Training with the treadmill? It is a valid alternative. Of course, running and walking are among the physical activities that allow you to burn more calories and fat and tone your legs, buttocks, and calves simultaneously. However, if practising them outdoors is not always possible, a valid alternative is the treadmill despite present substantial differences. One of the most used tools in public or home gyms, it owes its success above all to its ease of use.
Mainly characterized by a moving roller, it allows you to create personalized training paths, both independently and with the help of the programs present in the tool’s memory, of a personal trainer or the numerous existing fitness apps. If you are undecided about starting or not, know that there are differences compared to running outdoors.
Very suitable for losing weight and toning up, even training with an exercise bike. The two best models on the market are Pelton and NordicTrackbrands, similar but with some differences. Playing sports is essential at all ages, even when you are no longer very young, and prevent the onset of osteoporosis as much as possible.
But if walking and running are not for you, training with an elliptical into viable alternatives. On the other hand, if you don’t like staying indoors and want to train outdoors, you should know that running is perfect even in winter. Alternatively, try Nordic walking. or training on the stairs. Be careful though, training too much and undergoing excessive effort can hurt your body and mind. Overdoing it can also generate post-workout headaches.
How Do You Start Your Treadmill Workout?
To start training with a treadmill, it is essential to assume the correct posture to perform the training at best and avoid future pain or injuries. The foot must rest entirely on the roller, the torso slightly leaning forward, and the arms and shoulders relaxed. It is important to look straight ahead and not get distracted so as not to risk falling.
Subsequently, the essential parameters required by the tool must be set, which may vary from model to model, but usually include at least weight, duration of the training, speed and slope of the platform.
Evaluate The Right Slope
The latter is a fundamental aspect to consider because the more it increases, the more effective the exercise is in muscle, cardiac and respiratory toning, and endurance. If you want to start by simulating the characteristics of the external terrain as much as possible, the slope must be 1 or 2%.
After becoming familiar with the tool, to carry out a gradual work, which works but at the same time does not tire too much, the ideal slope reaches a maximum of 4% for running and from 5 to 8% for walking. The best strategy for toning up is decreasing the speed and increasing the incline to increase muscle contraction. It is also helpful to alternate sloping movements with atria on the plain every about 4 minutes.
Before each session, it is essential to remember to do some warm-up by strolling. In the end, however, be careful not to stop abruptly but continue for another 5 minutes of slow walking, followed by 10 of stretching, to relax the muscles and avoid tearing. For stretching, exercises with the Foam Roller are also indicated. For the abs, on the other hand, planks are excellent, as long as you don’t make these common mistakes.
Why Choose The Treadmill
The treadmill is the most recommended tool for those starting to take their steps in fitness for the first time because running and walking on a moving roller is more accessible than doing it outdoors.
There are many reasons:
- The car’s shock absorbers reduce the impact on the joints much more than asphalt or concrete.
- You don’t have to deal with air resistance.
- You don’t have to pay attention to the pitfalls of the terrain.
This makes movements more fluid and easier for you to focus on what you are doing rather than your surroundings. On the other hand, training with the treadmill can be more strenuous on a mental level because, always remaining in the same place while moving, feeling like a hamster running on its wheel in a cage can arise.
From Walking To Running
The ideal is to start with a simple walk without a slope and at a maximum speed of 5 km / h, then move on to a faster walk that is between 5 and 6.5 km / h and gradually increase the intensity, arriving at a light run that exceeds 6.5 km / h. If you want to keep your weight under control, here’s how many calories you burn while walking.
Different Benefits
The hike is perfect for toning the lower body and training the breath given more complex challenges, while the race is more helpful in burning calories and moving towards a slimming. Calories that continue to burn even when the workout is over.
The recommended frequency for beginners is three workouts per week of about 20-30 minutes each. Exercise with resistance bands is also excellent to tone the muscles. In addition to squats, lunges are also suitable for training the lower body. For strength training, jump rope exercises are also excellent. To keep track of your progress, apps for smartphones or fitness trackers are handy.
Treadmill Training For Beginner Runners
Warm-up: 5 minutes of slow walking without incline, with progressive speed increase.
Training: from 1 to 3 series, depending on the preparation and the time available of 30-60-90-120-120-90-60-30 seconds of running.
Recovery: one minute of walking.
Recovery after each set : 3 minutes of slow walking.
Cool-down: 5 minutes from running, gradually decreasing, to walking.
Training With A Treadmill For Amateur Runners
Warm-up: 8-10 minutes, increasing the pace from walking to jogging up to a more sustained run. Slope as desired.
Training: 1-2 sets of 1-2-3-5-3-2-1 minutes at a fast pace.
Recovery: a minute and a half of slow running.
Recovery after each set: 5 minutes of slow running.
Cool-down: 8-10 minutes, gradually decreasing the pace.
Useful Tips
To run and train on the treadmill, you can use the same shoes to practice running in the open air. Still, if you have to buy them specifically, it is better to choose the lighter and less cushioned because the surface you exercise is already cushioned. And less challenging than asphalt.
Considering how much you are sweating and the temperature and humidity of the environment you run, drinking is still essential. Before starting to train, therefore, you need to check that you have a water bottle with water or other suitable liquids on hand. If you want to do some toning exercise to sculpt the buttocks in addition to a cardio workout, it is beneficial to perform squats with elastic resistance bands. To balance the workout, it is also helpful to train the arms with dumbbells.
Also Read: PEC DECK: CORRECT EXECUTION FOR WORKOUT
