Treadmills are one of the most common types of fitness equipment used by gym enthusiasts and health gurus to perform cardiovascular exercises and develop greater lower body strength. Most of the treadmills you will see on the market are powered by electricity, and you can set them to a certain speed depending on your preferences and ability. But today, Treadmill Guru wants to highlight a unique type of treadmill, one that is completely manually-powered.
There aren’t that many manual treadmills, so if you guessed that we are talking about a Woodway treadmill, then you are on the right track. Specifically, we want to review the Woodway Curve, a human-powered treadmill which has taken indoor speed and fitness training to a whole new level.
One of the first things you notice about the Woodway Curve is that it has no motor, and the deck of the treadmill is gently curved. The curve of the treadmill allows for more natural movement as you self-power the Curve treadmill. As this treadmill is powered by your own exertion, the more effort and energy you put in can highly benefit you in the long run, whether you are walking or running.
The Curve treadmill also provides a more intense exercise experience as the curve shape does not only targets a few of the legs muscle groups but helps to fully engage all of the muscles of your lower body. In this way, the Curve treadmill mimics running outdoors, but the shock-absorbing slat belt makes using this machine far more gentle on your joints as you exercise.
As you workout on the Curve treadmill, the speed of this treadmill will solely depend on your leg power, as there is no motor to help carry you and the treadmill belt onward. In fact, the treadmill is also unique, and it is made of rubber slats that glide on 112 ball bearings with virtually no friction. This design is what makes the Woodway Curve a piece of zero-electricity-powered equipment.
The surface of the treadmill belt is rubberized, which helps the surface to absorb the impact shock with every step and provide excellent grip as you run or walk for a more powerful toe-off. With the combined grip ability and shock absorption properties, you can reduce your running injuries with the Curve treadmill. In fact, this treadmill is popular among elite athletes due to these properties and is also often used in many fitness clubs and medical rehabilitation centers.
- The non-motorized feature makes it a noise-free running machine aside from your own footsteps.
- It does not require electricity to operate.
- It has a thick shock-absorbing cushion, providing provide safe, responsive cushioning for knees, back, and joints.
- A battery-powered monitor which keeps track of your workout data and displays information such as the time elapsed, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate.
- Wireless heart rate monitoring option to track your heart rate.
- It comes with a USB port for saving and exporting your daily workout data.
- Very low maintenance as here you don’t have a motor to replace, you’ll just have to use lubricants on the bearings of the treadmill.
- The Woodway Curve treadmill has a high weight capacity.
- This treadmill comes with a 10-year frame and belt warranty, 3-year warranty on parts, and a 1-year warranty on labor.
- The Woodway Curve is quite expensive, even if you can find it secondhand.
- The treadmill has a smaller running width area that measures 17” wide, which may be cramped as you try to keep this treadmill up to speed.
- Not a folding treadmill.
- Non-Motorized
As we have mentioned, the Woodway Curve has no motor, so it is operated manually by the user’s leg power. It does not create any motorized sounds that can disturb your neighbors while working out, with the main amount of noise coming from how hard you step as you workout. It will also provide you with an intensive workout experience since you will be playing the role of treadmill motor as its belt movement is directly affected by the effort you exert. This lack of motor also means you can more easily slow down and remain safe as you workout.
- Curved Running Area
The curve shape of the treadmill deck allows the user to exert more natural effort. With the motion of the belt smoother as it follows the curve of the deck, you can fall into a good rolling stride that you can stick to for miles. Also, with the curvature of the treadmill deck, you can enjoy greater calorie burn, as the slight incline will leave you exerting more effort to both powers the treadmill and go uphill.
- Low Maintenance Treadmill
As you can see, the Woodway Curve is a solid, heavy-duty treadmill that does not require a large amount of maintenance that other treadmills need. It can serve up to 150,000 miles before its slat belt and deck require any maintenance or replacement. You might have to lubricate the treadmill belt from time to time, but that’s not a very hard task at all when you compare the number of things that can go wrong on less sturdy treadmills.
- Heart Rate Monitoring
This amazingly simple and extremely effective treadmill comes with wireless heart rate monitoring chest strap to monitor heart rate during a workout session. The chest strap will transmit the information to the console of the Curve treadmill so that you can see your current heart rate and target your ideal heart rate zone.
- Rubber Slat Belt
The rubberized floor is a safety feature of the treadmill which assists to prevents injuries, thanks to the shock absorbing properties of the rubberized belt. The belt is made up of 60 individual slats that help to provide you with a natural-feeling running surface even as this treadmill reduced the jarring effects of running. Also, with the curve on the rubberized belt, you are reminded to keep the correct posture, as a dragging foot will catch on the belt.
- Optional Treadmill Displays
There are two treadmill display options when it comes to the Woodway Curve. First, you have the Curve Standard Display, which provides you with the time, speed, distance, pace, total time at pace, calorie burn, METS, watts, lap, and total distance. You can reset the display, change the metric, and end workout from the simple display.
With the Curve ProSmart touchscreen, you get all those metrics as well as one-of-a-kind workouts that are tailored to your fitness level. It also comes with a variety of pre-made workouts to keep your exercise sessions fresh.
- Variable High Weight Capacity
The Woodway Curve has a high weight capacity. This treadmill allows a maximum user weight of 400 pounds overall. Though, if you are looking to walk at 4 MPH or slower, the Curve treadmill can accommodate a user who weighs up to 800 pounds!
- Warranty
As for the warranty you receive with the Woodway Curve, it’s not a long as you would expect for such an expensive treadmill. It covers 10 years for the slat belt and frame, 3-year warranty for parts, and 1-year coverage for the labor.
- Motor: N/A
- Incline: Naturally curved
- Speed: Self-powered speed
- Dimensions: 73” L x 33” W x 67” H
- Folding: No
- Running Area: 17” W x 67” L
- Max. User Weight: 400 lbs (for running), 800 lbs (for 4 MPH or slower)
- Treadmill Weight: 350 lbs
Benefits
Using the Woodway Curve, you can burn more calories than running on a flat surface alone will burn. You can also benefit from owning this treadmill as you can easily use it indoors because it works quietly without creating almost any noise, and it would not disturb a tired sleeping spouse, baby or even your neighbors.
Moreover, maintaining this equipment in your own homes is less expensive rather having a motorized treadmill which will cost you a lot when its parts or motor needs to be replaced. The Curve treadmill is also very durable and will hold up under intense workout sessions.
Also, if you are a runner who is concerned that a home treadmill will take the edge from your competitive running, the Woodway Curve is perfect for you. It provides you with natural resistance, and you can still enjoy powerful toe-offs and high levels of exertion.
Final Verdict: Woodway Curve Treadmill
If you are looking for a treadmill to promote your overall health and wellness, and are looking to improve your speed and power while running as well as have a better cardio workout, the Woodway Curve treadmill is the perfect training equipment for you. It targets all of the muscles of your legs more completely than regular treadmills as it is a completely manual treadmill.
Being completely powered by the user, this treadmill does not require electricity allowing you to save on your electricity bill. The Curve treadmill is also very durable and has fewer parts that can break down, leading to a lower lifetime cost of ownership. However, this treadmill is on the larger side of things and does not fold up, so be sure you have the room for it before you commit to bringing this treadmill home.
What We Like?
- It is an eco-friendly piece of equipment
- Manual treadmill
- Low noise machine
- Low-maintenance
- Slat belt with cushioning
- Wireless heart rate monitoring
- High weight capacity
- Durable design
What We Don’t like?
- Costly treadmill
- Small running belt width
- Does not fold
Conclusion
The Woodway Curve treadmill is an outstanding innovation on the conventional treadmill. This machine is specially designed to help the health and wellness enthusiasts out there to have a better workout as it is purely powered by their own efforts. It might be quite a bit more expensive when compared to other treadmills, but the Curve treadmill offers many advantages with very minimum service costs over the lifetime as compared to a traditional motorized treadmill.
The fact that it is a non-motorized treadmill, it works quietly and does not consume electricity. When you consider the use of this treadmill over the long run, it will save you a huge amount of money on your electricity bills as well as servicing costs. For those who have the bigger treadmill budget, want minimal technology fuss, and are looking for a heavy-duty machine to provide them with a great workout, the Woodway Curve treadmill is an excellent option.
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