Treadmills

The treadmill is an extremely versatile piece of exercise equipment because it requires limited physical ability, is effective for improving overall health, and offers the advantage of being a weight-bearing exercise. When walking or running on a treadmill, you are primarily using your legs and gluteal muscles. Because these muscles are relatively large, they require more energy. Therefore you can raise your heartbeat and keep it in its target range, without significant local fatigue. Treadmills also let you vary the intensity by increasing the speed or by increasing the incline. So, if you prefer walking, you can still achieve an effective workout simply by increasing the grade. The treadmill, however, is not without limitations. Because it is weight bearing, it may not be appropriate for individuals who are excessively overweight or who have or are predisposed to injury. For these individuals, a more joint-friendly or non-weight bearing exercise modality such as an elliptical trainer or stationary bicycle may be better. If you use a treadmill to supplement your workouts or during inclement weather, it is important to realize that running on an indoor treadmill requires less energy than running at the same speed outdoors. To make up for the discrepancy, a good rule of thumb is to increase the incline on the treadmill anywhere between 1 to 4 percent, if you normally run on flat surfaces. If you run on hilly terrain, however, you may want to increase the grade even more, using your heart rate as a guide.