Best Budget Treadmills - Readers' Choice Awards 2013

Health studies keep coming that conclude that sitting too much raises health risks, even if you put in workouts once you finally get out of your chair. Using a treadmill desk like the 1200-DT can substitute slow walking for sitting. Burn calories throughout the day while reducing your sitting time. The treadmill display is at the front of the desk console. Voted Best New Treadmill for 2012 by Treadmill Doctor and previous winner of our 2012 Readers' Choice Award for best budget treadmill.

Apparently this is one of the top-selling treadmills on Amazon.com, where it's earned 4.5 out of 5 stars. It has a 2.5 horsepower motor and it folds to save space. It has convenient handlebar controls. It comes with 17 pre-set workouts and two heart rate zone workouts. Your exercise data is saved on a USB stick and you can track your workouts online with the LifeSpan Fitness Club. One nominator said, "You get a lot of bang for your buck. It's easily the best treadmill on the market in the $1000 price range."

This treadmill comes in the lowest price category, under $400. At that price, you are not likely to be getting a very sturdy or durable treadmill. It has a 2.0 horsepower continuous duty motor and a user weight limit of 300 pounds. With that amount of power, it's best to be used for walking rather than running. It's a folding treadmill. It has a hand grip pulse monitor and eight workouts. Interestingly, it comes with two 2-pound hand weights so you can do a little upper body work, too. One nominator said, "Cost effective and great for beginners like me!"

• Premium Treadmills over $3000
• Mid-Priced Treadmills between $1500 and $3000
• All 2013 Walking Readers' Choice Award Categories