Whenever I am asked what I think about treadmills,
I answer they are great. They are great for losing weight, they are
great for staying fit and they are convenient. But besides these
general answers I believe that the treadmills’ benefits can
be
analyzed at a more detailed level.
One of the main reasons why treadmills are amazingly beneficial is the
cardio exercise. Heart Rate workouts strengthen the heart, increase
cardio fitness, pump oxygen to the muscles and adjust blood
circulation.
Another known advantage is that on treadmills runners can do low impact
exercises. The probability of getting injured on the treadmill is lower
than getting injured while running outside. This is because almost all
preset treadmill programs are done by the book: warm-up, workout, and
then cool down. Plus treadmills belts are usually backed by advanced
cushion systems meant to reduce impact over joints and ankles in
comparison to road running.
There are many users who purchase a treadmill to lose weight. Everyone
knows that running is highly efficient when it comes to losing weight.
But less know that treadmills include the most efficient workouts for
weight loss: cardio exercises based on targeted heart rate. Plus most
decent treadmills allow you to enter your age and weight before
starting a weight loss program, which means you receive punctual and
personalized feedback after each workout.
Speaking of personalized feedback, treadmills have another plus: you
can track your performance progress right from the
treadmill’s console. Most treadmills offer you weekly,
monthly or yearly reports. Plus, with the latest technology developed
for cardio equipment there are treadmills that allow you to download
your workouts reports from the console through a simple USB device.
Then you can upload your workouts information in different fitness
software available on the Internet. This system is usually used if you
want to take advantage of interactive fitness programs offered by
different brands, where professional trainers use your personal reports
to create personalized workouts and meal plans.
I mentioned in the beginning that for me treadmills are convenient.
This was one of the main reasons I chose to run on a treadmill in the
first place. Either in your home or in a gym, during summer or winter,
treadmills are extremely convenient, especially for those who lack
spare time. You are free to maintain a consistent training program and
not worry about details such as the freezing cold or the terrible heat.
And this leaves you out of reasons to skip a workout or two.
Plus treadmill workouts improve lung capacity, enhance stamina, improve
sleeping and eating habits and last but not least they enhance immunity
and prevent diseases and conditions, which over all means you actually
get to live longer and happier.
Here is one treadmill workout you can do 3-4 times week to keep you in
good shape. It’s called the Power Walk exercise:
Warm up: 1.0 mph speed for 2 minutes and 1.5 mph speed for another
2minutes
Segment 1: 2.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 2: 2.5 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 3: 3.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 4: 2.5 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 5: 4.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 6: 3.5 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 7: 3.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 8: 2.5 mph for 30 seconds
Repeat segment 1-8 at least 5 times (minimum 24 minutes)
Cool down: at 2.3 mph for 2 minutes than at 1.5 mph for another 2
minutes
You should keep incline at 0% at the beginning, and increase it to
1%-2% when you have more experience.
As a personal note, before you engage in any type of sport, consult
your physician to know at what intensity you can train, especially if
you know you suffer from any illness.
To resume the conclusion of this article in a positive note, staying
fit means staying healthy and a healthy body can only mean a healthy
lifestyle. This may be a good enough reason to start working out right
away and why not, even buy your own treadmill.
This article is written by Anna Ursu. Anna is a
treadmill tester for RunReviews,
a website dedicated to treadmill reviews.