Why is the treadmill useful, what muscles work

The benefits and harms of a treadmill are an urgent question, since this sports equipment is very much in demand in home use. To get the answer right, you need to understand the health benefits of the lane and how to properly use its properties.

Types of treadmills

All home jogging tracks can be divided into three types.

1. Mechanical... These models are the cheapest because they have the simplest design, consisting of a treadmill, armrests and rotating parts. The canvas moves due to the efforts of the athlete himself.
2. Magnetic... These are slightly more complex models, differing from mechanical tracks in that the movement of the belt occurs due to large magnets, which provides the track with a smooth ride and removes some of the load from the athlete.
3. Electrical... Tracks of this type have the highest cost, since they are equipped with an electric motor that drives the canvas. The capabilities of the electric-type tracks have been significantly expanded - here you can set up certain training programs and the speed of the belt, track your own heart rate in real time and change the slope of the track.

Despite the high cost, it is the properties of the electric trainers that are best suited for beginners. But mechanical models are best left to professionals, since their use requires good physical fitness and good health.

The benefits of exercising on a treadmill

The health benefits and harms of a treadmill can complement each other. But if used correctly, the device will bring much more value. Namely:

• strengthens blood vessels and heart, thereby increasing endurance and immunity;
• will improve the tone of the body and give vigor, good mood and energy;
• will accelerate digestion, metabolism and removal of toxins, thereby significantly improving the condition of the skin, hair and nails;
• help get rid of body fat - a treadmill is considered the best way to lose weight by getting rid of excess fat;
• will contribute to the development of the respiratory system;
• will have a beneficial effect on the functionality of the whole organism, improve the state of the nervous system.

The quality of running on a treadmill can replace a full-fledged workout, but it will be much more dynamic and take less time.

Why is a treadmill useful for weight loss

During an intense or calm, but prolonged run, the heart rate increases. The benefit of a weight loss treadmill is that exercising on it speeds up blood circulation and metabolism. Accordingly, the body begins to break down fat deposits in an enhanced mode in order to obtain the necessary energy.

How many calories are burned

The effectiveness of a weight loss treadmill depends on your running speed. In a relatively calm rhythm of movement, the body loses about 400 kcal per hour, with intense running - up to 600 kcal. In combination with proper nutrition, healthy equipment gives an excellent effect and helps to quickly make the body lean, slim and beautiful.

Treadmill for children

On sale you can find electrical and mechanical devices not only for adults, but also for toddlers and teenagers. Children's treadmills are inexpensive, it is very easy to place them at home.

The benefit of the device for children is that the treadmill helps to instill good habits and a love of mobility in the child from an early age. Sports equipment will be very useful for children in the cold season - natural activity during this period is reduced, and the track helps to compensate for the lack of movement. Also, the properties of the track are very useful for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, the therapy of which requires physical exertion.

Of course, the intensity of the treadmill should be reduced for the child. If there is no goal to make a professional athlete out of the baby, then short, but regular, useful runs will be enough to improve health.

The doctor must confirm that the use of the treadmill will be safe for the child.

How to train properly on a treadmill

In order for the properties of running not to cause harm, but to reveal all their benefits, you need to handle the track correctly. It is necessary to adhere to safe loads and monitor your own well-being.

How much do you need to run

Many people believe that to effectively lose weight, you need to run as often and as long as possible. But this opinion is wrong. In fact, the duration of a useful workout should not be more than 40 minutes, otherwise the properties of running will begin to harm the body, since overwork will come.

In addition, you do not need to use the treadmill daily - 5 sessions per week will be enough. The body needs time to recover from exercise.

What muscles work

The main benefit and valuable property of running is that during it, almost all the muscles of the human body are comprehensively worked out. The main load during classes is received by:

• gluteal and thigh muscles;
• shins;
• feet.

However, while running, the upper body also actively works. Therefore, regular training helps to improve the condition of the biceps and triceps, dorsal and shoulder muscles, and also improves the tone of the abdominal and lumbar muscles.

Heart rate and speed values

It is essential to monitor your heart rate throughout your treadmill exercise. The maximum healthy value is considered to be 140 beats per minute. If the indicators rise higher, then running should be slowed down - too strong loads harm the heart and blood vessels.

The optimal running speed is about 10-12 km per hour. During useful activities, you can speed up from time to time, but the main part of the workout should be done at a calm pace, without extreme stress. At the end of the lesson, you cannot stop right away - you need to switch from running to a fast step and continue to move until the heart rate drops to 100 beats per minute.

When using mechanical and magnetic models, you have to monitor the indicators yourself.

Exercise on a treadmill

On the home track, you can not only run. The properties of other exercises are of great benefit.

Walking

The benefit of walking on a treadmill is that this moderate exercise also contributes to weight loss and overall strengthening of the body. In just an hour of training, if it is carried out correctly, you can lose more than 400 kcal, especially if you alternate between calm walking with a brisk step.

The properties of walking perfectly develop muscles, train the cardiovascular and respiratory apparatus. The benefits of walking on a treadmill for women is that the fair sex does not have to experience excessive stress, but the result of training remains very high.

In addition, walking properties are ideal for people who are prohibited from running for health reasons. Moving at a brisk pace fully replaces jogging, but does not harm an already weakened body.

The exercise program when using walking can be structured in the same way as for classic running.

1. You should start with a warm-up step at a speed of about 5 km per hour and continue walking for about 8 minutes.
2. Then you can accelerate to 7 km per hour - about a minute.
3. Then go to an intensive step up to 9 km per hour, also for no more than a minute.

Like running, race walking should end smoothly - at the end of the lesson, the step should be slowed down and walk at a calm pace for about 5 minutes.

Run

The benefits and harms of running on a treadmill depend on your health condition. But if there are no contraindications to jogging, then training will bring tremendous benefits. Best of all, the properties of running will manifest themselves if you practice according to the classical scheme:

• warm-up - walking at a brisk walking pace for 8 minutes;
• light running on a flat horizontal surface of the track - about 7 minutes;
• brisk walking for 5 minutes;
• again easy running for 7 minutes.

If you alternate walking and running throughout your workout and carefully monitor your heart rate, then jogging will give you a feeling of vigor and good mood.

Walking inclines

A very useful feature of electric treadmills is the ability to adjust the incline of the treadmill. The benefits of the training properties will only be higher if you periodically run uphill or downhill.

It should be noted that the slopes of the track should not be too strong. You need to raise the canvas only 1-2 ° from the horizontal, even such a load will be very noticeable for the body. If you tilt the belt too much, the workout will start to be harmful.

When leaning, the benefits of walking quickly on a treadmill are best. The load for the body is quite sufficient, and the risk of injury is much lower than during normal running.

Weight Loss Treadmill Program

If the treadmill is used specifically for weight loss, then it is better to adhere to a special training program aimed at fast calorie consumption. This program looks very simple and consists of only a couple of stages.

Warm up

Before any workout, the body must be pre-warmed, but especially careful attention should be paid to the warm-up before running in order to lose weight.

The warm-up is nothing complicated - for 15 minutes you just need to walk on the treadmill, then increasing, then reducing the speed. It is useful to wave your arms on the go to fully warm up both the lower and upper body.

Interval running

The weight loss benefits of the treadmill at home are most evident with interval running. You need to go to it immediately after warm-up and carefully monitor your own speed and movement time.

• With interval jogging, after warm-up, they switch to a useful light jogging for 1-2 minutes, while the speed should not exceed 6 km per hour.
• After jogging, you need to accelerate sharply and run for another 30 seconds at the limit of your capabilities, at a speed of up to 13 km per hour.
• After that, you need to go to a fast step again and walk at this pace for about 2 minutes.

The whole cycle is repeated over and over again for 30-40 minutes. With proper exercise, you can burn up to 800 kcal in one workout.

Its properties will be useful and not harmful only with good health and minimal physical fitness.

Treadmill workout for beginners

The intensity of the load when exercising on a treadmill must be regulated. You cannot immediately go to training at the limit of strength with zero physical fitness - this will be harmful and cause aversion to classes.

1. Beginners are advised to do no more than three times a week for a month - the body will take time to get used to the beneficial exercises.
2. At first, walking on a treadmill will bring the maximum benefit to the body, only after a couple of weeks it makes sense to switch to running.
3. The running speed must be alternated - start at about 4 km per hour, then accelerate to 5 km and, finally, go to 7 km per hour. In each of the modes, you need to run no more than a minute.

In total, a useful workout should take beginners about half an hour. As the muscles get stronger and the condition of the cardiovascular system improves, the duration and intensity can be increased.

Treadmill Tips

Running properties at home depend on how responsibly a person approaches the implementation of the basic rules. You need to pay attention not only to the exercises themselves, but also to the equipment for training, as well as to the mode of consumption of water and food.

Clothes and footwear for classes

Use a healthy treadmill only in carefully selected sportswear, otherwise the properties of the workout will be harmful.

1. You can't go barefoot or in casual indoor shoes - only lightweight sneakers with soft soles and a breathable upper are suitable for running. They will soften the shock load on the joints and prevent the appearance of calluses on the legs.
2. For workout clothes, it's best to choose jogging shorts and a sports T-shirt with mesh inserts - these things will not chafe your skin during long sessions and still allow your body to breathe.
3. Since the legs sweat a lot during intense running, it is necessary to practice in socks. It is better to choose synthetic products that wick away moisture well - cotton socks will quickly get wet, chaff and rub the skin.

Water during exercise

On a treadmill, the human body rapidly loses its fluid reserves. When the body is dehydrated, it becomes very difficult to run, and the heart is overloaded and harmed, since it is forced to pump the clotted blood intensively.

Therefore, before starting a useful activity, you must definitely drink a glass of water. It is recommended to take several sips of liquid during training. Of course, you shouldn't overdo it - drinking too much will also harm and complicate the workout.

Sugary soda or juice contains too many calories and also makes your stomach feel full.

Food before and after workouts

Running on an empty stomach is harmful, however, starting a healthy workout immediately after eating is also not worth it - it will interfere with the digestion of food. It is best to eat 1.5-2 hours before jogging, and it is recommended to choose protein foods or complex carbohydrates.

You can eat almost immediately after exercising on the treadmill.But so that the beneficial properties of jogging are not reduced to zero, you should choose small portions and not eat fast carbohydrates and fatty high-calorie foods.

Errors when exercising on a treadmill

The benefits of running and the effectiveness of walking on a treadmill depend on how well the person does the workout. There are several common mistakes that not only beginners but also athletes with decent experience make.

• Uniform and constant loads... Over time, the body gets used to jogging - the exercises become too easy, and this reduces their benefits. In order for the properties of running to bring maximum effect, the pace and intensity of training must be increased from training to training.
• Support on handrails... The handles of the treadmill are needed in order to grab them in the event of a fall, but you cannot constantly hold onto the handrails, this shifts the center of gravity while running and harms the musculoskeletal system.
• Wrong breathing... During training, it is necessary to breathe through the nose, and it is desirable that the breathing rhythm is calm and uniform.
• Heel Landing... In order not to harm the joints, you need to transfer weight to the sock.

A big mistake is made by those who train when they feel unwell - the properties of exercise do not bring any benefit. But the harm to the body turns out to be very great - primarily for the blood vessels and the heart.

Potential harm to the treadmill

In general, running on the track differs little from useful jogging in the fresh air. However, exercising indoors can negatively affect the respiratory system if the room is too musty and the temperature is too high. The room should be ventilated during training.

A useful path can be harmful for any problems with the musculoskeletal system. In the presence of injuries, osteochondrosis and any other problems with the spine and joints, running should be abandoned in principle. Otherwise, the treadmill will only exacerbate the problems and exacerbate the disease.

Contraindications to exercising on a treadmill

The beneficial properties of running can bring unequivocal harm if you exercise on a simulator with strict contraindications. You cannot use the track:

• for any diseases of the spine and joints;
• with serious ailments of the respiratory system;
• with hypertension;
• with severe diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• during pregnancy;
• with varicose veins.

It is necessary to give up exercise during a cold and for any noticeable ailments.

How to choose the right treadmill for your home

When buying a useful exercise machine, you cannot focus only on the price. The following factors need to be taken into account:

• own physical training, for example, mechanical tracks are not recommended for beginners, since they require a lot of effort;
• the weight of all household members who will engage in the simulator - the track should be designed for the weight of the heaviest family member;
• growth and width of the step - the paths differ in length, it is necessary to ensure that the length of the canvas allows for comfortable movements;
• availability and number of additional functions - electric tracks with several modes and sensors for measuring heart rate and speed are more expensive, but will be much more convenient to use.

The financial factor should also be considered, but it should not become a priority.

Which is better: an exercise bike or a treadmill

The treadmill and exercise bike are two of the most popular useful exercise machines for the home. Each device has its own unique properties and benefits. For example, an exercise bike has fewer contraindications, and even those who are prohibited from running can exercise on it.

However, the benefits of a treadmill are that it allows you to work more muscles.During workouts, the buttocks, legs, abs, back and shoulders, arm muscles are involved, while when exercising on a stationary bike, the main load falls on the legs, abs, hips and calves. In addition, the load on the treadmill is unevenly distributed, which is much more beneficial for weight loss.

Thus, in terms of benefits, the treadmill outperforms the exercise bike in properties. If there are no contraindications to its use, it is better to choose a running belt for the home.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of a treadmill are determined by the condition of the musculoskeletal system and the heart system. If there are no contraindications to the use of the simulator, then it will be of great benefit to adults and children.

Reviews and results of those who have lost weight