Treadmills — one of the most underrated pieces of exercise kit out there. While they’ve always been a gym staple, more and more people are investing in treadmills to use at home. But what’s so great about them? In this article, we’ll highlight the key advantages of using treadmills for exercise, answer some frequently asked questions about them and give you an insight into how to invest in the right treadmill for you.
How can a treadmill fit into your fitness routine?
The most obvious use for treadmills is of course running and walking. But they actually have many uses and ways they can fit into your fitness routine. Helping to support your fitness, fat reduction or weight loss goals with different forms of cardio.
What are the advantages of using a treadmill?
Versatility
A treadmill can be incredibly versatile in terms of meeting your goals — but also with the type of workouts, you’ll look to do. If you want quick and intense cardio, high-intensity interval training using speed and incline are very effective. Or for a more slow burn, walking, jogging or uphill trekking are a great way to work on your cardio without high intensity. Finally, you can also use the treadmill at a very slow pace to do bodyweight strength exercises, such as lunges, side to side squats or even band work.
Less impact on your joints
With supportive structures and an even surface, running or walking on a treadmill can put much less strain on your joints. In contrast to running or walking on roads or pavements, which can be uneven at times, a treadmill is consistently smooth — allowing your joints to move in the most optimal way possible without obstruction.
Every weather workout
Regardless of the weather, your home treadmill provides a place to sweat it out. When it’s chucking it down outside or freezing cold, getting the motivation to hit the pavement is tough. With a home treadmill, you can ensure you’re still hitting your goals, whatever the weather.
Mental health
For many, exercise is a massive source of mental clarity and stability. With a home treadmill, you can work out whenever you need to and fit your workouts around your schedule. So, if you’ve had a tough day or need a quick break from working from home to clear your head your home treadmill can be a great tool to have on hand.
Easy to use and store
Treadmills, despite looking like they’d take up a lot of space, can often be pretty space-efficient. Many models fold up, making them easy to store after you’ve used them. So, if space is an issue, you’ll still be able to find a treadmill that fits your home.
FAQs
Now you’ve heard about all of the benefits of investing in a treadmill, we wanted to cover off some of the key questions we hear asked about treadmills.
Is running on a treadmill the same as running outside?
In terms of the cardio benefits yes. But a treadmill also has the added bonus of being an even and supportive surface — meaning less strain on your joints. You can also use it to track pace more accurately.
What different exercises can you do on a treadmill?
Of course, you can do standard walks and runs on the treadmill. But you can also use incline features to mimic walking uphill, use the speed to variate between high-intensity periods and also use it for bodyweight movements too.
What are the benefits of walking on a treadmill?
There are so many benefits to walking on a treadmill. Including, increasing your caloric output and thus helping to lose weight, reduction of stress, lowering blood pressure and improving your overall health. Not to mention, that it truly is a piece of kit that can be used by all as it is supportive and has so many different uses.
Are 30 minutes on a treadmill enough?
As with any form of exercise, it all depends on your goal. It’s really what you do in those 30 minutes that can help to move you closer to different goals. For someone looking for overall fitness improvements, walking or a light jog will be sufficient. However, if you’re working toward fat loss or perhaps training for an event like a marathon, using these 30-minutes to increase the intensity with include or speed is a great way to contribute to your overall goal.
We hope this article has given you some insight into why treadmills are such a great piece of home exercise kit to invest in. With so much versatility and the number of fitness goals they can help you to reach, they are an essential item for any budding home exercisers. To take a look at our full product range, check out our store. Or for more expert exercise information, check out our features guide.
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