• Tips

Unless you live and run in a climate with no rain, no snow, no intense heat, no chilling cold and now sudden storms, then your scheduled workouts are sometimes interrupted by bad weather. Last summer, here in St Louis we had many days that started out as sunny and dry — yet were rainy by late afternoon. No doubt many outside runners got drenched.

A good treadmill allows runners to complete their workouts in the comfort, warmth and safety of their own homes. With cold water, a TV and nearby bathroom.

Rick Morris has been a competitive runner since the 1970s. He’s a professional running coach, a certified personal trainer, the president of Running Planet Inc and owner of the Running Planet dot com website. So he knows the pleasures and pitfalls of running from his own experiences and those of his clients.

This book extensively covers both the pros and cons of using a treadmill. His overall conclusion is that competitive runners need to run out when possible but — as noted above — that’s not always possible.

Treadmills are an acceptable substitute for road running. They can also offer advantages. For instance, they can be inclined to duplicate the effect of hill running. Many runners live in flat areas. Plus, they force runners to maintain a steady speed instead of slowing down as they tire.

I’ll add one benefit he doesn’t. We’re now learning that running barefoot is healthier in the sense of allowing the muscles of our feet and ankles and arches to flex and get good exercise. After all, people have been running for a million years, long before Nike starting doing it and even before sneakers were invented.

Few of us grew up running barefoot through the jungle like Kenyan marathoners did, so our feet don’t have soles thick enough to endure pavement, track cinders, rocks and possible broken glass. But a treadmill doesn’t present any of those problems.

He goes over the extensive features available on modern treadmill and provides a buyers guide explaining all the items to look out for.

Most of the book consists of explaining individual treadmill workouts and then providing weeks of suggested training programs.

The individual ones include: Endurance, Speed Endurance, Speed, Hill workouts, and Long Runs.

The training programs are: Beginners, Finish a 5K, Finish a 10K, Weight Loss, Fitness/Recreational Runner, Finish a Half Marathon, Finish a Marathon, and Training for Competitive Runners.

Along the way he provides a lot of information useful to all runners whether they use a treadmill or not: using your heart rate, using perceived exertion, and the various types of workouts.

As he points out, the biggest problem with treadmills is that the good ones cost as much as a small car — and the cheap models aren’t worth the money.

If you’re wealthy or serious enough, however, a good treadmill is a great investment in your running career and therefore your long term health and fitness.

Richard Stooker is a writer with a long time interest in health, nutrition, fitness and anti-aging subjects. This also lead him to check out kids running shoes.

Treadmills are the number one exercise machines both for ease of use and for calories burned.

According to a study done by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, calories burned on the treadmill for 60 minutes averaged 865 – 705. This beat out the stair machine, rowing machine, stationary cycle or even cross country ski machine.

But how do you get the MOST calorie bang for your buck? How do you superboost that calorie burn, especially if you don’t have a lot of time to work out?

I asked this question of several personal trainers that write for our website and here’s what they came up with.

These 3 easy tips will boost your calorie burn while on your treadmill AND possibly even after your workout!

#1) Walk Uphill

By using your treadmill incline, you are forcing the larger groups of muscles to work, thus burning more calories. You can often double or even triple the amount of calories you normally burn by walking on an incline.

Don’t want to walk on an incline for 20 minutes straight?

Another way to burn calories on your treadmill is by doing incline intervals: walking on a steep incline for 1 – 2 minutes, then walking on a normal incline for 5 minutes (while you catch your breath) and then repeating.

Incline intervals are a powerful way to challenge your body: you don’t allow your body to get used to the same workout routine and the same repetitive muscle motion. So the number of calories burned rises and stays high – even after your workout.

#2) Don’t Grip the Handrails

If you’ve been to many gyms, you’ve probably seen your fair share of people grasping onto the front or side handrails as they walk.

While it’s fine to touch them for balance, you shouldn’t have to hold on. That actually burns less calories since your legs aren’t doing the work by themselves – they’re getting help from the treadmill frame.

Instead of holding on to the handrails, try lowering your intensity until you don’t need to hold onto the handrails for support. Then, to build more calorie burning power into your workout swing your arms or carry 2 pound handweights to get a total body workout. Overall, you’ll be burning more calories this way than holding onto the handrails for support.

#3) Build in Speed Intervals

Just like incline intervals, this challenges your body to not only work harder while on your treadmill, but the higher calorie burn will continue after your workout.

Walk (or run) at your normal pace for 3 minutes and then do 30 -60 seconds at a faster pace (so that you’re breathing heavily by the end of the interval). Then slow it down to your usual pace again for another 3 minutes.

You’ll definitely feel the difference after your workout!

(Of course never push yourself so hard that you feel pain. If you ever do feel pain, slow your pace down right away and talk to a medical professional)

So there are 3 tips to help you burn calories on a treadmill and keep your calorie burn high post workout. It’s recommended that before starting any exercise program, you should consult your doctor. Remember that everyone is different. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else but instead listen to your body and do what you can.

Before you know it, you’ll have reached your fitness and weight loss goals!

Kathryn ONeill writes for [http://www.treadmillreview.net] a site offering the latest treadmill reviews, ratings and money-saving tips.

For 3 ways to get new workouts for your treadmill see the Treadmill Workouts page.

Some people think that the only way to use the treadmill is to run. However, you should know that there are actually more ways than this. Here are ten ways to use the treadmill to get into shape:

1) Trudging – walking on a slow but constant pace can be great for promoting circulation and relaxation. The monotonous motion achieved by trudging on the treadmill can actually help you clear up your mind, get your juices flowing and allow you to think for a while. Trudging serves as an excellent warm up exercise, since the slow movements stretch the muscles slowly without risking injury or cramping.

Trudging can be quite good if you wish to have a little time to reflect on things. As this is a very light exercise, you should be able to keep thinking in the solitude provided for you by the simulated walk. Don’t be fooled; the trudge is still an exercise and you will feel the effect on your legs if you go about it too long.

2) Brisk Walking – this is one of the most common uses of treadmills today. Brisk walking is ideal for those who have done with the warm-ups of their exercise routine but are not yet stretched enough to proceed to the higher-impact levels. Brisk walking raises the heartbeat a little and begins conditioning the cardiovascular system. A lot of people prefer this type of exercise since it gives them the impression of experiencing a brisk exercise routine but it does not leave them so tired afterwards.

Brisk walking is less conducive for contemplations and inner journeys. If you are on a treadmill, the best thing that can accompany this would be watching the television or listening to music.

3) Jogging – jogging is also one of the most common types of exercises done on treadmills. Jogging is somewhere between running and walking. Actually, the exercise in jogging does not come from the distance you cover or the force of the feet pushing the body off the ground. Rather, it comes from the action of raising one’s foot. Hence, people feel the most resistance when they are raising their foot off the ground.

4) Endurance running – this is actually running with a constant pace but over long distances. Endurance running helps build up a person’s resistance to stress. It is particularly excellent for developing the cardiovascular system. This type of treadmill exercise is also great for improving focus.

5) Sprinting – a sprint is running in an accelerated pace over a short distance. Each sprint usually only lasts a few seconds but leaves the person breathless and sweating profusely. This is actually great for developing the power of the legs. The exercise comes from the force of pushing the body off the ground using the feet.

6) Metabolism training – the object of this treadmill exercise is to keep the body burning a constant amount of energy. It is actually training your body to burn energy even if you are not exercising. Metabolism training usually involves monitoring one’s heart rate and blood pressure and then keeping both at a constant level so that the same amount of energy is burned.

7) Combination of sprinting and walking – this is quite effective in building both leg strength and endurance. In this treadmill exercise, the only rest that the person is given is while walking. Even if he or she has stopped running, her muscles and lungs keep working while he or she walks off the fatigue.

Moving katas – a treadmill can also be used by a martial artist in order to practice how to execute moves while walking. What usually happens is the martial artist creates an imaginary opponent walking toward or away from him or her and then the martial artist engages this enemy. This is great for developing footwork and timing.

9) Backwards jogging – this is used to develop footwork as well as balance. It also increases the awareness of the person performing the exercise. This can be a bit dangerous since a treadmill does not exactly give a person the chance to stop when necessary since the person is facing away from the controls.

10) Duck walk – the duck walk is when a person walks while he or she is squatting. This is actually excellent for shaping the upper thighs. In fact, just a few minutes into this exercise and a person can already feel the muscles aching.

These are just ten ways to use the treadmill to get into shape. You can actually come up with more if you just think outside the box.

When it comes to exercising, one of the main pieces of equipment people will turn to is the treadmill. This is one of the most effective exercise equipments to help you burn fat but are you using it correctly? This article will show how to get the most out of your treadmill so you can get the exercise you need without spending hours in the gym.

One of the misconceptions that people have is that the longer you exercise, the better it is for you. The reality is that the longer your workout sessions are, the less effective it will become. This is good news of course because it means that you don’t have to spend a whole lot of time in the gym and can use that time to do other things. So how do you get the best out of your workout? You do this by being efficient. So here’s what you want to do.

You will first want to buy a heart rate monitor and then figure out what is your optimal heart rate level. You can figure this out by finding the formula online. Once you find out what your optimal hear rate level is, you will basically use the treadmill to get up to that level and stay there for 30 – 45 minutes. Once you have achieved that, you can cool down, stretch out, and be done with your exercise.

Even if you are lifting weights, the law of diminishing returns still takes place. It’s not about how long your workout, it’s about how efficiently you can workout. This will make working out a lot more enjoyable because you won’t have to dread it so much since the amount you spend in the gym doesn’t have to be as long as most people think.

You can use the Recumbent exercise bike if you don’t like running. You can also buy a treadmill by looking online for treadmills for sale.

Are you in the marketplace for an electric treadmill? A very popular piece of exercise equipment, the treadmill is an important part of any home workout. Adding a treadmill to your home will be beneficial to everyone in the family, including the pet dog.

When out purchasing an electric treadmill, there are a few considerations to be addressed. The most important is, where to put such an oversized piece of exercise equipment? Depending on the square footage and layout of your home, there are several places you can put your treadmill that will be beneficial to your workout routine.

If your the type of person who enjoys exercising by yourself, placing your electric treadmill in your bedroom or perhaps the basement may be a suggestion. These places tend to provide some peace and quiet along with seclusion from the rest of the house. In addition, it would most likely mean that your treadmill will remain out of high traffic areas in your home. There is another place that people tend to forget when locating their treadmill, the garage. Depending on your set-up, the garage tends to be cooler which may lend itself to a more comfortable workout.

Finally, an even better place for your electric treadmill is your very own exercise room. When setting up a room specifically for workouts, try to make the room inviting, as to fight off the boredom that sometimes comes with running. Also, while most electric treadmills do fold up, set yours up where there is room for your treadmill motor to “breathe” as these devices tend to heat up rather quickly. This usually means keeping your treadmill from any corners or up against a wall.

So, while buying an electric treadmill for your exercise routine may be a no-brainer, it is important to consider where you are going to place it. By picking the right room in your home, you will add some enjoyment to your running and avoid having to move a heavy piece of exercise equipment in the near future.

Treadmill instructions are always the last thing you think about when you open up your new treadmill. Hey, it’s new so why do you need the instructions? Well, to make sure you set your machine up right and to learn about all the features and benefits of your new machine. Once you’re treadmill is setup, read through the whole manual and make sure you have a good idea of what your machine can do and what you need to know to get the most out of it. Take note of the regular maintenance schedules and know the best maintenance practices and requirements so your treadmill has a long problem free life.

But what’s even more important than following and reading your treadmill instructions when you buy your new treadmill, is making sure you keep them in a safe place when you’re done with them. Usually, you’ll go years without having to need your manual but it’s that time when you need it to replace key parts that it pays for itself. Replacing a worn belt is fairly easy when you can follow a step by step procedure, but trying to figure it out yourself can cost you time and some serious cash. One wrong move and you might ruin something else that will increase your cost. You can also have a professional do it but you’re paying a heavy price even before they replace any parts.

You probably keep all your tax returns and home mortgage documents in a specific folder and in a place you know where to find whatever you need. So why not get another folder for all the appliances, TVs, treadmill and other purchases you make. These documents can not only help you run your treadmill properly, repair them correctly but they might also be required for your to take advantage of your manufacturers warranty.

If you find yourself searching unsuccessfully for your treadmill instructions or manuals, there is some hope. A great resource you can use to find instruction manuals for many makes and models of treadmill is ManualsOnline.com and specifically for treadmill manuals, http://www.fitness.manualsonline.com/manuals/device/treadmill.html. All you have to do is go to the URL and type in the make and model of your treadmill and it will provide results for your query. You can also just click the link of your make and it will give you all the models available and their related manuals.

A quality treadmill cost a decent amount of money, so try and protect your investment by following the manual and caring for your machine as outlined and recommended within the treadmill instructions. Doing so will save you a whack of cash, time and even minimize the training downtime created by damaged equipment. A damaged treadmill that can’t be used will inevitably become a bulky clothes hanger and will stop your good health intentions in their tracks. But it can all be avoided by following your manuals and keeping your treadmill instructions in a safe place with all your other important documents.

Find More Free Treadmill Instruction Tips From the Top Treadmill Tips Directory Online.