Which treadmill to choose for home use

Movement is health. But monotonous sedentary work, constant riding on public transport and an inactive life leaves an unpleasant aftertaste in the form of extra pounds and serious diseases. On fasting days alone, you won’t be able to get rid of fat and you won’t be able to tone your body back. You need high-quality physical activity.

Not everyone has the free money to buy a subscription to a fitness center or equipment for their own gym. But the problem is solved if there is a “handy” man in the house who can independently assemble equipment according to the diagrams. You can make different equipment. If you need a versatile option, a DIY treadmill at home is a great solution.

Treadmill - the right choice

Before you decide which treadmill to choose for home use, you need to learn in more detail about the principle of its operation and the main types of treadmills. A treadmill is a cardio exercise machine that allows a person to run or walk at home, without leaving his home.

The main difference between treadmills, which are classified as cardio equipment, and strength-type exercise equipment, is that they allow you to strengthen the cardiovascular system, as well as maintain muscle tone. Strength training machines are typically used to develop muscle strength.

It should also be noted that treadmills can significantly increase the endurance of the human body. In addition, they are the most effective exercise machine if a person wants to lose excess weight. Indeed, in terms of speed and rate of calorie burning, a treadmill is much more effective than a variety of exercise bikes, skiing and rowing machines.

Reference! A person can independently select the intensity of his training regimen on a treadmill (from walking to running). Therefore, this exercise machine is perfect for those people who suffer from severe back pain or osteoporosis. It should also be noted that during the rehabilitation of patients who have suffered severe injuries, specialized, narrowly specialized treadmills are actively used in medicine.

What are the benefits of running on a treadmill?

While running or walking, muscles warm up and excess fat is burned. With regular exercise, endurance increases, a person becomes stronger and fitter. Proper home use of the exercise machine and adequate loads lead to positive changes:

• leg muscles, abdominal muscles, and heart muscles become stronger;
• metabolism improves;
• the circulatory system and brain are saturated with oxygen; joints are strengthened;
• shortness of breath goes away.

The treadmill can also be used for walking, which is important:

• for beginners who have not previously experienced physical activity;
• if you have problems with joints;
• hypertensive patients;
• when recovering from illness or injury after consulting a doctor.

Exercising on the treadmill is a way to prevent physical inactivity. Which treadmill to choose for home use? First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the types and their characteristics.

Is it good to run in the morning?

Winter is a difficult time for running. Short daylight hours, slush or frost, icy conditions and unclean roads, inaccessibility of many of the usual routes located in forested areas, prolonged holidays - all this reduces the motivation for training. Should I continue to train fully in the winter, or should I take a break and wait for spring?

My opinion is that the question “To run or not to run in winter?” should not stand in front of runners. The winter holidays will cost you the lost shape that you gained throughout the past season!

With just three to four weeks of downtime, you'll have to resume running at a much lower volume and intensity. Moreover, the less experience you have in running, the more pronounced this will be.

For runners with more than four years of experience, it will take approximately two to three weeks to return to their usual volumes.

Attention!

If you are a relative beginner, be prepared for significantly longer periods - up to two months.

Therefore, do not quit classes for more than two weeks.

In addition to the obvious preservation of the athletic form gained over the spring-summer season and, importantly, maintaining weight at the desired level, there is another very important advantage in winter running - in winter you can increase the level of maximum oxygen consumption (VO2) with minimal effort.

To increase, or at least maintain your VO2 max, twice a week include repeated acceleration running in your training, say 10 times 100 meters over the same or slightly longer distance of slow jogging.

It is determined not only by the ability of the respiratory system to deliver oxygen to the blood and transport it to working muscles, but also by the ability of the muscles to extract (i.e.

“pull out”) this oxygen from the blood, assimilate it at the cellular level and remove the resulting carbon dioxide in the same way into the atmosphere. These processes are carried out by various enzymes, the production of which we stimulate with training.

As soon as it comes to getting rid of excess weight, for some reason the desire to start running immediately arises. In reality, there are few people who have not tried or at least considered the possibility of starting running. And among these people, the vast majority start running in the morning.

But is it good to run in the morning? Let's figure it out so as not to make mistakes. You may already be familiar with the article about running, which was published not so long ago. In order not to repeat myself, I will try not to duplicate information in this article. Let's talk about the benefits or harms of running in the morning.

First let's ask ourselves: Why do we run? In my opinion, there are only two answers to this question.

1. We run for general health.

2. We run to get rid of excess weight. The first answer has already been given in the article The benefits and harms of running. Therefore, let's move straight to the second question. Indeed, most people who run do it to reduce body weight. Moreover, both quite slender girls and pumped-up young men are running around. But there are relatively few overweight people among those running in the morning.

Slender girls will remain slim if they adhere to the right diet.

Inflated young people will still be people with a low percentage of body fat due to the fact that they take anabolic steroids (for the most part). And steroids greatly speed up the metabolism in the body, and, as a result, fat is quickly burned. In addition, it is mainly young people who run. And when we're young, most of us have excellent metabolisms. So why run?

So it turns out that running is essentially a way to burn off some extra calories. If you don’t overeat after this, then excess weight will not be gained, and perhaps it will gradually go away. (Again, the question: will fat or muscle mass go away? It’s a pity that most runners don’t ask themselves this question.

) Now let’s figure out what the specific benefits (or harms) of running in the morning can be. In the morning, after a long sleep, our body is in a state of glycogen depletion. Those. the glycogen that we were able to accumulate over the entire previous day has already been sufficiently used up. For what? For basic metabolism, for the work of various organs of the body at rest, during sleep.

If we used only oxidative muscle fibers, then fat would be the source for work.

But when running, glycolytic muscle fibers work. And the fuel for them is glycogen, which, let me remind you, is almost absent in the morning. What then will the muscles use to do the work? In the absence of glycogen, our body will provide working muscles with energy due to the so-called. gluconeogenesis. Those.

muscle structures will be broken down into amino acids, and from them glycogen will be formed in the liver, which will be used to ensure muscle function.

It turns out that running in the morning will help you lose weight. But most of the weight lost will be in muscle structures. But we needed to get rid of fat, not muscle.

Do we really want to see a fat dystrophic person in the mirror?

Types of treadmills and their features

There are different types of treadmills and if you are not sure which treadmill to choose for home use, you need to first familiarize yourself with the features of all types of treadmills.

The basic elements of the simulator are a frame and a running surface . The frame serving as a support is made of steel or aluminum. Based on the principle of operation, treadmills are divided into:

Mechanical

Should you choose a manual treadmill for home use? The track surface rotates due to the action of the trainee’s legs; no power source is required; the design is lightweight.

The main disadvantages of this simulator are the lack of shock absorption, a small set of functions, and the movement of the belt in jerks. Diseases of the veins or joints exclude training on such tracks due to the lack of shock absorption. This type is the most affordable for home use.

Magnetic

When choosing a magnetic treadmill, consider the following points. The running belt is attracted by a system of magnets that control movement and braking, giving a smooth ride; no power source is needed.

Such tracks also have no depreciation; in terms of cost and functions they are practically no different from the first type.

Electrical

Is it better to choose an electric treadmill for home use? The canvas of such simulators is moved by an electric motor controlled by a microcomputer. Through the display, the speed of movement, the inclination of the belt are adjusted, and the training program is set.

Electric treadmills offer good shock absorption, but they are large, heavy, and dependent on a power source. Two groups of electrical tracks are suitable for home use:

• economy, with basic electronics and engine power up to 1.5 hp;
• amateur ones with engine power up to 2 hp. and electronic control.

Folding

If your choice fell on folding treadmills for home use, you need to take into account that there are separate folding (compact) treadmills, which can be electrical or mechanical. The compact exercise machine is easy to store. Folding electric exercise machines retain all functions.

Children's

For the youngest athletes, there are children's treadmills for home use, which are small in size and have a bright appearance. They can be used by children from two years of age and use a simple control system.

To decide which treadmill to choose for home use, evaluate your existing conditions and needs: for some, a compact mechanical exercise machine is suitable, for others, only an electric one with good shock absorption is suitable.

Assembly option

You can assemble a treadmill with your own hands, but you will have to make an effort and buy additional spare parts.

Option for a homemade treadmill made from transport tape

The first step is to assemble a reliable frame. It can be made of metal or wood. If you decide to make a metal frame, then a profile or tubing pipe will do. Their profile pipe can be purchased at a specialized store, and tubing can be purchased at a metal collection point at a low price. Key points to pay attention to when making a frame:

• The width of the frame should allow unhindered movement of the running belt.
• The entire structure is designed for stability.
• In addition, you can weld handrails with a non-slip coating.
• The lower frame on which the shafts will be mounted must be inclined.
• It is worthwhile to provide a mount for the deck.
• After making the base of the simulator, the shafts are installed. They should turn easily. To achieve this goal, shafts can be connected to bearings.

What to consider when choosing a treadmill

When studying the assortment, pay attention to the characteristics of the main parameters:

Engine and its power

The motor provides maximum belt speed. The choice of power should be made depending on the person’s weight: if he is less than 85 kg, and the training is amateur, then a power of 1.5 hp is sufficient. For heavier weights, choose engines from 1.6 hp. To increase the life of the machine, choose a treadmill with the highest constant power.

Running belt size and frame

Optimal parameters of the tape: length 120 cm, width 40 cm. This is enough for comfortable training. It is important to take into account weight, height and expected speed of movement. Pay attention to the shock absorption system and the thickness of the fabric. The joints will be less stressed if the band is elastic. Multilayer fabric will last longer without replacement.

A frame frame is preferable to a steel frame in order to withstand the weight of the trainee and work on the treadmill with a reserve. Inspect the frame design and check for the presence of a folding mechanism, which affects the price of the simulator.

Dimensions and stability

When choosing a treadmill model for home use, decide on the place where it will be located in the house, make sure that the selected dimensions are suitable. Take a closer look at folding treadmills; keep in mind that their unfolded dimensions may vary. Make sure the machine is stable.

Availability of handrails

Handrails are used for safety: to prevent falls and injury. They should not impede movement; the height and width should be comfortable. Children and older people are not recommended to use the machine without them. The overall stability of the simulator depends on the parameters of the handrails.

Display

The display should display important information: heart rate, distance length, speed and number of calories burned.

Comfort of the control panel

A convenient and understandable control system is an important component of a treadmill. First of all, look:

• backlight and monitor settings so that the displayed information is clearly displayed;
• the presence of a pulse meter, its location;
• availability of programs and dynamic measurement functions;
• additional functions (personal trainer, MP3 player, etc.).

Noise level

An important characteristic for close, cohabiting and demanding neighbors. Mechanical treadmills are the noisiest; electric treadmills operate almost unnoticed. The indicator depends on the characteristics of a particular simulator, choose a model that meets your noise requirements, test the simulator when purchasing.

Maximum user weight

Weight affects the frame and motor of the treadmill. Manufacturers of exercise machines indicate this parameter in the characteristics: it varies from 115 to 180 kg. For regular exercise at home, a treadmill designed for a maximum user weight of at least 120 kg is considered reliable. Choose a treadmill that can support 20 kg more than the heaviest user.

Treadmill cushioning mechanism

The key element of a treadmill for home use is an effective shock absorption system. When the foot makes an offensive movement, the impact force on the running belt causes damage to the joints and bones of the legs . With a system that softens and absorbs shock, the musculoskeletal system becomes less tired, the possibility of injury is reduced, and the effectiveness of training increases.

The depreciation system can be:

• Basic, includes deck and elastomers. A deck is a platform that, when deflected, absorbs part of the shock load. Elastomers are round or rectangular bushings, their thickness depends on the model.
• Advanced, with three levels of shock absorption: rubberized treadmill supports; soundboard; elastomers, rubber gaskets or springs.

Also pay attention to the ability to increase the angle of the track.

Troubleshooting

If a problem occurs, you will not be able to send the device to a specialized treadmill repair, so you will have to do everything yourself.

The main breakdowns of the simulator are related to the running surface and the engine. How to extend the service life of mechanisms?

If you have assembled a mechanism using an electric motor, then the first thing you need to do is turn off the power. Then find out the cause of the breakdown.

If the running surface glides poorly, there may be the following reasons:

1. Insufficient glide. To fix the problem, you will need silicone treadmill lubricant.
2. Ingress of debris. Just clean the space under the canvas.
3. Moved out. With frequent loads, the running belt may change its position, and you have to adjust it regularly.
4. If the breakdown is related to another mechanism, you can buy the necessary spare parts and find information on the Internet on how to repair treadmills.

Methods for adjusting the inclination of the running belt

The functionality of the simulator increases if it is possible to change the inclination of the running belt. There are two changing methods: mechanical and electronic.

Mechanical setting

Mechanical adjustment occurs thanks to the footrest at the rear of the treadmill. 2-3 levels of footrest height allow you to manipulate the back of the canvas to create a tilt. Such tracks have a simple and lightweight design, are less susceptible to breakdown due to the lack of a special motor, and are cheaper in price. The disadvantages include:

• low rise (no more than 10%);
• folding the simulator to change the angle of inclination, which is inconvenient during exercise;
• To fold the track, you need to move the canvas to the base position.

Electronic tuning

Modern exercise machines have electronic adjustment and an electric motor for this. This option complicates the design and increases the cost of the treadmill.

Increased slope gives:

• transferring the load to the legs and buttock muscles;
• increased energy consumption;
• reducing training time to burn the required number of calories;
• increased load when combining speed and inclination angle;
• variety and endurance training.

It is important to understand that it is wrong to immediately set the incline to 30% for jogging. It takes gradualism to get used to it and not get injured.

What is the problem?

• It is difficult (extremely difficult!) to decide what to make a simulator from, especially to find a suitable material for the canvas. It should be elastic and at the same time strong enough. Finding an adequate replacement for industrial solutions is almost impossible.
• The simulator assembled in this way will be very bulky. It will take a lot of skill to make it compact in size. And if there is plenty of space around (for example, in a country house, it’s better to just run outside).
• A homemade system with an electric motor will be extremely unreliable.

Finally, and this is the most important thing - a simple treadmill, costing only 10-15 thousand rubles, will be much more convenient and safer for the user than a simulator assembled from whatever you need.

Now the tracks are equipped with small computers with cardiac sensors and even special training programs.

In short, it is more profitable to pay for a store-bought version than to suffer with homemade products.

Buy a normal treadmill in a store (it’s quite possible to find cheap options) and don’t waste your time.

A treadmill is an expensive proposition. You can do it yourself

Movement is life. Unfortunately, office work and constant driving or public transport make it impossible to move sufficiently. To solve this problem, many people think about purchasing a treadmill.

Treadmill folding mechanism

For home use, it is very convenient when the exercise machine folds, saving space in the room. For safety reasons it is important:

• the presence of a closer with a pneumatic mechanism for neat and quiet folding;
• protection from children. Check to see if there are limiters or built-in protection.

Exercise machines with a shock absorber system are easier to fold: the lowering of the running belt occurs slowly, eliminating injury.

If the machine does not have shock absorbers, lower the deck slowly to avoid pinching your hands.

Cardio sensors, what are they for on a treadmill?

The heart rate sensors that treadmills are equipped with allow a person to monitor their heart rate during exercise. Indeed, depending on the intensity and mode of the chosen workout, a person must maintain a certain level of heart rate.

For example, in order to keep the body in good shape, you need to adhere to one specific training pace, and in order to burn fat during exercise, you need to adhere to another. In addition, when exercising on a treadmill, it is recommended to pay attention to the age and weight of the person.

Also, for every person who trains on a treadmill, information regarding the state of his body will be very useful. However, it should be noted that there is a category of people for whom tracking their own pulse and heart rate level is mandatory . The heart rate sensors that treadmills are equipped with are necessary for use by people who:

• They engage in training aimed at increasing the overall level of endurance of the entire body.
• People who use a system of high-intensity interval training.
• People who have certain problems with the functioning of the cardiovascular system. In this case, in order not to harm your health during training, it is necessary to constantly monitor the body’s performance indicators.

Most treadmills that fall into the budget segment are equipped with wired heart rate sensors. The main disadvantage of such sensors is their low accuracy. When using them, the error in measuring pulse rate and heart beats can be about 30%.

Professional or semi-professional treadmills are usually equipped with wireless heart rate sensors . The main advantage of wireless sensors is their ease of operation, as well as the level of accuracy of the readings. In this case, the level of error when measuring pulse using wireless sensors is no more than 1 ular per minute.

Let's move on to process technology

Making a mechanical treadmill for your home with your own hands is generally not that difficult. Its basic diagram can be represented in the form of a support or frame (small runners or just legs plus a deck for the canvas). All parts are made of wood (at worst), although it still makes sense to make the legs metal - for reliability.

The frame must be connected to a pair of horizontal shaft-axes, and they should be at different heights to create a slight tilt. Then a dense elastic fabric is pulled tightly onto the shafts (like a bulldozer or tank caterpillar). And in fact, the work on creating the simulator has been completed.

If you definitely need an electric type simulator - “like a real one” - you will have to worry about connecting one of the axes to an electric motor, which will rotate it. The most creative craftsmen will probably be able to use a gasoline engine.

What pre-installed programs should be present?

Before choosing a treadmill for home use, you need to first of all pay attention to the amount of pre-installed software on this cardio machine. The main programs that should be present on the treadmill are:

Interactive heart rate monitor (allows you to measure your heart rate level);

Interval training mode (allows you to alternate between intense and low levels of load during training);

Fitness test (allows you to assess the current physical form and condition of the human body);

Hills mode (allows you to change the incline on the treadmill, thereby simulating walking on rough terrain).

It is recommended to choose treadmills that, in addition to pre-installed standard software, are additionally equipped with programs that allow you to adjust a person’s training regimen taking into account the individual parameters of his body (weight, height, step length). There are also programs that allow you to determine a person’s level of physical fitness and select an appropriate training regimen for him.

Security Settings

Security Key

A special magnet is installed on one side of such a key, which is attached directly to the console itself. On the other side of the key there is a special clip that is attached to the clothing of a person exercising on a treadmill.

If a person accidentally falls or trips while training, the key will fall from the console, which will automatically turn off the simulator. By using the safety key, you can avoid serious injury while using your treadmill at home. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase models that are equipped with such a key.

Handrails

The handrails located on the side parts of the simulator are necessary to secure a person in moments of accidental falls or when stumbling while running. Also, the handrails can protect a person when switching operating modes of the simulator. Before training, you need to make sure that the handrails will not interfere with the free movement of your arms while walking or running.

Automatic slow start

Treadmills equipped with this function, regardless of the selected mode, do not immediately start the belt at the speed set by the user. In this case, in order to minimize the possibility of injury, the belt begins to pick up its speed gradually, reaching the user-specified pace.

What can replace running?

Running is a very convenient form of physical activity, but, unfortunately, in some cases it is contraindicated.

It is dangerous for people with a weak heart and severe varicose veins, for patients with a vulnerable musculoskeletal system, for asthmatics.

Choosing an alternative type of fitness should take into account specific restrictions.

1.Weigh on the horizontal bar (bar) every day for as long as possible, in your free time. - for breathing and endurance. 2. pump up your legs in the gym / without food, eat only low-calorie foods. 3.

you can also pump up your abs (or any other place where there is fat). 4. Well, it’s also advisable to buy a treadmill, it’s very good for losing excess weight. This helped me a lot before the competition.

In half an hour of jogging on it (at a speed of 10 km/h) I lost almost 4 kg.

Running is indispensable, you can burn fat with various exercises, but running is mandatory, if the running is weak, run slower, and the first time not 10 km, but 1 - 1.5 km. After running, you can do squats, press, and don’t forget about proper nutrition. I wish you success)

Important!

Nothing, in my opinion - running is the best form of any physical activity. It's just not familiar to you. Take a slower pace or distance. When the body gets used to it, you will feel it and increase the load.

If after the first training session you immediately decide to give up (although at first it’s hard for everyone and everyone’s breathing is weak), then you’re unlikely to achieve anything in other sports...

I weigh 90 with the same height and you are much worse skinny

much less: 54 kg at 170 cm? Running is harmful to joints, by the way, the impact load. I bought myself an exercise bike a long time ago. They are not expensive now, decent ones cost from 7,000 rubles. Sweating begins profusely within 10 minutes. In half an hour more than a liter of moisture comes out. And in combination with Dita, your fairy tale, you lose more than 1 kg of weight per week. The first month, all 2 kg every week.

The best way is holotropic breathing. And you will burn fats and normalize your breathing and develop endurance.

any other cardio exercise. low-carb cardio 1 hour at heart rate 120-140 beats/min. consume less. what do you spend!!! - this is the basic rule! and fat does not burn locally. it burns in an even layer throughout the body and where there is more of it, it will go away last!

I don’t know if this method of losing weight will work, but I replace running with martial arts at home, I do punches and kicks, before I start punching, I do a joint warm-up, from head to toe, after that I start doing punches, like in karate (or kung fu), shadow boxing, for a minute I need to do a continuous series of blows, you can do it calmly, or you can do it very quickly and do it very intensely, do punches with all your might and during the blow exhale sharply, do 2 sets with a rest between sets of 30 seconds to a minute, but if you have a goal to lose weight, then you can rest less, although I don’t know if it’s possible to lose weight this way, after doing these exercises I have time to sweat, this For me, this is a warm-up and cardio at the same time, light cardio, replacing running for 10-15 minutes, after punching, I move on to kicking, but I don’t advise you to do them, since they require good stretching and flexibility.

Is your apartment large? Is there enough space for you to jump rope? But even if there is enough space for you, everything is fine, that is, there is another problem, if you live in an apartment, 3-5 storey building, then there is a high probability that you can make noise by jumping rope or jogging in place, but if you live on the ground floor or you have some kind of separate house, then you should not have problems with this, but if you have a separate house or you live on the ground floor, then the most important thing here is the place for studying, is it enough for you, but you can do what is right for you, what you like, but do not forget about the warm-up, first do a joint warm-up, and then warm up until your body is lightly sweating, you can replace punches with something else, but you need to do these exercises not as intensely as I do, because for me it’s a warm-up and light cardio, but for you it won’t be a warm-up, but a workout, so it’s better to do warm-up aerobic exercises not for 1 minute, but for 10-30 seconds, rest according to how you feel, do 2-3 warm-up sets, then rest for 2-3 minutes or according to how you feel, and only after rest do you start the training itself. At first, it will be enough for you to do 10-15 minutes a day, you can do it every day or every other day, depending on how you feel, but your diet should be correct, less carbohydrates, more fruits and vegetables, more healthy foods, but it’s better for you to reduce carbohydrates, that is, you should burn more calories than you consume them, for example, you eat 1000 calories a day, and you should spend 1500 calories or 2000, but you shouldn’t work out too hard, because your muscles and body need rest, I think if you spend 1.5-2 times more calories, then this is for you there will be an optimal option for training and nutrition) I wish you success in fitness)

How to care for your treadmill

To ensure that the simulator is always in working, good condition, it must be properly cared for. The canvas must be kept clean. Dust and dirt should not accumulate on it. Also, before training, it is recommended to periodically tighten it and lubricate the treadmill mechanism.

During training, the cardio machine must be installed on a level place so that there are no distortions on the surface. To prevent corrosion, after training, you must constantly remove your sweat from the surface of the exercise machine with a dry cloth. At least once a week you need to wipe the surface of the display and handles of the simulator with a damp cloth. When cleaning the machine, do not use cleaning agents or detergents.

The treadmill should not be stored in a cold room or garage. Also, such exercise equipment should not be stored on poorly insulated balconies. This is due to the fact that with sudden changes in air temperature, condensation forms on the surface of electronic equipment, which can damage it. When storing the exercise machine in a cold, unheated or poorly insulated room, it is recommended to pack it securely and tightly.

Why the track?

Running is a universal activity suitable for almost everyone. So much has been written about its benefits that there is no point in repeating it. Meanwhile, organizing a basic jog in the fresh air is sometimes difficult - sometimes snow and rain, sometimes ice, sometimes dust and exhaust fumes from cars, sometimes a cramped yard and no stadium nearby.

If you have a treadmill at home, the lion's share of problems automatically goes away. Neither the weather outside the window, nor the lack of suitable equipment or time to travel to the stadium is any longer an excuse. Is it just mother laziness...

So, we’ve decided – let’s go to the store to buy this miracle exercise machine. We're coming. And we experience some shock from the prices. And I immediately remember that there is, in general, a crisis outside. And there are already places to spend money.

But is it really possible to give up on the dream of a strong, beautiful body? No, we don't give up that easily. The craftsmen of our vast Motherland have found and are finding a way out of any situation! Or almost any one.