How to start training with the treadmill at home ?

At this time of year, one of the purposes that we all set ourselves is to get in shape and get a good figure for next summer. If you don't have time to go to a gym every day, treadmills are a good alternative to get fit at home .

And it is that the treadmill is one of the most suitable devices to train without leaving the house, especially during the cold winter months, in which the low temperatures do not invite you to go running outside.

One of the advantages that the treadmill offers is that it allows us to exercise every muscle in our body in a totally natural way. In other words, it is a global and complete training . In addition, as it is an aerobic exercise , when we have been running on the treadmill for a few days, we will begin to notice a considerable loss of volume and body weight .

The treadmill allows us to perform a constant exercise in which we move all the joints at the same time. Therefore, it helps preserve the elasticity of the tendons , allowing us to always feel in top shape.

Start training with the treadmill at home

Before starting to train with a treadmill, you should know that this device is not recommended for people suffering from severe back problems, such as herniated discs, or pathologies that affect the knees or ankles. It is important to keep this in mind so as not to aggravate this type of problem.

If you start training with the treadmill at home for the first time, at first you should start the exercise walking , to avoid jerking and gradually warming up the muscles, especially if you have been without physical exercise for a long time.

Once you are acquiring some depth and resistance on the treadmill, you can start running three to four days a week. However, always try to leave a free day between each workout so that the muscles can rest.

Guidelines for a good treadmill workout

How should you distribute the training on the treadmill? It is important to warm up when you start and let your muscles cool down before finishing the exercise. In turn, to achieve better results, you should not always carry out the same activity. For this, you can use intervals and intensity peaks. Here are some guidelines:

1. Pre-heating

Before getting on the treadmill, the first step is to do a warm- up in which you stretch the muscles involved in this exercise, such as the quads, hamstrings, adductors, and twins.

In addition to the previous stretches, a good way to warm up properly is to walk for five minutes . In this way, you will gradually increase the speed or slope as we notice the looser legs.

2. Interval training

After this brief warm-up is complete, treadmill training should begin with a three-minute walk at a medium pace . Then, you need to accelerate to run at a higher pace for three minutes , trying to bring your heart rate up to 80%.

When these three minutes have passed at full speed, you should lower the speed of the treadmill again to run again at a medium pace for three minutes . Ideally, complete this series by speeding up and slowing down every three minutes, until you complete at least three repetitions . As you increase your fitness, you can expand the range of intensity.

What are the benefits of interval running?

The running interval has shown some great benefits for runners, always alternating with moderate intensity peaks career. These are some of its advantages:

• Help you lose weight faster: Quick-twitch muscle fibers work during these periods of high intensity and burn more calories.

• Improve performance : Increases metabolism and cardiovascular system, which progressively increases your performance and lung capacity. This will allow you to do more kilometers and run faster.

• You burn energy for 48 hours : Unlike medium intensity aerobic exercise, which only burns calories during training, by performing intensity intervals your body continues to work after the activity. The burning of energy lasts up to 48 hours.

End of the financial year

To finish, before getting off the treadmill, you must cool the muscles again by walking for two minutes to regulate the heartbeat. When you reach the second week of training, you will notice that you can gradually increase the exercise time. You can increase one minute of running on the treadmill for each week of training you complete.