5 Ways To Get The Best Use Out Of Your Home Treadmill
The #1 fear that people have when investing in a home treadmill (or any piece of exercise equipment) is that they won’t use it.
You know the story. It gets delivered, you set it up and enjoy it for a few days…and then it sits…and waits.
A few months down the road, you notice how dusty it has become and how much space it’s taking up. And you remember how much weight you were determined to lose by using it faithfully every day. But now, unfortunately, it doubles as a clothes rack.
Never fear. This article will help you make sure that DOESN’T happen.
A treadmill provides the best overall cardiovascular workout & it’s still the number one exercise machine for those who want to lose weight. So it’s an investment in your health that will pay large dividends…if you are prepared to get the maximum benefit from it!
Here are 5 easy ways to get the BEST use from your home treadmill:
#1) Do your research first
Make sure you look at what each treadmill offers you and compare it to your unique needs.
For example, if you live in a condo and/or like things neat and clean, a folding treadmill might suit you best. If you want a folding treadmill, do you prefer a manual folding treadmill (like most folding treadmills) or do you want a shock-assisted folding treadmill with wheels on the bottom that’s easy to move?
If you like to drink water during your workout, make sure there’s a water bottle holder included in the treadmill console (it might surprise you how many treadmills do not have this feature.)
Do you get bored easily and need a challenge? What about getting a treadmill with lots of user programs or one that is iFit compatible?
These things may seem little and maybe it might cost you a bit more; but if it means you’re actually going to enjoy your workout it will be well worth it!
#2) Place the treadmill in a ‘happy’ spot.
By ‘happy’ I mean well-lit, open and stimulating. Don’t put it so you face the bare wall when you walk or run. I’ve tried this this and the workouts don’t last long! If you get bored easily, put it facing the television or facing a window where you can have an attractive view while working out.
Rooms and spaces have definite ‘feels’ to them and that will affect the success of your workouts. Make sure your treadmill is placed in an area that makes you feel energized, happy and mentally stimulated.
#3) Get your exercise arsenal ready BEFORE the treadmill arrives.
Do you like listening to fast music when you exercise? Do you like watching your favorite movies? What about reading magazines? What inspires you to work out and feel your best?
Get these things ready even before your treadmill arrives and you’ll be three-quarters of the way there. Have several workout or favorite CD’s around. Get your favorite movies or shows on tape. Gather your favorite magazines.
By having an ‘exercise’ stash around your treadmill, you’ll be inspired to workout AND you won’t be stuck running around looking for something to do when you want to start exercising.
Again, this may seem simple, but it works. Why do you think gyms have magazines, televisions and CD players handy?
#4) Make an exercise plan.
Before you start working out, try making a plan, a “roadmap to your rock-hard body” so to speak. By writing down how long and what kind of workout you’ll be doing in week 1, 2, 3, 4 etc, you’ll get yourself psyched up for success.
Remember that every time you workout, you are planting the seeds for the kind of dream body that you want.
By having a plan, you can see just how many seeds you’ve planted (and even how long it will take to start reaping the results!) Have fun with it and you’ll be motivated to achieve your health goals (and get maximum benefits from your treadmill!)
#5) Track your progress
Ok this is related to #4 but it’s more of an ongoing thing. By tracking your progress every day, you get a major sense of accomplishment which snowballs into even greater fat-burning results.
I suggest you have ‘minimum goals’ like “I’ll walk for at least 10 minutes.” or “I’ll do 5-30 second intervals.” These are easy to do and you’ll probably go beyond them – which will encourage you even further and heighten your sense of accomplishment.
And of course, you’re also getting maximum benefit from your treadmill!
Those are 5 ways to get best use from your home treadmill. Just remember that even a little bit of preparation will pay off large dividends in the long run.
Fitness made simple. Squat thrusts
Everybody understands push ups and sit-ups. They’re simple, straightforward exercises. But to get a shapely and fit looking body you need to get beyond the simpler exercises and put more muscles to work. Dieting can only take you half way through to your goal. The rest has to come from exercises that burn out fat and build stronger muscles.
So, one good exercise that can be easily performed at home by anyone is the squat thrusts. In order to perform squat thrusts, you have to put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with the legs stretched, just like in the normal push up position. From this position, you must bring both legs forward, underneath your torso, by bending the knees and thrusting forward. The third step is to return your legs to the original position with the same quick, powerful movements.
The exercise can be performed by bringing the right leg forward, in a position that resembles that of a runner at the start line. Then, thrust both legs simultaneously, the right leg going back and the left leg coming forward to replace the right one. And thrust again, bringing the right leg forward and pushing the left leg back.
This exercise is meant to work out the glutes, the hamstrings and the quads, with some benefits for the triceps. Be careful not to trip and fall and make sure your hands are firmly keeping the whole body in the correct position. Perform some 15-20 reps every workout session and you’ll be showing some great legs to anyone who cares to look. Ladies are impressed by men with muscular legs and asses and you don’t need me to tell you how men feel about women with good-looking legs.
Remember that exercises must be helped by keeping a close eye on the food intake. Junk food, sodas and snacks have to go and fruits, vegetables and other nutritional and healthy foods must take their place.
Fitness made simple. Push ups
What’s the oldest trick in the big book of fitness exercises? You guessed it, it’s the push ups. This exercise is so well known and has been around for so long that I think it must have been performed by Roman soldiers, too. It looks ancient and it feels ancient. But it’s also extremely simple and extremely effective. So, if you want those bulging pectorals, get down and give me 20. Push ups are a great exercise that can be performed anywhere. The basic push up is performed lying face down on the floor and then raising and lowering the body using just the arms. Push ups are meant to strengthen the pectorals, triceps and, to some extent, the deltoids, but are also good as core body strength exercises.
If you really want to put pressure on your shoulder and chest muscles you can try the press ups, which are the military or athletic version of the push ups. Press ups are performed with the back and legs straight and off the floor. If you are at home, you can put your feet on a low chair or armchair. If you’re in the park, you can use a bench to prop up your feet. Try not to raise your legs too high above the shoulder line.
Other variations include push ups performed using just four fingers at each hand, using only one hand, clapping the hands (requires strong pushes that raise the body higher than usual), or pressing against a wall instead of using the floor (the farther your feet are from the wall, the harder the exercise). Take care not to injure yourself while performing some of the more exotic variations. If you’re an overweight person looking to get back into shape, you should not avoid push ups. This exercise can teach you something about carrying your own weight.
Fitness made simple. Sit-ups
Getting up in the morning and going straight to work or other chores can be a bore. There are days when one simply doesn’t feel like getting out of bed. And this is where exercising can actually help you with a kick start. A quick workout session at the beginning of the day can do wonders for your health, especially if you’re also trying to lose weight.
Sit-ups are one of those exercises that can be performed at home. To perform sit-ups you need to lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees at 90 degrees. Then, you have to sit up without moving your legs at all. It is very important not to use your leg muscles to balance the body, compensate or supplement the effort made by the abdominal muscles or you will get no benefit from this exercise.
You may want to perform the exercise on a workout mat or pad in order to make it easier on your back. Some people find it uncomfortable when the lower back bones press into a hardwood floor, which is why mats and pads are recommended.
However, if you want sit-ups to be fully effective, you should coupled them with generic cardio exercises, such as running, which will lower the overall body fat and leave the abs exposed. If you experience lower back pain, you should stop performing sit-ups and settle for crunches or other exercises that do not involve lower back movement.
This exercise will help you get those cool looking abdominals that everybody wants to show off. Today, both men and women are eager to acquire that “tough to the core” look that a well defined six-pack gives. It’s a sign of a body kept well in hand and of a strong will behind it.