I live in South Florida so walking is OK almost any day of the year. I walk outdoors 4 miles per day.
But before I started walking on the street I wore out 2 treadmills and 2 elliptical machines (in about 10 years)
Treadmills:
I wore grooves in the metal plate under the conveyer belt. My advice there is to buy treadmill lube and apply regularly - it will extend the life. Part of my problem is I had the treadmill on the back porch, so I suspect some sand may have found its way inside.
I also recommend a manual treadmill, as they exercise you more like actual walking and they will burn more calories in less time. Plus they are smaller and less expensive.
The longest lasting manual treadmill for me was a NordicTrak - I don't think they make manual ones anymore.
Ellipticals:
So to keep from wearing out the plate, I went elliptical.
I don't recommend an elliptical. I wore two of those out as well, the clutch mechanism that regulates the resistance froze on one, and the upright actually broke on the other, each a month after the warranty expired - and one was an expensive NordicTrak
So I decided to quit buying machines and walk on the street. What I noticed after the elliptical is that my ankles were week, the treadmills exercise those muscles but obviously the elliptical did not. When I went back to the street my ankles ached until the muscles built back up.
So my advice would be:
- Buy a manual treadmill
- Get a sturdy one - don't go for the bargain brand
- Get lube for the underside of the belt and keep it lubed
- Don't buy it at all if you aren't committed to using it - they make expensive clothes racks
I know you cannot walk outdoors in Michigan all year. I spent a year in Michigan, from Detroit to Grand Rapids to Houghton Lake to Ispeming and a few other towns.
But I have found that walking on the street with a 1.5 pound weight on each wrist gives me better results in less time than the treadmill. So when the weather is nice, go outdoors and do your walking there.
Bob