Best Treadmill Accessories for Home Workouts | Expert Picks

The Camelbak Podium bottle is an affordable version of this bottle. It comes in multiple colors and is dishwasher safe. It’s simple, but you really don’t need something fancy for your workout. One feature that this bottle has that’s important to me is the high-flow, self-sealing cap. When working out hard, you want a bottle that you can drink out of with the least disruption to your workout.

While the Podium Water Bottle works very well for most treadmills, there are cases where it might not be the best option. Some treadmills have very shallow cup holders with a shaky console, so this bottle may be too unstable. Additionally, if your treadmill has oversized cup holders, the Podium bottle may wobble around. Still, I think it’s one of the safest bets.

The Garmin HRM 200 uses Bluetooth and ANT+ technology, which allows it to pair with most treadmills. Some treadmills only pair with 5kHz monitors (more on that below), so double-check your machine’s compatibility. The HRM 200 also pairs with apps like Garmin Connect, Zwift, and Strava.

Wrist-based heart rate sensors and treadmill EKG pulse grips are not generally considered the most accurate devices. If you are really dedicated to tracking your heart rate, a chest strap is considered superior, and I’ve had great success with Garmin heart rate monitors. In my opinion, the biggest drawbacks are the restrictive feeling and the potential for the strap to slip down.

As a chest strap that uses ECG heart rate detection, the Polar H9 is an accurate monitor. It can be used in conjunction with treadmills and other exercise equipment. You can also use it for swimming thanks to its waterproof construction.

The H9 does not have storage built in. You have to pair it with another device to record your heart rate during your activity. In addition to 5kHz, the H9 is Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible, so it works with a wide range of devices.

The Cycplus fan is designed for bike trainers and exercise bikes, but I have had a lot of fun using it when I’m running on the treadmill. Many treadmills simply do not have the fan strength to make running more comfortable in a stuffy room. This fan does the job and more.

At the start of my run, I don’t want a fan on full blast, but further into my run, I don’t want to pause my run to crank the fan speed up. The Cycplus Smart fan has a remote control, but it goes even further. The Smart Fan’s power and heart rate settings pair to your devices, and use your real-time workout metrics to adjust the fan speed.

Your treadmill size and position will determine which of the Cycplus fan’s two configurations is best. It can be attached to a height-adjustable post, or it can be angled in the minimal floor stand. I tend to use the taller stand for treadmill running, so it hits my torso.

I recommend using the Cycplus fan in conjunction with a heart rate monitor. You can then fine-tune the fan’s settings based on your heart rate zones in the free Cycplus app. This smart fan speeds up when you work harder and slows down during easier efforts, so you can concentrate on your workout.

The DeerRun Treadmill Fan has three flexible legs that you can wind around the arms or crossbar of your treadmill. This design makes it suitable for many different treadmills. You can also use the legs as a phone stand when it is placed on a flat surface, meaning you can use this fan for more than just your treadmill training.

My only concern with this fan is that the battery could die while you are training if you forget to charge it or are training for a long time with it on full blast. The solution is to charge it while you are using it. If your treadmill has a USB charging port, then the DeerRun Treadmill Fan can charge with it! Just be careful of the cords.

The Brooks Ghost is a neutral running shoe, meaning it works for most running gaits. The cushioning is not too plush but certainly very cushioned. Many people like the Ghost 17 for walking as much as for running. For running, it’s good for a wide range of workouts—easy runs, intervals, and long runs.

Let’s get to the more technical stuff. The Ghost 17 has a 36mm stack height in the heel and 26mm stack height in the forefoot, creating a 10mm heel-to-toe drop. It has a rubberized outsole and an EVA, nitrogen-infused midsole.

The men’s sizes range from 7 to 15 with widths of B (narrow), D (medium), 2E (wide), and 4E (extra wide). The women’s sizes range from 5 to 13 with widths of B (medium), D (wide), 2A (narrow), and 2E (extra wide).

The first step in lubricating your treadmill is making sure the deck is clean. If you have a lot of dirt and dust on your treadmill deck, applying lubricant to it could make it all stick together. This isn’t good for your treadmill motor or belt. This maintenance kit provides you with a belt cleaning solution and a cloth to wipe the deck down. I recommend this step for anyone who hasn’t cleaned their treadmill in a long time (or at all).

For the next step, you get three packets of lubricant. You only need one for each lubrication. Then, you also get an applicator to help you spread the lubricant more easily.

The last two thoughtful inclusions are two spare safety keys and a storage bag. The spare safety keys may not work for every machine. The storage bag ensures that you don’t lose anything, as this kit works for three treadmill lubricant applications.

My top reason for getting the Runn Sensor is to convert your treadmill to a smart treadmill for compatibility with third-party apps. One of my favorite treadmill apps is Zwift, which is free for runners! Zwift has virtual running courses where you will encounter other Zwift runners and cyclists. I use Zwift to schedule virtual meetups with my sister. Since your Zwift pace is your real pace, you need some kind of sensor to transmit your speed.

You can also use the Runn sensor to record your workouts. I wish my Garmin watch recorded the speed and incline on the treadmill, but that doesn’t work even with Bluetooth machines. This sensor is a solution.

The Pace 3 is also compatible with the Coros Pod 2, which is a running dynamics pod. This pod improves your watch’s accuracy on the treadmill and indoor tracks. Additionally, the Coros Pace 3 has a lot of different sport profiles, so you can track your other indoor activities, like indoor biking, strength, indoor rowing, and more.

While the Coros Pace 3 is a good beginner watch, the heart rate measurement is intermittent instead of continuous. The benefit is the increased battery life, but it may not lend itself to heart rate-based training quite as well as other running watches.

The training metrics are great, but it’s really hard for a runner to use all of the data this watch offers. For example, I only recently started tracking my training load and heart rate variability. These metrics are incredibly useful. Metrics I struggle to use are the endurance score and the hill score. I just don’t factor them into my training often. So keep in mind that having a lot of data is cool, but you might not always have a purpose for it.

Garmin does a good job of letting me track my data over time in the Garmin Connect app. Though there is a premium version of this app now, I still get a lot of use out of the free version. I like adding my upcoming races and planning routes. The ability to create workouts and send them to my device is also very, very helpful.

I endorse the entire Garmin Forerunner series, but I think the length of the races and runs you are doing will determine what kind of watch you need. For marathon training, I like the 970 the most.

While the Lever System Movement is over $1k, it’s significantly more affordable than anti-gravity treadmills, which is the technology it replicates. Spending one-thirtieth of the cost for a similar effect is spectacular. You just have to wear funny shorts—then the Lever Movement System lifts you up, reducing your weight by up to 45 lbs to reduce the impact of each step.

More than anything, runners want to return to running after injury. With Lever, you can get back to running without having to worry if it’s too soon. It makes the transition between not running and running more gradual.

While the Lever Movement System may be too expensive and unrealistic for many runners, it’s a great investment for runners prone to injury.