It’s little wonder that working out on a treadmill is such a popular way of taking exercise both at the gym and in your home. These machines are easy to use, can suit all ages and levels of fitness and can give a wide variety of useful fitness benefits. These machines can be used by beginners who simply want to lose some weight through to experienced trainers looking to boost their racing skills.
So, for example, walking or running on a treadmill can tone up your body, strengthen your lower body muscles and increase your stamina levels. This kind of exercise has specific cardio-vascular benefits that can also help keep your body healthy and working at peak performance levels.
In general terms you can use a treadmill for three main forms of exercise. The first, walking, is often used by beginners to this equipment or those who need a gentle start to their fitness program. This kind of exercise is also useful as a warming up or down exercise technique as part of a wider fitness workout.
As you become more experienced here you can move on to the second form of exercise here and increase your treadmill workout by incorporating running on the machine. This could incorporate short bursts of speed running or longer periods of slower jogging for endurance and stamina purposes. The controls of a motorized treadmill here can help you set programs and treadmill tasks that can help you to make progress here.
Many treadmills nowadays also offer the third form of exercise as an option — this increases the ‘slope’ that you run or walk along. Exercising with this mode in operation is often referred to as hill running. This can bring a load of additional benefits to standard running as you use more muscles and increase your own workload when you do this.
You can also work on your upper body strength when you use a treadmill. Many trainers, for example, will use free weights such as dumbbells to give their arms and upper body a workout whilst they are walking or running on their treadmill.
If you are using weights in this way you may want to start off by spending a few minutes on the treadmill then a few minutes off the machine leaving you free to concentrate on your weights work. As an alternative you can use the weights whilst you are using the treadmill for a whole body workout.
Treadmills nowadays also often come with a range of monitors and performance enhancement features which you may find useful no matter what kind of workout you choose to do on this machine. You can, for example, measure the miles that you have walked or run and see your speed and step rates.
Other useful features include the ability to monitor your heart rate to make sure that you push yourself enough without moving outside safe levels. And, you can even find treadmills now that will tell you how many calories your workout is burning off which is a really useful incentive!
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When it comes to choosing a treadmill to use in the gym or to buy for home use then you have two primary options to choose from — should you be using a motorized treadmill or a manual one? A motorized treadmill uses its built in motor to power the treadmill belt whilst a manual treadmill’s belt is powered by you when you start using it. So, which option will suit you best?
#1 Motorized Treadmills: Treadmills that have a built in motor will give you the option of using a moving belt rather than one you have to start off yourself. In most cases this means that you can choose from a variety of speeds, slopes and resistance factors that allow you to change the workout that you get as you use the machine.
You’ll also generally find that motorized models come with more added extras. So, for example, you could end up with a heart rate monitor, calorie counter and even customizable programs that you can set up for your own individual needs.
But, a motorized treadmill will cost you more than a manual model. You may also find that these treadmills are heavier than manual ones and may take up more space. Most models here are static models so you’ll need to have sufficient space to have them in your home in any case.
#2 Manual Treadmills: Treadmills without any source of power (apart from your feet!) which you move by using them. Some people prefer this option as they feel it gives them a better overall workout as they have to make more effort to get things moving. These models are also generally cheaper than motorized options.
The average manual treadmill will also be smaller, lighter and less bulky than a motorized model. In some cases here you can even buy folding models that can be stored away when you aren’t using them which can be useful.
You don’t, however, get the same variety of workout options with a manual treadmill and are unlikely to get any of the monitoring or reporting mechanisms that come with the other models. Also, some people find manual treadmills hard to actually run hard on and prefer to use a motorized treadmill for this reason.
The choice of treadmill that you ultimately make may well depend on your budget and your workout preferences. At the end of the day both options here could help you kick start a general weight loss or fitness program. If you are looking for other options and the ability to take on different workout programs then a motorized model may suit you best.
One of the best ways to see which model will work best for you is to try one of each out. You should be able to do this in an exercise equipment store or a department store with a sports equipment department. Your gym may also be worth looking at for this purpose although many gyms will nowadays only offer motorized treadmills to their members.
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