Walking on a treadmill for weight loss: effective exercise on the simulator


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?

“The treadmill promotes the development of incorrect running technique”

As my own experience has shown, incorrect running technique occurs as a result of the lack of a coach, and not because of the treadmill. The latter, on the contrary, allows you to work on the technique, since in the absence of external stimuli the athlete’s main attention can be focused on the movements of his body - position, smoothness of steps, rhythm, landing point, hand movements, etc. Running on a treadmill actually puts more stress on the front of your thighs, while not working your glutes and rear as hard. This is due to the fact that the track moves independently under the weight of the athlete, which means there is no need to make efforts to move forward. However, this deficiency can be eliminated, for example, by increasing the length of time the heel touches the road surface and stretching the back of the leg more than during normal running.

Running on the track. Myths and reality.

How to start running from scratch to lose weight

Many people consider starting to run as a difficult and overwhelming task, especially if you have never been involved in sports and have not led an active lifestyle. The main thing here is to start. How to start running correctly to lose weight:

  1. Choose a convenient wardrobe for jogging, place and time.
  2. Each workout should be at least 60-80 minutes after eating.
  3. At first, jogging should be 10-15 minutes, at a slow pace. If 10 didn't last, that's okay.
  4. With each workout, you need to gradually increase the time, without changing the speed, by 7-10 minutes, depending on how you feel. You need to exercise regularly.

It is best to choose shoes with shock absorbers. Clothes should be appropriate for the weather, because in any case it will be hot, but it can always blow out (applies to the evening or spring-autumn, winter periods). The main thing in losing weight is to spend more energy than you get from food, so in addition to jogging, you need to think about a balanced diet. After only 14-21 days of training, the duration indicator will increase from 10 minutes to 30-40, which will make it possible to burn fat during training, increase body endurance, and move on to the next stage of training.

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How to run on a treadmill to lose weight

A treadmill is a multifunctional exercise machine that can be used on any terrain. Thanks to this, you can not think about weather conditions and practice even at home. Running on a treadmill for weight loss can be the same as running in the park or anywhere else. A special feature of the simulator is the presence of built-in programs that regulate the slope or descent of the road (you can run uphill on a treadmill), as well as the running speed of the student.

How long should you run on a treadmill?

Cardio training in the gym - running on a track - is the same as aerobic exercise on the street. How long should you run on a treadmill? The duration of the lesson depends on the same indicators: the level of training, health status, and the person’s goals. You can run uphill or downhill, use interval training, changing the rotation speed of the treadmill. The type of activity will dictate the duration.

How fast to run on a treadmill

Changing your running speed on a treadmill is easy using the control panel, but the key is knowing what pace to run at to lose weight. This criterion for training should be based on the goal, when it is determined: count the pulse and select the desired program on the simulator. We burn fat - we run slowly, we burn as many calories as possible - we run faster (70% or more of the maximum heart rate).

Girl on a treadmill

“10 km on the track is equal to 10 km on the street”

This is perhaps one of the most painful discoveries. Yes, yes, just because you ran 10 km per hour on the track does not mean at all that you can repeat this result on the street. It would seem that functional training outdoors and indoors is not much different from each other. But that's not true. The presence of treacherous climbs and headwinds is what you will notice as soon as you find yourself in combat conditions. To justify the electronic simulator, I will add that modern technologies provide ample opportunities to effectively simulate reality - for example, during training you can periodically change the angle of elevation, and also install a fan to increase counter resistance using air flows. Many modern walkways, by the way, are equipped with built-in fans.

Running on the track. Myths and reality.

“Running on a track is more dangerous for injuries”

Thinking about injuries on the tracks, you inadvertently remember the endless number of funny videos in which athletes who have been staring at fitness beauties fall on their faces, forgetting to take the next step. Moreover, from the outside it seems that the fall is quite serious and painful. Well, an incident can happen to anyone. However, if you follow the necessary safety precautions, start and finish the workout correctly, as well as the correct placement of your feet on the running surface, the risks are minimized. In addition, in fairness, it is worth noting that treadmills are equipped with a well-thought-out shock absorption system, which significantly reduces the load on muscle tissue and joints, the spine and knee caps. The degree of hardness of the surface of the simulator can be compared to the surface of rough terrain, which is the most gentle for a runner. This will be especially important for beginner runners, who have a high chance of suffering various injuries during outdoor activities, simply by tripping over something or pulling a ligament.

Running on the track. Myths and reality.

How to properly exercise on a treadmill

To get the most out of your workouts, you should enter your training regimen correctly. If you haven’t worked out on the track before or have had a long break in training, then you should start with light and short cardio sessions. At first, it is recommended to spend no more than 15 minutes running, gradually increasing this time to half an hour. For the first five minutes, start with a brisk walk to warm up your joints and ligaments, and only then move on to an easy run.

To choose the optimal mode, you should pay attention not to speed, but to your own heart rate. Almost all tracks have pulse sensors that display your heart rate on a special display.

Good to know! to the following formula: “220 is the age of the athlete.” For example, if you are 25 years old, then the upper limit of your heart rate will be 195 beats per minute. This is the upper limit beyond which you cannot go. To conduct an effective workout, the pulse is within 70-80% of the permissible limit. If we take the upper pulse as 195 for calculation, then the optimal value will be 140 beats per minute. The average reading for a healthy adult is 120-130 blows; such a load is safe for health and gives a positive effect.

How to properly run on a treadmill
Slow walking on the path has almost no contraindications. But if you have chronic diseases or untreated injury, it is recommended to consult a doctor. But you should be careful with running; it is forbidden to exercise on a treadmill if you have problems with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, hypertension, asthma, heart defects, mitral stenosis, heart failure and after a heart attack. You should also not run if you have problems with the musculoskeletal system, which include hernias, osteochondrosis, sprains and joint diseases. People with varicose veins should also refrain from running.

“I will run smoother if I grab the handrails.”

Certainly. It’s not for nothing that they are there. Or is it all in vain? Any, even not sophisticated, instruction manual for the treadmill will tell you that the handrails are used as a safety net during changes of speed - a sudden high speed can throw you off the treadmill, and this way you will be able to grab the handles and avoid falling. On the contrary, holding on to them while exercising can be dangerous, especially if you are exercising at high speeds. This position can easily lead to uncoordination and injury.

Running on the track. Myths and reality.

“I’ll be bored in the gym”

In my opinion, everything is quite obvious - you look forward at the wall, occasionally running your eyes around the hall. All the same people. But no, it looks like that girl over there has switched to a bicycle. But only players, e-books and films have not been canceled. Charge your phone with something inspiring and go into battle. Without even noticing, I ran a half marathon on the track while watching the last part of The Hobbit. Can you imagine if your treadmill is located in the fitness center on the 20th floor, and what if it is located near the window?

Running on the track. Myths and reality.

“The number of calories burned that the track shows is correct.”

Well, I would really like to believe, but alas, the fact is that the data on energy consumption that a simple simulator shows is very approximate and most often comes from your age, body weight and training results. In reality, our body is much more complex. Don't trust the track 100%. She often tries to motivate you and embellishes the result a little. On the other hand, getting a small amount of positivity in order to return to training again - is that bad?

Running on the track. Myths and reality.

How to lose weight while walking

The effectiveness of a weight loss workout directly depends on the amount of effort expended. If the source of the load is perceived comfortably by the body, then the person will not receive any improvements other than the state of health. It’s a completely different matter when, after exercising on a machine, an athlete experiences severe shortness of breath or his legs give way. This indicates that the training was successful and that soon the extra calories will completely disappear from his body.

Interval training

This type is a very effective way to quickly lose weight. By alternating the degree of load, the body does not have time to get used to the exercises, so fat burning will occur at the desired intensity. It is recommended to start interval training with a five-minute walk, after which you can increase the speed or incline in the simulator. As soon as the classes no longer seem difficult, you need to add load or move on to more complex exercises .

Cardio

Modern weight loss programs often alternate cardio with strength training to achieve maximum effect. However, even cardio exercises on the machine themselves can help achieve the desired result with proper nutrition and moderate stress on the body. The intensity of the exercise should be sufficient for the body to consume accumulated fats and convert them into energy to perform exercises.

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