10 ways to get the most out of the treadmill

The treadmill is probably one of the first machines you are introduced to after joining a gym. It’s also the machine that most people invest in to maintain their fitness levels at home. However, there are a few things you need to know in order to get the best out of the machine.

1. Wear the right clothing

Running on the treadmill is likely to get you sweaty even if you are doing it in an air-conditioned room. Try and wear a comfortable cotton T-shirt along with shoes that have a good grip. Never try to run barefoot on a treadmill.

2. Increase the speed gradually

You may be in a bad mood and feel that running at a high speed will diminish your anger. However, accelerating your speed as soon as you start running will do no good and can lead to injuries. Try and warm up for a couple of minutes at a speed where you can run without much effort. Only then should you increase your speed to a challenging pace.

3. Don’t land on your toes or your heels – ideally land midsole

A lot of people make mistakes when it comes to landing their feet correctly on the treadmill. They either land on their toes, or on their heels. Both these techniques are wrong, and you should ideally land on your midsole while running on the treadmill.

4. Maintain good posture

Keep your back straight and don’t have a hunch while running on the treadmill. Bad posture can be further aggravated and you may end up with lower back ache if you don’t maintain the right posture.  Read more about indoor cycling.

5. Keep a towel handy

You must keep a towel handy while running on the treadmill especially if you are running in a gym. You wouldn’t like it if you had to run on a machine that had other people’s sweat on it.

6. Do not grip the bars

If you’ve never run on a treadmill before, then you may need support in the first few days of you joining the gym. However, after a few days you should learn how to run hands-free as that will mimic the natural motion in which people move. Also, running handsfree is better for losing weight and building core strength.

7. Try HIIT

If you are looking to lose weight, then try High Intensity Interval Training on your treadmill. Based on a study by Japanese professor Izumi Tabata, it’s based on the concept of alternating between high intensity training and low intensity training. For eg., You can run 3 minutes at 6 km/h, and follow it up with a 2 min run at 9 km/h. After this, you can again go back to running for 3 minutes at 6 km/h. Try and repeat this cycle for 20 minutes at least.

8. Never look at your feet. Look ahead.

A lot of people often feel tired while running and tend to look down at their feet. Some are also curious about how the machine works and gape at their feet. This is a wrong practice that may cause you to fall. It’s bad for your posture too. Read more to find out some ways to get the best of your cardio regime. 

9.  Add ankle weights or wear a weighted vest to add intensity

If you feel tough enough, then you can add weights above your ankles to work your legs even more intensely.  Alternatively, you can also wear a weighted vest. 

10. Don’t let yourself get comfortable

Never settle into a routine and keep on challenging yourself. You can either increase the speed at which you run or the time you spend running. 

You may also like to read:

• Fun ways to exercise and lose weight
• Lose belly fat with exercises by Hrithik’s trainer Kris Gethin
• Can weight training help you lose weight?
• Walking for weight loss
• Get fit at your workplace with these expert recommended exercises and tips
• Why is high intensity interval training better (HIIT) for weight loss?

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