Anyone who begins to change their lifestyle should follow
nutrition, exercise, at some point you think: “Is running in place beneficial?” Running itself is one of the best physical activities that develops endurance, gives health and a beautiful, slender body shape. The “running in place” exercise evenly loads all the muscles of the body and does not require any expensive equipment. And its undoubted advantage is a good mood.
But running in place alone will not give you a slim body. Weight loss is only 30% dependent on exercise. The remaining 70% belongs to proper nutrition. If you don’t follow at least the basic rules of a healthy diet, then running in place will just be a pleasant addition, nothing more.
“Prokhindiada, or Running in Place”: positive effects on the body
The effects of running in place are similar to regular jogging. At this time, the muscles receive a softer, non-traumatic physical activity. There is training and developing tension for the heart and blood vessels, as well as the musculoskeletal system. This increases the body's endurance and improves metabolic processes. Running in place involves almost all muscle groups. Undoubtedly, this exercise only improves your posture.
When running in place, energy is consumed at the rate of 100 calories in 15-20 minutes. If you run continuously for half an hour, you can burn up to 280 calories (the average person weighs 58-60 kg). Actively lifting your legs burns more calories. Running greatly warms up the body, which requires additional costs. Therefore, the body begins to take this energy from fat deposits.
To increase the load, you can use weights for the legs, dumbbells for the arms, change the tempo and rhythm of movements. When running in place, active sweating begins, which removes toxins and waste products from the body.
Running in place forces you to breathe actively, and you oxygenate your entire body. The body will quickly thank you with excellent work.
Useful properties of the technique
Before mastering the technique, you need to find out whether running in an apartment is beneficial and how it affects the body. The exercise is extremely effective; it has the same beneficial properties as other types of aerobic exercise, namely:
- speeds up metabolism;
- removes waste and toxins;
- burns fat deposits;
- normalizes heart function, strengthens blood vessels and develops the respiratory system;
- increases the body's endurance;
- improves posture and bone condition;
- has a general strengthening effect.
A distinctive feature of the exercise, which replaces regular running, is the reduced load on the muscles and joints of the legs. You can run at home in one place at any time of the day, regardless of the weather and time of year. If we compare real jogging and its imitation, it is worth noting that home training will allow you to achieve results over a longer period of time. This is due to the fact that cross-country running is more varied and forces the muscles to work at different intensities.
Turning disadvantages into advantages
To increase the load or change its impact, you need to change your running pace frequently.
It will be useful to alternately raise your heels, knees, and legs overlapping. In addition, it is advisable to use leg weights when performing the “running in place” exercise. At the same time, calories will be spent more intensively. It’s easy to fight monotony. Just add stimulating music, and the exercise will immediately become brighter. You can watch TV shows, films (for example, “Prokhindiada, or Running in Place”), recordings of lectures, conduct training on the balcony (add fresh air) and much more.
You can add additional exercises to develop other muscle groups. This will allow you to lose more calories.
It’s worth finding effective motivation, starting to exercise regularly with a positive attitude, and your body will begin to transform for the better.
Review Reviews
Judging by the reviews, many overweight people resort to running at home in place because they are embarrassed to run in front of other people.
They hope to lose a certain amount of kilograms, and then continue running in the park or stadium.
At the same time, there are tangible results: for example, one woman who was losing weight regularly lost 1 kg per month. At the same time, she considers the rate of loss insufficient, although she actually lost about 8 kg, which cannot be considered a failure.
Positive or hopeful reviews are interspersed with calls to stop doing nonsense and start running in the fresh air or in fitness centers. The authors of the calls are usually professionals related to fitness.
“Running in place” exercise technique
To lose weight at home, it will be enough to jog in place for 20-30 minutes.
After this, you can move on, for example, to abdominal exercises.
Learning to run in place is not that difficult. We stand facing the wall, lean forward a little, while our back remains straight and our abs are drawn in. We place our palms on the wall and begin to alternately raise and lower our legs, bending them at the knees. Remember that you cannot straighten your knee joints until they click. Thus, we practice the correct position of the body - a slight bend forward. If we tilt it back, the load will be transferred to the hip joints, and this is very harmful. Once you have learned to run with the correct body angle, you can move on to controlling your foot function.
Your feet should always be gently lifted off the floor. We land carefully on the front of the foot. If you jump on your toes, you will overload your calves. And always remember one thing - you can’t slam your heels on the floor as hard as you can. Imagine that a child is sleeping in the next room and you are afraid to wake him up.
Simple running without jumping: the foot must be placed from heel to toe. Try to alternate legs as quickly as possible, without bringing your knees above parallel with the floor. The stomach is tucked in, the body is straightened, the arms are either bent at the elbows and pressed against the body, or as during normal running.
Simple running with hops: your feet touch the floor only with the ball of your foot. As soon as your foot hits the floor, immediately jump up and change legs. They should not be forcibly bent. They should remain slightly bent throughout the entire movement. The lower back will be protected by a tense press.
Shuttle run. It's more like moving in a confined space. For example, you can run from one wall to another. This style helps burn calories because a large number of muscles are used when turning or turning.
What you need to know
Running on the spot at home can be done much more effectively if you know which muscle groups are involved during training. This will help focus the load on problem areas and speed up the process of getting rid of extra pounds.
The main work during this exercise is performed:
- calf muscles;
- quadriceps thigh muscles (quadriceps);
- gluteal muscles;
- biceps femoris muscles.
The abdominal and lumbar muscles receive additional stress.
It should be borne in mind that local fat burning does not exist and it will not be possible to remove fat only in the lower part of the body. The body will lose weight evenly.
Basic Rules
The effectiveness of running in place will increase significantly if you perform it according to certain rules.
Basic instructions:
- shoes should be comfortable. It is necessary to use sneakers with soft, springy soles;
- sportswear should cover the knee and ankle joints. This is necessary in order to minimize the risk of injury;
- exercises must be performed technically. While running, your back is straight, your abdominal muscles are tense, your arms move synchronously with your legs;
- Breathing should be controlled. The rhythm should be even, breaths should be frequent and shallow (if training is carried out on a balcony in the frosty winter, it is recommended to breathe only through the nose);
- the stomach should be empty. You should start running in place no earlier than 3-4 hours after your last food intake.
For those just starting to exercise, it is important to monitor your heart rate. Its upper limit can be calculated using the formula 220 minus its own weight. The lower threshold is determined as follows: (65 + upper value)/2. For most people, training is most effective between 120 and 140 beats per minute.
Effectiveness for weight loss
Running in place helps you lose weight due to the fact that during its execution the body expends a large amount of energy. So, in one hour of training, 300–350 kcal are consumed. For comparison: 1 hour of jogging allows you to spend approximately 400–450 kcal.
During the exercise, the production of anabolic hormones (testosterone, somatotropin) is activated, which makes it possible to speed up the process of fat breakdown.
Thanks to running, an increase in the metabolic rate in the body is achieved, which is an additional factor in rapid weight loss.
It should be borne in mind that you will not be able to get rid of extra pounds by running in place if you do not follow a low-carb diet at the same time as training. Its essence is that the basis of the menu should be proteins (lean meats and chicken, fish, eggs, cottage cheese), complex carbohydrates (cereals, durum wheat pasta) and fiber (fresh vegetables).
The effectiveness of running for weight loss will be as high as possible if the training is carried out in the morning immediately after waking up, after drinking a glass of clean water.
Contraindications
Running in place is contraindicated for diseases of the knee or ankle joints (arthritis, arthrosis). Axial load can cause increased inflammation, damage the cartilage tissue of the joint, and cause severe pain.
As a replacement for dynamic, axial loads for fat burning and improving muscle tone, it is advisable to use static exercises: chair, bridge, etc. They make it possible to create high tension in the muscles without putting stress on the joints.
People with severe pathologies of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs should exercise with caution during the recovery period after surgery and injuries. It is recommended to consult a doctor before starting classes.
All types of physical activity must be abandoned if symptoms of infectious diseases appear: fever, cough, chills, aching joints, severe headaches, etc.
Time for a home run
On strength training days, you can run in place for weight loss at home for 20-30 minutes.
This can replace morning exercises. On other days, you can use interval running in place. How many calories you burn depends on how you act. First, do a warm-up (regular walking), then alternate 2 minutes of fast running, 1 minute of jumping, and 2 minutes of recovery slow running in place. The latter can be replaced with a hula hoop or working on a health disk. Effective weight loss will be active provided that you devote about 200 minutes a week to cardio training.
Why gym exercises are better than street exercises
The main question of interest to people who dream of losing weight and shaping their hips and legs is: how to lose weight on a treadmill and is it realistic at all. Both doctors and instructors agree that jogging is very useful and will really help eliminate those hated pounds.
Many people mistakenly believe that the result appears instantly, and when after 2-3 weeks they see that the reflection in the mirror and the numbers on the scales have not changed, they decide to simply leave this activity, since they consider it useless. But it is necessary to understand that everyone’s energy consumption is individual and the rate of weight loss directly depends on this. In addition, the result depends on the frequency of classes and how well they are selected.
If you use the exercise machine regularly and choose the right program, you will lose weight quite quickly. The question remains relevant: what is better: running on a track or on the street. Most experts advise giving preference to the first option, as it has the following advantages:
- Losing weight on a treadmill is suitable for people of all ages, since the design and material of the belt minimizes pressure on the spine and joints.
- The simulator is adjusted individually for each person.
- Modern exercise machines are equipped with computers that display information about the load performed, which helps control the weight loss process.
- While working out on the simulator, you can watch TV or prepare for an exam.
- Modern tracks are equipped with different programs that can simulate running on rough terrain and even climbing uphill.
While running on the machine, the pressure on the joints will be minimal, which helps prevent the development of destructive changes, as often happens with running outside.
Recommendations for implementation
Like any workout, running in place requires a warm-up. You can either do a little exercise or walk around the room a little. Thus, metabolism starts and the load on the cardiovascular system is reduced. The room where you are going to run should be well ventilated.
It is not advisable to eat food an hour before classes and for an hour after. You can only drink water.
Running in place for weight loss at home can be done at any time of the day. It all depends on when you have time and when you are ready to study.
The first time it is better to run for 5-7 minutes. Each workout can be increased in time by 1-2 minutes. You cannot give a large load right away, this will cause overwork and soreness will appear.
You can only breathe through your nose during exercise. As a last resort, exhale through your mouth. Complete the workout by walking around the room for five minutes.
Classes must be conducted regularly, at least two to three times a week. Everyone can benefit from running in place. Reviews from those who practice regularly confirm this.
How to control the load
There is a simple and accessible way to do this: measuring your pulse.
You calculate your maximum and minimum. This is done like this:
count your pulse at rest (best in the morning after sleep, lying in bed);
you calculate the maximum heart rate (220 minus age);
lower load limit: resting heart rate + maximum, divide the result by 2;
upper load limit: lower limit + maximum, divide by 2.
For example, you are 30 years old, your normal heart rate is 60:
- maximum: 220 - 30 = 190;
- minimum limit: 60 + 190 / 2 = 125;
- maximum limit: 125 + 190 / 2 = 157.
Contraindications
The first priority is to carefully and properly protect your feet, spine and chest. Therefore, you cannot run in slippers, barefoot or simple sneakers. Running shoes perfectly protect the musculoskeletal system from impact loads. Injuries and sprains can be avoided with proper chest support.
Doctors do not recommend running in place if:
- severe curvature of the spine;
- injuries to the knees, hips and ankles;
- pregnancy;
- BMI exceeds 35 (the risk for joints increases, it is better to replace it with gentle cardio);
- varicose veins (however, it is better to consult a doctor - you can run in special compression underwear);
- exacerbation of hypertension.
Restrictions
Along with the positive properties, this type of activity has a downside that people with:
- hypertension during exacerbation;
- bronchial asthma;
- injuries to joints and spine;
- significant excess weight. A guideline can be the body mass index (BMI - the ratio of weight to the square of height). If its score is more than 35, there is a high probability of knee injury due to increased load during jogging;
- high degree of varicose veins;
- pregnancy.
Anyone who has at least one of the factors listed should consult with their doctor before starting a training course to obtain his permission, so that losing extra pounds does not result in harm to health.
Moreover, if there are medical restrictions, you can always find an effective alternative way to lose weight that is right for you.
Intensifying the effect - treadmill
If you want to achieve greater results, you can purchase a treadmill. It allows you to control your heart rate (so that it does not go beyond the upper limits) and the number of calories burned. With its help, you can set the desired pace and build the required level of inclination. All this will only have a positive effect on your body.
Since the treadmill has a cushioned soft surface, the muscles and joints will not be subjected to too much stress during training.
In addition, thanks to this simulator you can get acquainted with regular race walking. To lose extra pounds, it is enough to exercise for about half an hour every day. After some time, the load can be increased. The result will not be long in coming!
