If you play your cards right, finding a cheap treadmill on the market isn’t extremely difficult to do. If you know how to do your shopping effectively, there’s a good chance that you’ll go home with a treadmill that will both suit your exercise needs and be gentle on your wallet. In fact, there are a number of treadmills available for less than $300-$400. How does one get in on one of these deals? It’s simple: Buy used.

Some people may have a bit of an issue with buying used treadmills, but it’s surprisingly easy if you know what you’re getting yourself into. Approach buying a used treadmill much like you would approach buying a used car. You don’t just buy the cheapest thing on the lot, and you don’t go for the first one you see. If you do, you’re likely to get a treadmill that’s going to break the first time you start running. Naturally, you don’t want that to happen.

What you need to do first is have the treadmill you’d like to purchase inspected by someone familiar with treadmills. There are a number of treadmill inspectors and repairmen available in most areas to do this task, and the cost is surprisingly low for their services. The inspector will check a variety of items, such as the belt, motor, and other safety devices (such as the emergency shutoff) to ensure that you’re getting a quality treadmill that will also be safe.

Next, you need to test the treadmill. While it may be difficult to get a full workout in on someone else’s machine, simply ask to either do a light walk or a short jog to make sure that it’s right for you. Not doing so will end up costing you a lot of money in the long run.