Many newcomers to the world of sports are interested in how to properly run on a treadmill. The simulator looks simple in appearance, but the impressive display with buttons, handles and other attributes is a little intimidating. Despite this, the treadmill is perhaps the most popular exercise machine in the gym. It allows you to set a high-quality cardio load that is adequate for a specific body.
You can adjust the speed, pace, duration of the session, see your calorie consumption, distance traveled, heart rate, and the result achieved. Running on a treadmill has both benefits and harms, and their sizes are incomparable (in favor of the first). Want to make sure of this?
Benefits and harms
- The entire muscular skeleton is strengthened, because such an exercise uses the muscles of almost the entire body;
- The device makes it possible to regulate the amount of load, so people with different levels of training can exercise on it;
- Girls will certainly appreciate the benefits of a figure simulator, because running training for weight loss allows you to burn 600-800 calories in an hour;
- What do you think running on a treadmill does for the body? That's right - this is an excellent workout for the lungs, heart and vascular system. The athlete’s blood pressure normalizes, the blood is saturated with oxygen, and the lungs increase in volume. As a result, your well-being improves and your endurance increases;
- Metabolism improves, the skin becomes more elastic, the intensity of cellulite decreases;
- Also, a treadmill helps relieve accumulated irritation, get rid of stress, and distract from obsessive thoughts.
A treadmill cannot cause any noticeable harm, of course, if you run correctly, following the technique and setting yourself an adequate load. Among the disadvantages of the device, we note the following:
- Running in the park will always be more correct and healthier, because here you breathe fresh air. Not a single gym, even with the highest quality ventilation, can provide you with such conditions;
- Although the running technique on a treadmill does not differ from the technique in natural conditions, the machine still creates an artificial environment. If you run outside, on sand, gravel, asphalt or even a running surface, your joints and muscles receive a more “native” load.
- To be able to run on a treadmill, you will have to purchase a gym membership, which often takes a significant toll on your pocket. Also, you will have to adapt to the schedule of the fitness center.
- To run correctly, you will have to understand the machine settings and ask more experienced athletes for help. You can run outside on your own, at any time of the day or night.
- Athletes must observe safety precautions, since the treadmill holds the record for the number of accidents in the gym. Here is a brief set of rules for working with the device: you cannot hold on to the handrails (if the device is equipped with them), look at your feet on the canvas, jump at high speed, and exercise in shoes not intended for running.
- Another disadvantage, which would be wrong not to mention, is monotony and boredom. Imagine, you will have to spend a whole hour in one place, performing monotonous actions. We advise you to stock up on a good playlist.
Answering the question whether running on a treadmill is harmful, we will say “no,” but we emphasize that you should not have any contraindications:
- If you are obese, it is correct to start with walking on a treadmill, only then switch to running;
- You should not run with high blood pressure;
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- Inflammatory processes accompanied by pain, increased body temperature;
- Diseases of the heart, respiratory system;
- After a heart attack or stroke;
- For glaucoma;
- After abdominal operations;
- For injuries;
- During pregnancy (walking is recommended).
So, we have listed the pros and cons of running on a treadmill, now let's talk about technique.
How to run correctly?
If you are interested in how to start running on a treadmill correctly, the first thing you need to do is learn the rules.
- Any workout always begins with a warm-up - do a small set of exercises to warm up your joints and muscles. Bends, swings, squats, stretching, circular movements are suitable;
- According to the treadmill running technique, start the exercise correctly with walking, and after a couple of minutes switch to jogging;
- You cannot immediately put a high load on the body, so it is important to monitor your heart rate so that they are always in the normal zone (120-130 beats/min);
- Properly structured workouts are always based on increasing the load. Try to increase your goal by 5-7% every week;
- Many people are interested in how long to run on a treadmill, and we will answer that the minimum interval should be at least 30 minutes. It doesn’t make sense to do less, it’s better to spend this time on other exercise machines. By the way, if you want to know how long you should run on a treadmill to lose weight, be prepared to spend at least 50 minutes on the treadmill. The fact is that only 40-45 minutes after the start of a sports activity, the body begins to draw energy from accumulated fat. During the previous period, it works on glycogen, carefully accumulated by the liver.
- To increase the effectiveness of the exercise, it would be correct to alternate the running pace from fast to slow, or set the running surface to a slight upward slope. If you are wondering how fast to run on a treadmill, we would advise you to first listen to your feelings. It is recommended to run no more than 300 m at maximum acceleration, then switch to jogging. The optimal running speed on a treadmill is 6-8 km/h;
- They finish the workout with a cool-down - do breathing exercises, stretch their ligaments, and stretch.
https://youtu.be/D0-GzIgI0FI
Dips
What does it train?
Dips or exercise machines train:
- shoulder girdle,
- chest muscles,
- triceps
- deltoid muscle.
In addition, when doing push-ups on the uneven bars, you can use weights, which are usually barbells weighing 15-20 kg.
By doing push-ups from the horizontal bar, you will train the same muscles as during push-ups.
It is important to know
But it is also important to remember that
that boxing has nothing to do with athleticism, that is, building muscle mass by any available means is impossible. Because due to overload of the body and especially non-strike muscles, a boxer may lose the speed of the blow and his blow will become viscous.
The general physical training of a fighter must be combined with relaxing training. Thanks to such relaxing training, the boxer does not lose his speed qualities, and the boxer’s muscles are elastic.
https://youtu.be/a5TopKONBVQ
Running technique: learning to move correctly
Proper running on a treadmill for beginners is based on correct movement technique. The latter includes the following elements:
- Hand movements;
- Body position;
- Footwork.
Hands
They move synchronously with their legs, in opposite orders. The hands are clenched into weak fists, the arms are bent at the elbow joint at a right angle. When the speed of movement increases, the frequency of arm swings also increases.
Frame
Leaned forward no more than 7°. The spine is kept straight, deflections in the lower back are not allowed. The head is raised, the gaze looks forward;
Legs
Let's look at how to properly run on a mechanical treadmill for medium distances or at high speed. In the first option, the rule of no knee lifting applies. The athlete runs, moving as in the exercise “sweeping the shin back”, however, without touching his butt with his toes. At the moment of acceleration, on the contrary, the knees need to be brought up and forward, as when running with a high hip lift. In both cases, the feet should be placed first on the toes, then rolled onto the heel.
Private errors
If you want to know how to learn to run on a treadmill, check out these common mistakes that many beginners make:
- Failure to comply with safety regulations. Potential for injury;
- Deflection in the body. Sets the critical load on the spine;
- Ignoring warm-up and cool-down. Excessively overloads muscles and joints;
- Exercise when you feel unwell. Dangerous for health.
- Incorrect angle of the walkway. At the initial stage it should not exceed 5°.
So, we have looked at how much you should run on a treadmill, and also studied the technique of movements. Below we present treadmill running programs that any athlete can successfully use.
Water.
If you start running regularly, develop the habit of drinking water regularly as well. Your body must be hydrated. This will help a lot in training. You need to drink throughout the day. Simply drinking half a liter of water before a run in the hope that it will make up for everything you didn't drink beforehand won't help. In this case, you will simply need to go to the toilet very quickly, and the training will be disrupted. So, you need to drink plain water constantly, throughout the day. While you are just starting out and your workouts do not exceed forty to fifty minutes, you should not take water with you. The reserve you have accumulated will be enough for you. But don’t forget to replenish lost fluid after training. Never get dehydrated. It’s very easy to check whether you are dehydrated or not. If when you go to the toilet “little by little” the urine is clear or almost clear – everything is OK. If the color of your urine is dark yellow or, God forbid, it’s close to coffee-colored, you’re alarmed, you’re dehydrated.
Activities Options
You can choose any scheme, but it would be correct to first assess your level of physical fitness, weight, age and health.
So how can you exercise on a treadmill?
- Walking. It can be practiced as an independent exercise or supplemented with running. Gives the body a gentle load, therefore it is allowed for overweight people, pregnant women, and those with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- Fast walk. It is correct to start an exercise with this, and it will also be correct to switch to a fast step in order to calm the pulse after a fast run;
- Fast walking uphill. The slope of the blade can increase up to 15%. The exercise allows you to train endurance, coordination, muscle strength;
- Jogging. Most athletes come to run on the machine this way. This is an effective scheme for burning fat and improving endurance;
- Interval running. Running uphill. These two options are classified as complicated; they are recommended only for athletes with good physical fitness. How long can you run on a treadmill like this? It is correct to devote no more than 20 minutes of the total class time to these exercises. Devote the remaining period to brisk walking or jogging at a moderate pace.
How often can you run on a treadmill to see results as quickly as possible? The most correct and optimal scheme for cardio training is 3 times a week. Unless you are training for a marathon or a professional track and field athlete, running more often is not necessary. Remember, any training should bring joy and pleasure. Otherwise, you won't stay in the hall for long!
You must have a plan.
It's not even about training. You can download the basic plan on the Internet, or you can view it on our website. But that's not the point. The point is in general terms for the week. You need to fit running into your regular lifestyle, so you must start clearly planning your entire schedule and include running in it. Analyze your week and see where you spend your time. I assure you that if you take the trouble to write down in a notebook exactly by the hour what you did for at least two or three days, you will definitely find time to run. Very often we do not notice how we are wasting our time. We watch TV, go to a cafe or just surf the Internet. By writing everything down, you will definitely find a way to optimize your day. You must (must) explain to your friends and family that running is very important to you.
