I starting really getting active around April 2007 when I retired. I started out walking about a mile three times a day. When the season got cold it wasn't a lot of fun having to walk in the cold especially when it rained. I also did not like the idea of having to purchase a gym membership then having to drive to the gym three times a day if the weather was bad. So I decided that purchasing a treadmill was the thing to do so I checked out walmart's website and found this one was in my price range. It has several great characteristics, such as time walked, distance walked, and calories burned. I feel that the best feature is the distance walked but knowing how long I have been on the treadmill is also a great feature. I started out walking for 30 minutes three times a day just like I had been walking outside. I gradually raised the speed so that I was walking faster. I do not run on the treadmill due to my age.