The holidays are a favorite time of the year for us all. Some people are more likely to have trouble with their joints and muscles as they get older. That’s where a treadmill could be useful. It’s good for your health, and it’s good for your fitness.
When it’s too hot in the summer and it’s too cold in the winter, it’s not fun to run on a treadmill.
People who are allergic to the sun are not able to run during the day. People can’t go out at night if they don’t have a flashlight. The treadmill does not have any of the disadvantages.
The Benefits of Treadmills Treadmill walking is a great way to keep fit when you can’t exercise outside. The treadmill doesn’t require special clothes or a lot of space. You can work out anytime and anywhere. It also provides a safe environment for people who are afraid to be outdoors. It can help you get fit, and you don’t need to worry about getting injured.
There are several benefits of using a treadmill. They include the following: If you are worried about your safety, then you should consider using a treadmill. The treadmill offers protection from the elements.
Changed perception
However, as newbies, you may only be running at a slow walking pace in the beginning. While keeping the belt moving at a constant speed, the brain has to adapt to the different information from the legs and eyes. If the running gear is quickly slowed, the brain has to adapt to the fact that the information from the legs and eyes is the same, even when standing. This can lead to slight dizziness.
Tip: Slowly reduce the speed and hold on when you get off the belt. There’s a reason for this difference: it’s because the brain receives the information “movement” only from the legs. When running outdoors, the brain receives the information about the movement from both legs and the eyes.
It is different on the treadmill: the legs pass the information about the movement on to the brain, while the eyes receive the information about “standstill”. This contradictory information initially leads to uncertainties in balance. The athlete now unconsciously changes to smaller steps that are easier to balance than significant steps.
The experienced athlete quickly gets used to it and will soon run again with his usual stride. I advise newcomers to treadmills to consciously extend their pace after a few minutes of getting used to it.
When the runner is standing still, the arms should be relaxed, without holding the handrail. They should not be crossed behind the back. There are many reasons why this is a bad habit: When the arms are crossed, the body is held in a more or less fixed position, which can lead to muscle cramps.
When you’re on a treadmill, you don’t have to worry about muscle cramps since your muscles will be kept active by the belt. However, when running outdoors, you don’t want your muscles to cramp.
To prevent muscle cramps, it’s important to keep your body moving while standing. You can do this by gently moving your arms and legs, as if you were shaking off water. This way, the blood is constantly flowing through your muscles, preventing them from cramping.
This is one of the reasons why people are advised to avoid standing on a treadmill for an extended period of time.
There are many factors that can affect your running pace, such as how fast you’re used to running, your current physical condition, your weight, your shoes, your speed at which the belt moves, and the surface of the treadmill.
In this book, I’m going to focus on only one factor: How fast can you run in a given situation? The answer is: It depends! There is no single answer for this question.
I’ll talk about different factors that influence your running pace, and I will give you an idea of what your ideal running pace should be for each factor. One of the most important factors that determine your running pace is your running experience.
When you are first getting started, your running pace will be slower than it will be later.
The same training effect …
Compared to running on the track, the road, or in the forest.
Many athletes think that the benefit is less because the runner does not move forward, but only the plastic belt under him backward.
For this reason, for example, the athlete also had to exert less force when printing. But without going into the physical effects now.
To put it simply, we can recognize the agreement of the training effectiveness in both running variants because the heart rate is identical.
The heart rate is a consequence of the oxygen requirement, which depends directly on the energy requirement, and this depends on the muscle work.
To achieve an identical training effect, it must take care that a slight incline of one it set to two percent on the device.
The reason is straightforward: there is no air resistance. The reduced effort compensates for the gradient. Alternatively, the treadmill can be set up a little faster.
… but also differences
Of course, there are also differences when training on the treadmill. The lack of cooling because of the non-existent “headwind” should not be underestimated in its effect.
This results in significantly more sweating and thus a higher fluid requirement.
However, it is, of course, easy to deposit drinks within easy reach on the treadmill.
To estimate the amount of drinking required, it is helpful for newcomers to weigh themselves before and after training.
This may be done without clothes so that the sweat in the clothes is not considered.
The weight and thus, the fluid loss should not exceed one kilogram.
To minimize sweating and thus the need for fluids, clothing must also be chosen accordingly.
On the treadmill, the principle is “short-short,” i.e., pants and shirts in the short version.
Even if the first minutes seem cool in air-conditioned studios, this is the most sensible dress code.
Charges?
Does training on the treadmill damage the joints? The entire support system’s load does not depend on the surface, but primarily on the running technique.
With proper technique, sensible training structure and prophylactic athletic training such as strengthening the trunk and stretching, running does not harm the joints, but benefits them!
Bones become better, not worse, through use, because someone optimally supplied them with nutrients through movement.
This is also it only immobilized the reason joints in the event of serious injuries–“use it or lose it.”
As a result, shoes with more cushioning are unnecessary on the treadmill.
On the contrary–since the training surface is flat, and the foot is placed on it in a controlled manner, less cushioned shoes are used here.
And the advantages?
I can carry the training out on the treadmill, except for pure speed training without compromises.
Sometimes, as with interval training, there are even advantages over the outdoor units.
Long endurance runs are possible without restrictions.
The mental aspect has a limiting effect because the practice is very monotonous, without additional stimuli. Television or music is beneficial.
Tempo variations also counteract the monotony. I can change here the pace or the incline at intervals.
We recommend switching between the upper and lower endurance area if you do not want to leave the training area.
Interval and speed run.
Interval training offers an additional challenge on the treadmill. Someone often approaches too quickly at intervals in the fresh air.
Towards the end, the exhaustion that occurs usually reduces the speed.
On the treadmill the pace is constant after the acceleration phase.
This prevents you from being overplayed at the beginning of the interval, but towards the end of the range.
It is a challenge not to give in to fatigue and to keep up the pace. In this way, the feeling of speed can be trained.
Training for constant tempo is also an excellent option for long-term runs.
This steady tempo is more critical, the longer the competition route becomes.
In competition, external influences naturally disturbed this constancy.
TIPS
Familiarize yourself with the device. Where’s the emergency switch? Never jump on the edges next to the belt while running–the risk of falling!
Put on airy clothing and clean shoes and have enough to drink to avoid overheating.
For longer runs, be distracted by music or television. Variations in the pace or the incline also provide variety.
Many devices offer pre-programmed training units. Just try it out!
An exciting change is control via the pulse for some bands. If your pulse rises, the pace is reduced and vice versa.
Sometimes the displayed speed is not correct. In studios, the actual speed varies from band to band. Ambitious runners compare this with the pulse-pace ratio calibrated on the road via GPS.
Conclusion
Taking a few points into account, the treadmill is an excellent alternative to outdoor training and even offers some advantages.