According to a report by Statista, there were more than 52.7 million treadmill users around the world in 2017. The number has kept on rising and the latest estimate suggests that the count may have surpassed 75 million in 2021, due to worldwide gym closures.
Now would such a huge number of people be using a workout routine that brought no results or was ineffective?
The answer to this is of course a flat, NO…
Amongst experts, it is unarguable that a treadmill workout is one of the best in terms of losing weight. But the latest studies have proven that it can be equally good in building muscles and endurance.
Treadmill running
Treadmills are used widely around the globe. The reason for its massive popularity is the diversified list of benefits that a user could enjoy. Unlike traditional workouts, treadmill running isn’t specific to weight loss or muscle building. It can help you do both by slightly altering your exercising pattern. The innovation in HIIT treadmill exercises means that each user has a designated exercise pattern to suit their fitness goals.
The latest researches have suggested that an hour worth of treadmill can burn up to 1000 calories which is more than twice the calories burnt on an elliptical and other similar cardiovascular workouts. It can help you improve your posture and strengthen your spine.
Why are beginners confused?
Despite a wide range of proven benefits, some beginners are still confused about whether buying a treadmill is going to be worth it or not.
The high cost associated with a treadmill is the primary reason behind the confusion. If a user goes for an electric treadmill, it would, on average, cost about £1000, which is equal to the entire cost of the manual weight lifting equipment. A manual treadmill may cost cheaper, but users are afraid about their longevity and rumours surrounding their use. We have a separate blog talking about the motorized and non-motorized treadmills; you can visit that to find more about the topic.
But for today, we are going to help you sort out your confusion about getting a treadmill. In this blog, we will enlist seven benefits that you can enjoy by using a treadmill regularly. I am pretty sure that once we reach the end of it, you will be clear on why every penny spent is worth the treadmill.
Let’s go!
7 benefits of using a treadmill
Weight loss
According to a survey amongst regular gym-goers, a healthy diet supported by five days a week of treadmill running helped lose 4 kgs in a month, on average. The value in individual cases might vary a little, but its application to a wide population means that it can work for you too.
If there was one benefit that treadmill excels in, it is weight loss. You would never see a personal trainer saying that it doesn’t help in improving your calorie burn or curbing your obesity. Of course, its impact on the overall body is dependent on how you use it, and the frequency of your workouts, but it is undoubtedly a perfect choice to lose weight. Treadmill workouts involve running at a high speed that leads to a higher heart rate. Variations in heart rate lead to an increase in metabolism, which helps your body in weight loss.
Please note:
Also, as treadmill workouts, especially interval training, require consistent efforts, the continuous force exertion leads to the loss of water from the body. Your body sweats during the workout, which reduces your water weight. Our body is made of 70% water, which means that once your water weight reduces, this will also register on the weight machine.
Build Muscles
Although the treadmill is taken as an aerobic exercise, its health benefits in building muscles are not to be ignored. Running on a treadmill puts strain on your calf, thigh, hamstring, lower back and leg muscles, building them day after day. Running at a consistent pace can also help strengthen your spine.
Once your body muscles train regularly, they would begin to lose the excess layer of fat on them, which in turn would make them appear more prominent. The strategy would also apply to your arm muscles for example. Once your body loses the fat component, you will notice your arms getting leaner, allowing your muscles to look more defined and sharper.
Similarly, the treadmill isn’t taken as an ideal fitness equipment to build abs muscles, but in truth, it can actually help you carve your abs. Treadmill running is a high-intensity aerobic exercise, which requires your body to put in immense effort. Once your body starts training daily, it will lose body fat at a better pace, eliminating the fat in front of your abs. So, a regular treadmill workout accompanied by some crunches would get you a step closer to your ideal physical body.
Reduced Impact
Cardio exercise, such as running, can be a great way to lose weight, and most of us are aware of that. However, we are often confused about whether we should go for a treadmill or run on the pavements, a running track or in a nearby park. All are feasible options, but obviously, running in a park isn’t going to cost anything, which means you are good to get started. However, running on pavement isn’t going to be as good for your cardiovascular health, as running on a treadmill.
Let me explain.
An exercise routine brings the desired health benefits once it is done regularly. However, in the case of running on a track or pavement, you will face a higher impact.
Tracks and pavements can be hard going and running on them would mean your ankle knees, and joints would have to take in greater impact. It would lead to pain in the impact areas, which means that you won’t be able to carry on with the exercise for a long time. Hence, the health benefits gained by running regularly won’t be possible, and you would have to take some days off.
On the other hand, a treadmill generally comes with a cushioned track, which means that your footstrikes, even at higher speed, won’t have a considerable impact on your ankles. Also, the treadmill belt is made of a polymer, which means it is generally softer.
So with less impact, you will have a more comfortable jog that would allow you to practice the cardio workout regularly.
Suit Your Fitness Goals
A public park isn’t guaranteed to include any incline routes.
Incline levels can have a massive impact on your overall exercise effectiveness. As per trainers, higher incline levels add to the intensity of the workout, which leads to high-calorie burn and improved fitness levels. Also, the leverage of changing incline levels helps build your calf and hamstring muscles due to varying stride lengths.
Not only does a treadmill allow you to have a programmed incline level, but it also allows you to set your desired speed. You will often notice that while running on a track, your jog would start at a high pace, but as you approach the second or third lap, your abdominal muscles feel under high strain, and it is hard to carry on. This occurs because once you start running with fresh legs, you tend to start with more effort that leads to quick speed early on.
Doing this, your body often doesn’t get enough time to warm up, impacting the overall workout length. On a treadmill, you can set your desired speed throughout the workout. You can choose to slow it down whenever you want. The increased flexibility allows the runner to make the most of the aerobic exercise and enjoy an improved fitness level.
Programmed workouts
It is often hard to analyze the perfect way to use fitness equipment without expert guidance, but running on a treadmill is different. The latest treadmills come with a range of exercise modes. There is a wide range of options to suit your heart health and fitness objectives. Once you start exploring through your treadmill, you will find that it has several exercise modes suited for intensity training or maximum calorie burn practices.
Even if your treadmill doesn’t contain particular exercise modes, learning the right way of running on a treadmill is straightforward. You can use one of our blogs to learn about several workouts that you can practice on a treadmill. Similarly, you can draft your exercise plans by monitoring your blood pressure and calorie burn throughout the workout.
Closely follow the speed and incline level that leads to a higher heart rate. The goal of your regular aerobic exercise is to train your body at varying heart rates. Once you find the designated speed and incline levels, the next job is to train at these intervals for a specified time of your exercise session.
Mental Health
Experts have suggested that running on a treadmill can help you improve your mental health. Once your body starts working out daily, it produces positive energy that helps you feel confident and gets you going day after day.
Working out daily produces endorphins/endocannabinoids-naturally occurring brain chemicals that improve your mood.
Similarly, regular exercise can also start you believing in achieving bigger dreams and being more positive in general which helps in improving your confidence and enriching your life.
These good daily practices generate inspiration that will keep you moving towards your goal, and in turn, you’ll have less time to think about any negativity around you.
Guards Against Obesity-Related Diseases
Heart disease patients are still rising since 2020; it can partly be attributed to the stagnant life that followed worldwide closures, but regardless, to avoid such a disease, adding moderate aerobic activity to our lives is proven to help. A daily dose of treadmill exercise can help keep your blood pressure normal and improve your blood sugar levels.
Doctors have also recommended daily workouts to reduce the fatty acids present in your blood, which helps in smoother flow and prevent any blood vessel disease. Treadmill training benefits your overall health and helps you lose weight pretty quickly. The strain on the same muscles helps your blood circulation in the lower body and improves muscle tone.
Conclusion
We have finally reached the end of the blog; so I hope you will be clear on why you need a treadmill now. Treadmill exercise is excellent for improving your body, heart and mental health, however, before you begin you must be aware of the treadmill safety rules to avoid any injury. Why not check out more tips and advice on treadmills to get the most out of your workouts.
FAQs
Can I curb heart disease using a treadmill?
Treadmills are great in achieving your desired fitness level; it helps in reducing fat content in your body that adds to your immunity against heart diseases. However, you can’t solely rely on treadmill running; so for more advice, consult your doctor. The right combination of diet, exercise (and if required, medicine) will help you attain better health.
What is the best way of using a treadmill?
To comment on an exercise routine for any exercise equipment is pretty subjective because different workouts would suit different goals. However, HIIT workouts for losing weight work really well if that’s your target. If you are looking to build endurance, practice some sessions at your chosen speed, and increase the duration slightly each time.
