was a note, reading, “From a grateful country.”

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

The post The story of a boy — a big boy — and his treadmill appeared first on Dennis Beaver.