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The treadmill is one of the most popular exercise machines. Whether you’re a novice who’s just getting started or a fitness pro, anyone can benefit from using a treadmill. They usually come with a lot of settings that you can adjust to suit your needs.
If you’re thinking about buying a treadmill to use at home, go for it! It’s a really versatile gym machine if you know how to take advantage of it. You can literally transform your life with the help of a good treadmill and change it for the better. Walking and running aren’t the only things you can do on a treadmill.
1. Shuffles
Side shuffles are a great workout for your midsection and legs. They’re especially useful if you’ve started to feel the burn from running, but aren’t quite ready to stop yet. This type of exercise can also help you improve your mobility since you’ll be giving your legs a full 360 workout. To perform this exercise, simply turn on your treadmill, facing one of the sides, and hold on to the rail. Then gently hop along to one side. Treadmills are extremely useful when it comes to performing this exercise indoors, since rarely do you have enough room to skip around to one side, even in a regular gym, let alone at home. On a treadmill, space is no longer an issue.
2. The Pyramid Workout
The pyramid workout is a great routine especially if you are a beginner. While running on your treadmill, slowly increase the speed every minute or so, until you feel the burn, but are still comfortable with the pace, and maintain that speed for about 20 to 30 minutes. Try increasing the speed slightly more each day, and soon you’ll be running with the best of them. Once you’ve got that down, you can also increase the incline in the same way, for a little extra calorie-burning effort. Do not push yourself too hard. If you feel any sort of pain, such as knee pain, try something different for a while.
3. Lunges
Lunges are another take on regular treadmill routines that’s really good for your glutes. When you perform this exercise, you may want to raise the inclination of your treadmill just a little bit, so you don’t land awkwardly when you lunge forward. Alternatively, you can also try a variation of your regular running step in which you try to keep your knees as straight as possible while performing the step. This exercise is great for your tendons as well, as long as you don’t push yourself too hard. If you start feeling uncomfortable, take a break.
4. Upper Body Exercise
Believe it or not, you can actually use your treadmill to work your upper body as well. This exercise is probably best performed at home since it might feel a bit awkward to do in public. To perform it, all you have to do is turn on the machine, lay down in front of it, as if you were doing a push-up, and place your hands on the treadmill, and “walk” with your hands. This technique is slightly advanced since it’s more difficult than a regular push-up. If you feel like this routine is a bit much, start by performing regular push-ups, and keep the treadmill slightly tilted, so you don’t have to travel as much. Do this until you feel more comfortable with the exercise, and you’re ready to move forward.
5. Incline Push-Ups
To perform this exercise, you’ll have to turn off your treadmill. Then, stand with your feet at the base of the machine, so that your hands are fully extended. Slowly move down towards the console of the treadmill, while gently bending your elbows. Make sure to keep your arms as close to your body as possible, for the best results. And be careful when setting up this exercise, since some treadmills have belts that move, even if the machine is off. Make sure your feet are planted firmly on the machine before you start.
Treadmills are very easy to use, and with a little bit of imagination, there are probably many other exercises you can come up with for this seemingly straightforward machine.
Author: Patrick Lenhoff
