At home fitness – treadmills
The gym is among the most frequent places to workout and stay fit. Naturally, this is where all the fitness equipment – treadmill machines, dumbbells, training equipment – is available. However, it takes a lot of time heading to the gym each day or on alternate days. It isn’t enjoyable. Furthermore, you have to make these annoying monthly membership payments so that you could continue to come.
The treadmill is the ideal home fitness equipment you can get for use at your home. It’s simple enough to use and more comfortable than you think to buy. In addition to that, for many people, running is the perfect variety of exercise. It builds up the muscle mass of your legs, enhances cardiac-respiratory stamina, maintains your blood running, and can burn down calories. The fitness treadmill machine is a great personal choice of equipment instead of running outside. You can run even during bad weather – whether it’s snowing, raining if the ground is too muddy for a great deal running, or perhaps also if it’s too hot.
Why Treadmills?
Your main goal when doing workouts is to burn down calories while keeping yourself in good physical shape and healthy. When compared with just 500 calories per hour on the stationary exercise bike, the typical medium-intensity treadmill machine workout burned 700 calories each hour.
The reason for this significant difference is the quantity of muscle tissue utilized in both routines. It seems that, when you run or walk on a fitness treadmill machine, you employ more muscle groups than you do on a bike, stationary or otherwise.
The greatest good thing about home treadmill exercises is burning calories. Yet, it is not the only rationality why you should look at this sort of exercise routine. For those who have specific health issues, doing energetic physical activity can be harmful to their day-to-day lives and their health. Individuals like those with osteoporosis, hypertension, and back pains are suggested to do at the most walking when they are exercising in order not to cause any overexert themselves. The treadmill machine, therefore, offers them an enjoyable substitute for just everyday walking outside.
A fitness treadmill machine can also add persistence to your walking workout. Most designs include programming in them where you can keep speed and intensity during your whole exercise routine. They likewise have incline devices that would allow you to manage the inclination of your walk, the same manner though you’re down or up a hill.
Walking for 45 minutes, 5 times every week, can reduce your odds of having a flue or cold in half, based on research performed by the Harvard Medical School. But you can’t certainly walk, can you, if it’s raining outside? That’s the reason the home treadmill – where climate changes don’t matter – is a plus to have around.
Moreover, the treadmill machine works exceptionally well by anyone – young, old, male, female, pregnant, not pregnant…. Let’s take women that are pregnant, for instance. While some cardio activities can be hazardous while pregnant, walking is definitely good for both the child and the mother. Hormonal alterations brought on by pregnancy can release ligaments. So that you can tone muscles down and reinforce the joints that support the developing baby, walking is highly recommended for expecting mothers.
The fitness treadmill machine likewise helps reduce injuries that could occur when you run outdoors on uneven or perhaps wet ground. Gravity might have quite unpleasant effects, however helpful running and sunlight might be. A home treadmill with good cushioning on the belt helps support each foot-strike you make, making your running or walking less stressful.
Finally, if you merely want to get fit, walking or jogging on a treadmill machine enhances the tone of muscle and not just in your hip and legs, but all over your body. Strong muscle mass means the heart can pump more oxygen-rich blood with every step you take.
The Price of Fitness
Treadmills could cost a lot of money, which makes it essential that you think about your budget before buying. It’s also necessary that you choose the best quality equipment that you can find, which happens to be only sound judgment. The smart buyer will invariably want to get the most of his money.
You will find four components concerned when you purchase a treadmill. These are:
- How much money you have
- Any extras you want (programming, heart rate, monitor, etc.)
- What kind of motor you want; and
- How much space you have in your house
By answering all these questions, you should have some general idea on which on the list of treadmills available in your best buy.
A standard home treadmill is composed of seven primary elements. These are:
- The frame – which is that piece of metal that extends perpendicularly from the running deck and is where the handlebars are located
- The running deck – which is the surface that you run on
- The running belt – the moving portion of the running deck
- The motor – the engine that makes the running belt
- The motor controller – the gadget that allows you to control the speed of the motor
- The incline motor – a tiny motor that controls the degree of inclination as you run
- The console and control computer – that part of the treadmill which makes you do all the other stuff
Out of these seven parts, the most significant is undoubtedly the motor, because it’s the thing that makes your treadmill function in the first place. Because of this, you have to think about the motor first when you purchase a fitness treadmill machine.
Apart from the motor, you can also find other items you should look for in a home treadmill. It is precisely what makes a treadmill so great – every part is equally essential and should be picked with the highest care if you want what’s worth for your investment.
The majority utilize the treadmill machine for running. Other people may prefer walking on it, but the greater part buy home treadmills simply because they don’t want the irritation of having to go outside for a brief jog each morning or evening. For that, you’ll need a great deal of flat working surface. Your treadmill has a rolling belt where you will do your running. The recommended belt size should be at least 48 inches long and 16 inches wide.
If you are considering running, get a fitness treadmill machine that goes up to 10 mph. For incline, get a treadmill that can go up to 10%. Numerous people say that an incline of 20% is the best option; however, that’s too much. Ten percent is exactly what you need, not too much, not too less.
The control panel of your home treadmill is the interesting part. That’s the place where you control every other part of your treadmill machine, aside from the motor (or even that). Most treadmill versions nowadays come with their unique exercising programs and allow you to pick which on the list of beginners, advanced, and expert programs you want to try. Other home treadmills have their electronic trainer set up in their programming, and you can get that using your treadmill’s control panel.
When examining control panels, it must be in easy reach from where you will be as you run. It must be easy to navigate as well. Keep in mind that your control panel is your one access to your treadmill because it is where you can control everything with just a touch of a button or a twist of a knob.
Running Outside vs. On a Treadmill
A commonly asked question among new runners is, “Is running on a treadmill the same as running outside?” The scientific answer is it can be with some adjustments.
One of the main differences in the two running venues is that when you run outside, you create wind resistance from your forward motion. This results in increased energy consumption than if you run on a treadmill.
However you can compensate for it by setting the treadmill incline to 1%. Research has shown that with that adjustment, running indoors at a 1% incline and outdoors on a level surface with no wind use the same amount of energy.
While running outdoors is more stimulating to the mind, there are conditions where it is more advisable to run on the “hamster wheel” as it is known in some runner circles. If the weather conditions are not suited to produce a good run or if your risk of injury is high, you are better off running on a treadmill that day instead of risk getting hurt or suffering through a bad run.
Also, it is better to run on a treadmill if you are training for a competitive race. On most treadmills, you can program it for the conditions you will encounter on a course. You can even simulate downhill running by raising up the back of the treadmill.
But running outside can teach you about pacing that you might not get from treadmill running. When running on a treadmill, it is harder to speed up or slow down to hit an approximate split time that you need. If you consistently run a course outside, you get the feel where the “finish line” is at and can speed up or slow down accordingly. You don’t get that same intuition when running on a treadmill. And you have to run outside to harden up your body to the different weather conditions. If you are always an indoor runner, it will be harder to turn in a winning time if the day happens to be rainy, cold, hot – something you did not experience during your train-up.
And finally treadmill running is just plain boring. Without a change in scenery, runners often find themselves just looking at the timer instead of enjoying their surroundings and experiencing Nature.
While both running on a treadmill indoors and running outside both have their pros and cons, train when you can under the same conditions as you expect to run on race day. If the conditions of the day prevent you from safely running outside, run indoors on a treadmill that day and get back outside when the weather allows for it.
The Pros and Cons of Treadmill Running
Treadmills, either you love them, or you don’t. Many people have very strong opinions about treadmills. The honest truth is while they are not for everyone, they do offer some genuine benefits, and no, we’re not talking about a great place to hang your laundry.
Pros of Treadmill Running
Maintaining a running program can be difficult. Motivation wanes, the weather doesn’t cooperate or your schedule is interrupted – I’m talking about children and family members who don’t cooperate and make it easy for you to leave the house and run. Treadmills solve all of these problems because they’re easy to access.
When the weather stinks, your treadmill is safe and warm. When your children are homesick, or friends and family thwart your running plans, you can always zip to your treadmill for a quick run.
And when you just cannot motivate yourself to get outside and run or to head to the track at your gym, the treadmill is always waiting for you. It’s there to meet your needs and your schedule.
Another pro of treadmill running is that you can break up your running. Doctors and personal trainers tell us we need to exercise 30 minutes each day. For busy people, this can be not very easy to squeeze in, and if you’re just beginning running, 30 minutes can be a bit too long.
A treadmill means you can fit two or three smaller workouts during the day. It’s much easier to squeeze ten or fifteen minutes before breakfast and again later in the day.
Treadmills also often come with handy indicators which tell us how far we’ve run, how fast we’re running, and even our heart rate and how many calories we’ve burned. This can be a great motivator.
They offer programs which enable you to train; however, you see fit. You can train for weight loss, hills, endurance, and speed and most offer you the ability to create your own programs.
Finally, for those who dread having to get suited up to run in public, when you run in the privacy of your home on your treadmill, you don’t even need to wear clothes. Of course, you might want to wear support garments, but the point is that you don’t have to dress for public viewing.
So with all of those excellent benefits, there are some cons to treadmill running.
Cons of Treadmill Running
The most significant drawback to treadmill running is the surface. It’s not easy on your joints, and because treadmill running is unnatural for most people, their running form may be a bit off.
This means overuse injuries can occur more quickly. This can be compensated for my making sure you have proper running shoes and paying close attention to your body and your form.
Treadmill running can be supremely dull. Running in place offers no variety in scenery and it’s a solo activity. If you enjoy the view while you’re running or you like running with a group, then treadmill running can be pretty dull.
That being said, running to music or running while watching the television may be enough to cut right through the boredom.
Treadmill running does have some drawbacks but for those wishing to maintain a consistent running program, they can be a real advantage.
Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill Review
With convenient fold-away storage and heart rate monitoring, the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill is a versatile fitness device. Priced attractively when compared to comparable models, this machine ensures you can get a great workout without buying an expensive gym membership, even when the weather outside is frightful. Offering a lot of fitness bang for your buck, let’s look closer and discover just why the Cadence G 5.9 from Weslo consistently ranks as the bestselling treadmill on all of Amazon.
Key Aspects of the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill
* Made in the USA
* 6 preset workouts
* Quick speed control up to 10 mph
* Built-in thumb pulse tracks your heart rate
* Manual incline up to 5%
Is the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill a Smart Buy?
With a large and easy to read display, space-saving, fold-away storage and the ability to track your calories burned as well as your heart rate, distance walked and time of your workout, this treadmill is a versatile machine.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recommended a minimum of 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity exercise each week, and a treadmill provides that without leaving your home.
To the right of the control panel are 3 pre-programmed intensity workouts, and to the left, you find 3 weight loss programs. These allow for quick access and the ability to change your workout in mid-stride.
Some assembly is required, and the product weighs 117 pounds when fully assembled. Building with a partner is recommended to cut down assembly time.
Operating with the rear pegs in place allows for a flat level, and removing them creates a 5 degree incline. Perfect for running or walking, and priced at 1/2 to 1/3 of comparable models, this treadmill is a money-saving and health-boosting machine.
An extra-wide platform means plenty of room for users of all sizes, and support is provided for runners/walkers up to 275 pounds.
Weslo has included extra amenities like cup holders so that you can stay hydrated while you work out. Water bottles fit perfectly. An inclined ledge just above the large display is perfect for your tablet, book or Kindle, and the silver and black design makes for a classic fitness look.
With many models costing 2 to 3 times as much and offering fewer bells and whistles, it is no wonder the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill is routinely the #1 seller in the treadmill category at Amazon. With a very attractive price tag and so many health benefits, this is the perfect fitness product for a wide variety of reasons.