The Most Common Mistakes People Make While Using a Treadmill
Although treadmills are hugely popular both at the gym and in people’s homes, and they seem easy and straightforward enough to use, a lot of people make mistakes while using this type of gym equipment. These errors can result in injuries and can inhibit progress towards fitness goals. Therefore, if you absolutely love working out on a treadmill or you just realize the necessity of this equipment because you want to get in shape and you cannot always head outside to go for a run, you should be aware of what these common mistakes are. In this way, you will be able to avoid them and meet your fitness goals even sooner while making sure that your body does not sustain any painful and debilitating injuries that can cause you to lose weeks, or even months, of workout time.
Continue reading to learn about just a few of the most common mistakes that people make while they are on a treadmill. Then make sure you keep these errors in mind while you are exercising so that you do not make the same mistakes as well.
Failing to Properly Warm Up and Cool Down
Just as it is so important to properly warm up and cool down after any other type of workout routine, whenever you get on the treadmill, you have to warm up your muscles and get your body used to moving. Start with a few minutes that consist of a typical walking pace just to get yourself ready to pick up the pace. Once you feel ready, you can then begin to adjust the speed and incline by increasing them in small increments or by getting right into them, depending upon your fitness level and what you would normally do if you were jogging outside.
Cooling down is just as important as warming up. Even though you may be really tempted to jump off of the treadmill as soon as your time is up and you have met your goal for the day, you really should allow yourself a couple more minutes to just slow things down. Again, using increments can work better for some people, as it allows for a gradual slowing down that the body can get used to. The last thing that you want to do is get off of the treadmill too quickly, as this can result in lightheadedness and dizziness because your heart rate and blood pressure have to adjust by dropping rapidly, putting stress on the entire body.
Not Wearing the Right Running Shoes
You know that wearing the right running shoes outdoors is important because they will help keep you going and will also help prevent discomfort and injuries. But many people think that they can get away with subpar shoes if they just work out on a treadmill instead. This, of course, is not true. Opt for running shoes that have extra padding in the heels, as these will dramatically reduce the impact on your joints.
Forgetting about Proper Posture
Maintaining the appropriate posture while you are on a treadmill is also extremely important, so you really should never look down at your feet or stretch your neck to try to see the television in the room. If your body is not properly aligned, you end up stretching certain muscle groups while tightening others, and this can lead to injuries. Poor posture can also throw off your balance, and it can even reduce the amount of oxygen that your body is able to take in.
To maintain the best posture while using a treadmill, keep your chin parallel to the ground and your head, heart, and hips in one line. Make sure your spine is straight as well. This will engage all of the right muscles and reduce the risk of injuring yourself.
Relying on the Numbers on the Console Too Much
Today’s best treadmills offer a lot of technology that is meant to help us get through our workouts more easily and also keep track of our progress. But while it is great to use this technology to know how well or how poorly you are doing during a workout, keep in mind that the numbers are only estimates, not concrete. A lot of people end up obsessing over the numbers on the console, such as the number of calories burned or the amount of fat that has melted away. But try not to pay too much attention and instead just use these numbers as a guide and nothing more. If you need to, cover up the console with a towel so you can instead focus on working hard and how your body feels. This will give you much better results in the long run, and you reduce the risk of injuries from looking down at the console too much as well.
