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There's one machine in the gym that can help you work on your cardio fitness and your stamina: the treadmill. But it has a lot more to offer than just that. Running engages most of your body and offers a lot of benefits. It strengthens and tones muscles, helps with weight loss, reduces stress and increases self-confidence, among other things. An adaptable piece of equipment, the treadmill can be used by anyone, no matter their level of ability. It can help you reach your goal easily, whatever it is.
GETTING INTO OR BACK INTO SPORT
So it's been a while since you've done any physical activity and you're feeling the negative effect of that. You're not happy about it at all and you want to get your act together and make sport a part of your everyday routine again.
Treadmill running is a great way of getting back into sport and it will also reacquaint you with two very natural activities: walking and running. (Check out our advice below for getting off on the right foot on the treadmill machine).
If you have a treadmill at home, you can take things step by step and go at your own pace. Start off by walking and then walk on an incline before stepping up to running and going further and further each time. A treadmill takes the stress out of making progress. Who said getting fit again was hard?
LOSING WEIGHT
You're not happy with yourself and you want to shed a few kilos and feel more at ease in your clothes. Running is one of the best sports there is for achieving that weight-loss goal. Why? Because it requires prolonged and sustained effort and forces your body to dig deep into its resources. And if you run on a regular basis, you'll also give your basic metabolism a boost. The upshot is that your body will use up more energy when resting.
It goes without saying that the more sustained your pace, the more energy you expend and the more effective your sessions will be. The best way to lose weight running is to mix up your training sessions and do interval training. At the same time, you can increase the level of difficulty week after week (speed, incline and running time).
Quality training sessions combined with healthy living will soon see you shedding all those unwanted kilos.
BUILD UP YOUR STAMINA
A sedentary lifestyle has an impact on your body. If you're in the car all day or stuck at your computer and failing to get out and about, then it all takes its toll.
Do you get out of breath and feel out of sorts when you're doing something physical? Then you need to listen to your body and say enough is enough. It's time to take action and build up the stamina you need to live life to the full. The treadmill is ideal for helping you look after yourself and get a spring back in your step.
There's no need to rush though, anything but. It's much better to go step by step. You can't force the pace on the treadmill. The idea is to stick at it for as long as possible. The best way to develop your stamina is to run regularly and at a constant pace. By increasing the length of your sessions steadily, you'll build up your stamina and energy levels.
PUSH YOUR BOUNDARIES
You love a challenge and new goals just spur you on. Running is the perfect sport for natural born competitors. Whatever the distance (5km, 10km, half marathon, marathon or trails), there are plenty of goals for you to push yourself.
There's no secret to it: if you have the willpower and determination, you'll get there. Lots of demands on your time? The good thing about treadmill running is that you can do it at home. And you can change the speed and the incline in just a few seconds. That's pretty handy when you've got races to prepare for.
PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO YOUR TRAINING
Running goes perfectly with many other sports. Swimming, yoga, sailing, weight training, Nordic walking, rowing… the list is a long one. Though the benefits are different, they do complement each other. Playing different sports at the same time allows you to work your whole body. And on top of that, you'll have more fun, train more and develop your skills in each sport.
Obviously, you can add to this list of goals. It's just a start and it's designed to give you an idea of the motivation you might need to get into or get back into treadmill running :). So what's your goal for the months ahead?
