Treadmill Workouts for Beginners

Treadmill Workouts for Beginners by Jamie Jefferson

Running is a great way to burn calories and increase cardiovascular fitness. But when bad weather hits and you take a day off, it can lead to two and three and four days off, and before you know it, you can easily slip out of your running routine.

That's why many runners turn to the treadmill, either a quality in-home machine or a machine at the gym.

Treadmills are nice because you can run anytime, day or night, regardless of the weather. And it can actually be safer than running outside.

You won't meet any strange dogs, wild animals, or strangers while running inside on the treadmill. Plus, treadmills give you a nice, smooth surface to run on and that can be easier on your joints than if you were outside, pounding the pavement (as long as you continue exercising with proper technique.)

When you run on a treadmill, it's a cinch to set both your pace and your incline. By occasionally running on the treadmill, you'll be able to gauge how it feels to run at a certain pace when you run outside again. And you can easily make small changes to your treadmill routine, which can lead to big results, fast.

To stave off boredom when you are working out, use headphones and download inspiring and motivating music from the Internet. Or download an audiobook.

You can also catch up on your TV by watching recorded TV shows. Just make sure that the viewing (or listening) doesn't interfere with good running technique.

Another great way to alleviate boredom on the treadmill: Interval training.

Treadmills make it easy to interval train, which means alternating slower paces and gentle inclines with periods of faster paces and/or a higher incline. Interval training can really help you maximize calorie burn, too.

You can either use the preset running programs installed on your treadmill, or adjust the incline and speed manually.

As always, you'll want to start your running workout by stretching your muscles before you even get on the treadmill. Then, once you hop on the machine, warm up for about a half mile. To do this, simply set the treadmill on a speed lower than you are used to when you run. Then start your interval training: alternate a slower speed with a faster speed, then back to the slower speed for specific intervals of time (one to five minutes).

As your fitness level improves, you can increase the length of the more challenging interval. You can also increase the incline of the treadmill as you run for an even more challenging workout.

You might find that it will help you to stay motivated and inspired in your workout if you tackle different training modes on different days. For example, one day you can interval train by focusing on the incline of your treadmill. The next day, focus on speed. The third day, you can interval train for both speed and incline.

The tips in this article are for general information only. Consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.



If you are looking for a new treadmill or a new place to work out, click here for the latest treadmill discounts and fitness coupons.

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The Do's and Don'ts of Purchasing Exercise Equipment

The Do's and Don'ts of Purchasing Exercise Equipment by Craig Pepin Donat

With all the options available to help you improve the way you look and feel, purchasing a piece of home equipment is a viable solution for those who are disciplined enough to use it consistently. Unfortunately, most home exercise equipment is left to collect dust because people buy the wrong equipment that won't help them achieve their fitness goals. Slick marketing campaigns and infomercials that use deceptive claims have tricked people into thinking that they can achieve fast results with little effort.

If you are like most people, you want to improve the way you look and feel. but you are confused by all the options available and fed up with false promises. Not having enough time is the number one reason people say they do not exercise. The simple convenience of squeezing in a quick workout in your own home takes the time excuse out of the equation.

Once you've made the decision to buy home equipment, the key is making the right purchase the first time. If you buy something that doesn't work even once, you will be less likely to try again, and you will ruin a great opportunity to improve your health. Here are some of the top Do's and Don'ts on your path to improved health and fitness.

Do:

-Include strength training in your physical activity routine. Strength training helps build lean muscle tissue, which is your body's fat-burning machinery, and will allow you to burn more calories at rest.

-Include cardio exercise in your physical activity routine. Walking is a good start but losing a single pound of fat equals 3,500 calories burned, and walking will yield limited results, compared to other forms of higher-intensity cardio exercise. For example, walking at a slow pace of less than 2.0 mph for an hour will burn approximately 175 calories for a person who weighs 155 pounds. Higher-intensity exercise, like running or using an elliptical trainer at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, can burn over twice the calories in half the time.

-The most effective, non-impact piece of equipment available is a good elliptical trainer.

-Choose short workouts - you will have a better chance of sticking with your routine. Start out with 20 minutes of cardio exercise four times per week and 10 minutes of strength training, focusing on only two muscle groups with each workout, for a total of 30 minutes. Long-term fitness results will happen only if you include physical activity in the form of regular exercise as a part of your routines and habits. There are 168 hours in a week. Give just two of these hours per week to exercise to improve your health with this simple system.

Don't:

-Hastily make purchasing decisions.

-Be tricked into buying a piece of abdominal equipment as the solution for achieving your fitness goals. The Ab Lounger, Ab Roller, Ab Rocker, Ab Doer, the Bean, Red Exerciser and other abdominal equipment claim that you can lose inches and get washboard abs by using their products. This is one of the biggest deceptions in the fitness industry. It doesn't work that way. Although everyone wants an easy way to trim away fat or reduce inches from your waistline, there isn't anything on the market that will magically accomplish this. The human body does not have a mechanism to selectively burn fat in specific areas. You can do abdominal exercises until the cows come home, but you will never lose inches around your mid-section or see "washboard abs" until the fat around your waistline is gone. Spot reduction is a lie, and any product that claims or implies otherwise is a scam and a big, fat rip-off.

-Waste your money on electrical muscle stimulators (EMS). For years, manufacturers of ab belts that stimulate muscles using small currents of electricity made distorted claims, including weight loss, spot reduction, shaping and contouring, and cellulite removal. Claims by these manufacturers were so outrageous that the FDA filed litigation to protect consumers and halt the use of deceptive claims. Amazingly (and shamefully), the FDA then approved the Slendertone (EMS), but the manufacturer still uses deceptive before-and-after images to make people think that they can lose weight and drop inches by using their product.

-Be taken by false promises made by manufacturers of sauna belts that claim or imply they will help you lose inches around your midsection. The only thing you will lose by purchasing this utterly useless device is temporary water weight and some permanent cash. Sauna belts are a complete and total lie and will not help you achieve your health and fitness goals.


Copyright (c) 2008 Craig Pepin Donat



Craig Pepin-Donat has helped millions of people get on the path to living a healthier and more active lifestyle. He has dedicated his life to helping people through health and fitness education and now brings that knowledge and expertise to you in his ground breaking book, The Big Fat Health and Fitness Lie. He founded http://www.FitAdvocate.com


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