Running and jogging are basic cardiovascular exercises that will help improve your health and increase your athletic performance and quality of life. Manual treadmills offer an inexpensive alternative for runners and joggers who want to exercise without having to challenge traffic, car fumes and inclement weather. You can save money by either purchasing a manual treadmill and assembling it yourself or building it from scratch. The parts required for this project can be bought from a hardware store.

Supplies

Wood

Hot Glue Gun

Roller Bearings

PVC Pipe

Screws

Step 1: Step 1: Workspace

Get a clear workspace!!!

Step 2: Step 2: Frame

Get a piece of plywood that’s: The size of the length of a treadmill that you are comfortable with. 1 / 4 inch thick or thicker. Use 2 x 4s to build the frame that will support the track. Your 2 x 4s should extend about 5 inches past the front and back of your track. This will give you room for the rollers as well as enough length to where the carpet won’t come off. Pro Tip: If you’re a bit on the heavier side, add a couple of 2 x 4s across the width of the frame. They’ll act as braces to stabilize the treadmill.Drive your screws or hammer your nails to hold the frame together and fix the track to the top of it. Mark a spot about 3 / 4s of the way back on both sides of the frame. Take two 2 x 4s that are the length of the track. Secure the 2 x 4s to the outer frame in an upright position with nails or screws. Mark another spot about a foot ahead of the upright 2 x 4s on both sides of the track. Position two shorter 2 x 4s in an upright position on these marks, angling them backward until they connect with the “inside” of the longer 2 x 4s. Secure the shorter 2 x 4s to the frame and to the longer 2 x 4s so they act as braces.

Step 3: The Rollers

This step is quite easy and short!

Measure and cut two pieces of PVC pipe to fit the width of the track at both ends. Insert a 4 x 4 post inside both pieces of PVC pipe. Mark the centermost point on each end of wood inside the PVC pipes. Drill a guide hole into each marked point. Place the PVC pipes at either end of the frame to where the top is slightly above the running board. This will keep the carpet from catching when you run on it. Align the center of the pipe with the frame sides and carefully drill holes through the frame. Insert short lengths of copper tubing to act as bearings. Insert long nails through the pilot holes into the posts inside the PVC pipes to secure them while allowing the PVC pipes to spin freely.

Step 4: Step 4: the Carpet

Measure a piece of carpet that: Matches the length of your track. Is long enough to go around the track and both rollers. Leave some extra length on the carpet so you can adjust it if needed. Cut the carpet, leaving some extra length to create an overlapping area. Sew the ends together using a heavy-duty fishing line and a curved bag needle.