You have purchased an expensive gym membership or bought a home treadmill from one of the trusted manufacturers. It is there plonked right in front of you. You may have had few goes but hankering after more. Using a treadmill may seem deceptively easy. However, wrongly doing so can lead to injuries or a workout not up to the scratch.
Heed and steer clear of these 7 slip-ups to run or walk better.
1. Avoiding warm-ups or Cool-Downs
Before beginning the real exercising part, you need a warm-up for your muscles. This prevents the occurrence of injuries from frigid muscles amidst the exercise. A warm-up can be brought off by a slow walk or a slow run, something that is less intense than the actual workout. The main objective is to adapt your muscles to build up and energize.
A cool-down at the end is equally imperative. Stopping your workout abruptly can lower blood circulation and you may start feeling dizzy. Closing with a sensible cool-down can avert this possibility.
2. Clasping onto the Sidebar Handles
You might be inclined to hold the handrails while you run, fearing a potential fall off or to keep yourself steady. This practice is actually dangerous to your routine. When you clutch onto the bars, you support your body weight to a certain extent, which lessens the amount of exertion gone through by your legs. This makes your workout ineffective. The perfect way is to keep your arms swinging sideways in natural motion while you walk or run.
3. Not Making use of the Whole Belt
This is one mistake which even seasoned runners commit. People tend to run at the front or back of the running turf. This is detrimental as you might trip. The treadmill belt is so designed to make your feet touch the landing and push off from somewhere in the middle. The metal rollers at the end keep the surface on the move. A full stride on the running surface is when the treadmill works at its best.
4. Not Holding on to the Upright Posture
Walking or running upright is vital for anyone working out on the treadmill. People tend to look down at the feet while they walk or run. Many feels, for some weird reason, it to be fascinating. Try not to look down as there are chances to lose your balance, sprain your neck and spine. Keeping your head held high and looking straight ahead of you will help you align yourself with a better and upright posture and make your running action effective.
5. Forgetting to Wear Proper Running Shoes
You have to buy the proper running shoes. A worthwhile investment indeed! You can use them even when you walk on the treadmill. These shoes are designed especially for exercising purpose. They have cushions and support points rightly placed to help you run smoothly and avoid injuries. Without a decent running shoe, using the treadmill is next to inviting a trauma.
6. Not Turning up the incline
The incline is an extremely effective feature which most of us conveniently forget to avail along with the speed. Treadmills don’t allow you to run on uneven terrains, like walking uphill or something you do while trekking. Incline serves this purpose to the fullest. It is good to mix up few minutes of incline with the regular flat surface workout. Why not take up this challenge? Incline helps you to burn more calories, aggravate blood circulation and nicely tone up your overall body muscles.
7. Not Shuffling Your Routine Workout
Change your exercise regime. Whether it is a health, fitness or weight loss routine, try various ways to take your workout away from being a mundane affair. In that case, you will start losing interest. Running or walking the same duration every day is a sure shot recipe for disaster. Challenge yourself to run faster or farther. Try different modes with varying speeds or inclines. Your performance not just will improve but also your calories will make way for a quicker exit.
Stick to avoiding these 7 treadmills running blunders. Give a chase to this guide, make the most of your treadmill and be sure to get it from one of the best gym equipment manufacturers and improve all your ways of life.
