Staying fit and healthy at the same time requires hard work and sacrifice. Going to the gym and doing your routines doesn’t guarantee you results if you are doing it wrong. You have to know what you should do and the perfect way to do your exercises to achieve your fitness goals. One of the most common and must find equipment in every gym is a treadmill. They are used for walking, running, or climbing while you move on it, which can be quite effective for some cardio or weight loss exercise.
The Right Way to Use a Treadmill in the Gym
Before you enroll in any gym, you must know your way around the various equipment in it. For this particular article, let’s have a look at how to use a treadmill in a gym:
1. Talk to your doctor
Before risking anything for your passion for getting physically fit, make sure you consult your doctor before hitting the treadmill in your nearby gym. A doctor should give you the go-ahead on using the treadmill only if you are at a stable state to make your walk, run, or jump on the treadmill.
Some of the alarming reasons a doctor may request you to stay off the treadmill are heart-related problems and joint-pain breathing difficulties. Remember, once you are on the treadmill, your whole body will engage, which means you should be at a stable state to manage your exercise routine. Do not take chances but first consult your doctor for advice and a go-ahead.
2. Familiarize yourself with it
Since this might be your first time on the treadmill, you need to familiarize yourself with it before setting foot on it. Read through the instruction manual carefully to have basic knowledge of what the different components of it work. Do not hesitate to ask your gym instructor to help you with this since you may injure yourself while using the treadmill.
Listen carefully to the instructions on using the treadmill and familiarize yourself with it by trying out its various speed options. Do not first step on it while you adjust because you need to be certain on which press options you should engage once you start using the treadmill.
While you try its various button options, make sure you check out for an emergency press feature on it. It should be in the form of an emergency button that makes the belt instantly stop in case of any alarming issue.
3. Prep for the treadmill perfectly
Any gym exercise should be a comfortable routine for you. Before stretching or getting on the treadmill, make sure you are in the right training attire. Invest in some good sporting clothing such as a nice pair of shoes that well-padded, shorts, gym hand-gloves, and training vests or t-shirts. If you are not comfortable with what you are wearing, you will have a hard time on the treadmill, which makes you strain quite a lot.
4. Stretch first
Prepare your body for some treadmill exercise before you get on it. Stretch your legs and arms for at least 10-15 minutes. The treadmill can be perfect exercise equipment for you before your other routines in the gym. You should therefore take some few minutes to stretch to loosen your joints. This can be done by doing some dynamic stretches and swinging your legs around as a perfect space. Please do not rush this or do them haphazardly because you prepare for a whole-body exercise on the treadmill.
5. Get on the treadmill
Now that you are prepared to get on the treadmill, you can now get on it. Please do not jump on it no matter the speed but instead take one step at a time on it. First, get your handrails then step on it. It’s recommended that you step the treadmill while the belt is not moving because of its safest way.
After you are settled on the treadmill, you can press the start button and check if the speed is lowest if you want to start slowly. The belt will now start moving at the pace you set, which you can adjust as per your current speed.
Once you get started, you can now let go of the handrails and enjoy your exercise routine. Warm-up on it again with at-least some five minutes of walk time before adjusting the speed to high for some intense, fast walk to get you pumped up.
6. Adjust the speed
After you are now warmed up and ready for some intense run on the treadmill, you can now proceed by adjusting its speed. Nevertheless, do not start with high run speed adjustments. You need to take your time and get ready for the speed. Start with a jog speed and make sure you are standing straight on the treadmill.
While you jog, adjust the speed accordingly as you jog to a more intense run. While you adjust and run on the treadmill, make sure you are near the adjust options and handrails so that you can make changes if need be. While you run, if you get comfortable with a particular speed, adjust to a difficult level to manage and make sure you are not overdoing it.
7. Hydrate your body
Staying hydrated throughout your workout lets you not burn out but stay physically fit all through. Do this before, during, and after the routine. Modern treadmills have a bottle holder feature, which makes work for you since you do not have to stop working out to hydrate your body. However, do not overdo it since you may get stitches that can be unbearable to handle due to the pain.
In addition, do not also pour water on the treadmills belt since you may slip off and injure your body, which is the last thing you need while trying to stay fit. You can opt for an adjustment on speed to take hydrating breaks at a slow pace before you get back to your intense routine.
Final thoughts
Always be sure you know how you use a treadmill before stepping on it to exercise. The gym instructor is always willing to help, and is there as a profession to do so. On your first days on the treadmill, you can take it slow before you adjust and figure out features on it and once you are a pro, ensure safety is a priority for you.
