Lunges, squats, running at different paces, and various walks. Are you confident that you are getting the most of all the opportunities the treadmill has to offer? To make the most of the equipment and make the most of its possibilities, here is how to train on the treadmill and what are the most effective exercises to lose weight, tone up, and improve aerobic capacity.
One of the most common exercise equipment is the best treadmill for home under 1000. It has always been a worthy replacement for road running, used by novice runners and agonists for its practicality and flexibility.
However, only the classic physical exercises of running and walking are often associated with the treadmill, making it appear a versatile little tool and consequently with a high risk of abandonment once the initial enthusiasm is exhausted. In reality, it is possible to create a training program for treadmills that is varied and capable of acting on other parts of the body.
The possible variables of training with treadmills are, in fact, many and much more effective for increasing energy expenditure, losing weight, and toning all the muscles of the body.
The most advanced treadmills already include several training programs such as fat burning, weight loss, etc. Still, however numerous they may be, they represent only a small part of all the exercises that can be done with this machine.
Here is a list of 10 successful treadmill exercises that can be incorporated into your fitness routine using a simple magnetic or electrical mat, at home or in a gym.
Walk
An excellent help against water retention
Walking with the treadmill is one of the first exercises to do and is suitable for everyone, beginners and professionals.
It is useful both as a warm-up or cool-down exercise and as a post-injury exercise, suitable for all people who have back or knee problems and do not want to overload the joints further as happens in running.
The benefits of walking are many: it increases cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance, it is a real cure-all for counteracting water retention and osteoporosis, it firms the buttocks, legs, and calves, and allows us to prevent problems caused by aging.
Recommended speed for walking
The reference value from which to start for a good walking speed is around 5-6 km / h with a 1-2% gradient, even if the ideal pace can vary according to the individual stride’s length.
Although the treadmill’s movement is similar to that on the road, the biomechanics of the step is slightly different, and it is therefore recommended to start with a slow walk on the treadmill and keep your hands on the handlebars to maintain balance, monitoring your heart rate. Then increase the speed and swing with your arms free once you have become familiar with the tool.
To counteract water retention, it is necessary to increase the resting time of the foot on the carpet, favoring muscle contraction and therefore venous return; in this case, the incline of the treadmill should be increased, while it is recommended to decrease the speed.
How to do the exercise correctly
Correct posture is very important to avoid problems of any kind. The back must remain erect and maintain physiological curves thanks also to the constant contraction of the abdominal muscles without being tilted excessively forward. The foot must rest from the heel to the forefoot, which will give the push (rolling movement).
Once you have become familiar with the treadmill, you can make different walking variations: from the backward walk to the sidewalk to the cross sidewalk, increasing the difficulty more and more.
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Race
The most flexible exercise to do on the treadmill
If you feel like you haven’t made a particular effort when walking, running on a treadmill is for you.
While treadmill walking is suitable for everyone, special care must be taken in running if you have problems affecting both muscles and joints.
Trying always to maintain the position described above, it is possible to vary the treadmill training with a game of inclines and speeds.
Continuous slow running: it is ideal for those who have no great demands and want to train aerobic endurance. That can be used as both a warm-up as well as a cool-down during a strength training session on a treadmill.
Running with rhythm variations: the work is further intensified by an increase in the slope and speed also to stimulate the lactation metabolism. In this way, the climbs, descents, and flat terrain typical of road running are simulated, making training with the treadmill as similar as possible to training outdoors.
Running with stretches: an exercise is usually done by athletes who want to train on the treadmill to improve both aerobic and anaerobic endurance and ideal for advanced amateurs. Stretches consist of sprints close to the maximum speed at which an individual can run for short periods, followed by a recovery time.
Plus, all of these treadmill workouts can also be preset to focus solely on your performance without having to look at the clock constantly.
Walking Lunges
For sculpted legs and buttocks of marble
Lunges are always present in gym training programs, whatever the personal goal. Therefore, it certainly cannot be missing in the top ten of physical exercises to be performed on the treadmill to lose weight on the thighs.
They are usually performed on the spot, as there is not always a large space available to move within.
The treadmill offers a solution to this problem by giving you the feeling of standing still as the belt runs under your feet.
To perform the Walking Lunges on the treadmill, start from the standing position and take a long step forward with one leg. The back leg bends, making the ribbon graze at the knee and lower the butt.
The back leg is brought back to the level of the front one returning to the starting position. At this stage, you will determine whether to continue moving the same limb at all times or whether to repeat the execution with the opposite limb, alternating the leg that moves forward.
- Reps: 20 in total
- Recommended speed: 2 km / h
- Ideal slope: 5%
- Intensity: If you want to increase the exercise’s difficulty, increase the incline of the treadmill and hold two dumbbells with your hands or a barbell over your shoulders.
Knee Up
For leg toning and aerobics
For lovers of step activities and aerobics classes, this is an already known term, which simply indicates an exercise based on the ability to balance on one leg, bringing the knee of the other close to the torso.
As with any exercise, the trunk must be stabilized by activating the abdominal muscles not to bend or tilt the back.
You position yourself on the tape with your legs extended and bring one knee towards your chest to such a height that your back can stay upright, contracting the buttocks well.
Slowly lower the leg and repeat with the opposite limb. Remember that it is the knee that goes towards the chest and not vice versa.
- Reps: 20 in total
- Recommended speed: 4 km / h
- Slope: 5%
- Intensity: If you want to increase, incline the treadmill more
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Glutes Kick Back
To warm up the buttocks
The glutes kickback can be used as a useful complementary exercise to another base for the buttocks (such as the squat jump that we will see later) by inserting it at the beginning or at the end of a training session to strain this district more and recruit more muscle fibers.
Taken individually, the rear thrusts of the buttocks are of little use, and therefore it is useless to perform an infinite series in a vain attempt to see your butt firmer.
The buttocks are, in fact, among the strongest muscles in the body and therefore respond positively to stimuli that require heavy loads.
The exercise is quite simple and is performed with the knee of the limb in support slightly bent and the leg’s foot in hammer motion.
Always keeping the abdominals activated and the back erect, it is sufficient to contract the buttock and raise the leg posteriorly, without exaggerating. Maintain the contraction for 2 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat at this point with the opposite leg.
The exercise is made even more effective with the help of an elastic band placed just above the knees around the thighs, which will keep the tension for the execution duration.
- Reps: 20 in total
- Recommended speed: 2 km / h
- Slope: 10%
- Intensity: increases with the use of an elastic band or anklet
Standing Crab Walking
To slim the thighs and firm the buttocks
Standing Crab Walking is one of the hottest exercises of the moment and can be used as an accessory within a glute workout, as a warm-up, or alternating with running/walking sessions.
It is essential among the exercises with the treadmill to slim the thighs and firms the buttocks. Among those listed, it is the only one that is performed with the body positioned with the right side facing the monitor (and not the face as for the other exercises).
You start in a squat position, then with your legs hip-width apart, your feet slightly turned outward, and your butt low so that your thighs are parallel to the floor.
A small step is taken with the right foot to the right while the belt is in motion, and then the step is closed slightly by bringing the left leg closer to the right.
The half squat position is never lost during the entire duration of the exercise. After the necessary repetitions, you change sides.
Again, the exercise increases in intensity using an elastic band placed around the thighs just above the knees, or above the ankles, or in both positions.
- Reps: 10 per side
- Recommended speed: 2 km / h
- Slope: 5%
- Intensity: can be increased if you increase the slope or with the use of an elastic band
Bear Walking
Training all the muscles of the body
Bear Walking is one of the most complete workouts to do since it basically teaches all of the body’s muscles.
However, the shoulders, lats, arms, abdominals, and legs are most involved. Also, in this case, the treadmill makes it possible to run it even in the absence of space.
It starts in four-legged mode, with the arms straight and the wrists positioned in line with the shoulders and elbows. The knees are slightly off the tape, the core muscles are activated to hold the position, and the hand is all in support.
At this point, you begin to advance by bringing the right arm and the left leg forward simultaneously, continuing with small steps and alternating leg with the opposite arm.
It is also possible to perform the bear walk backward and downwards, positioning yourself with the legs facing the display.
- Reps: 20 steps in total
- Recommended speed: 2 km / h
- Slope: 1-2%
- Intensity: increases with increasing slope
Squat Jump
Among the most effective treadmill workouts to slim your legs and stomach
The Squats Jump is one of the best exercises on the treadmill to lose weight in the thighs and belly with a strong aerobic portion.
The squat jump can be suitable not only for toning the muscles of the legs, abdominals, and lumbar but also as training for team sports such as volleyball, which require the execution of this gesture continuously.
The starting position involves the legs hip-width apart with the toes slightly turned outwards. From here, the knees are then bent, letting the bottom drop below the line of the thighs if possible (squatting position).
An upward jump is then performed with an explosive movement. At this point, you can decide whether to slightly spread your legs to land on the corridors at the sides of the belt and start over or to return to the starting position, cushioning the return phase with the legs.
The execution must be continuous, without pauses, and there are some important precautions to be taken into consideration not to overload the limbs.
The knees must always be open, never turned or too far inwards and outwards, and during the landing phase, first the forefoot and then the heel rests.
- Reps: 10 in total
- Recommended speed: 2 km / h
- Slope: 5-8%
- Intensity: increases with increasing slope
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Walking Plank
The longest minute of your life
The walking plank is an exercise that trains the whole body, from the hair to the nail of the big toe. This is a seemingly easy exercise, but one that requires great concentration and a well-trained body.
Performing this exercise on a treadmill adds an extra degree of difficulty as you also have to walk on your hands and maintain the plank position.
To perform the exercise, you start the treadmill and place yourself at the base in the plank position, i.e., with your hands resting on the fixed aisles on the sides of the roller and your feet at the base of the belt so that the body forms a line straight from the heels to the shoulders.
At this point, you move your hands on the belt and begin to take small steps for the exercise duration, trying always to maintain the same position.
A trick to avoid pain in the lumbar area is to retrovert the pelvis, keep the muscles of the buttocks and abdominals always contracted, flattening the back, and bringing the navel towards the spine.
- Repetitions: 1 minute of execution
- Recommended speed: 1 km / h
- Slope: 0%
- Intensity: Are you sure you want to increase it?
Reverse Mountain Climbers
To develop your abs
Fundamental for those who want to have sculpted abs, the reverse mountain climbers on the treadmill is an exercise that simulates the movement of a real mountain climb.
After starting the treadmill, place yourself in front of the base with your back to the monitor. The same position of the walking plank is maintained (see above), with the difference that this time the feet will be on the belt, not the hands (which will be resting on the ground at the end of the belt).
One at a time, one knee is brought towards the chest while keeping the foot on the tape, and the opposite leg always extends back on the tape.
- Repetitions: 1 minute of execution
- Recommended speed: 1 km / h
- Slope: 2%
- Intensity: increases by increasing the slope
Bonus: Hamstring Walk-Glute Bridge
To strengthen the glutes and hamstrings
If you want to improve your glutes and hamstrings, this is the right exercise for you.
After starting the treadmill, lie on your back on the floor with your butt near the belt’s base and your heels resting on the side aisles. When you feel ready, lift your hips to form a straight line between shoulders and knees and bring your feet over the tape.
One step at a time, try to extend one leg forward as the heel of the opposite leg approaches, carried by the belt, to your butt.
- Reps: 20 in total
- Recommended speed: 1 km / h
- Slope: 2%
- Intensity: Increase by increasing the incline or adding weight above the abdomen
Now that you’ve seen the variety of exercises that can be done, you can plan a more varied treadmill training program to keep you motivated to train consistently and achieve your goals.