Everything you need to know about treadmills

Running is not the most effective form of cardiac load, but the most popular. He is inferior to walking in the optimality of the formula of all the criteria important to health, but for some reason a huge number of people prefer to run rather than walk at an intensive pace. But if you understand the issue of running training to the smallest detail, if you firmly assess your capabilities and reserves, you can succeed in running. And it is not necessary for this to go out.

The treadmill is considered perhaps the most popular simulator. Professional trainers and fitness instructors do not advise buying a treadmill home, as they consider it very expensive, and it is wiser to spend such money on a subscription to a gym, where, in addition to the track, there are many other useful devices. But such an answer is fueled by commercial gain, because the tracks are a real opportunity to train without reference to the weather and conditions outside your home.

But do not substitute one workout for others: great if you can combine jogging outdoors with homework.

Features treadmill and myths about it.

• On the treadmill you will run differently. And so, the two types of training are not identical. The process is characterized by the motor skills of running, the work of the main muscles. On the ground, you push the body with your foot, move it forward, on the track you just change the position of the legs, and the body seems to remain stationary. So, in the process of “training” run, flexors and extensors of the hip work less, other movements are fixed in the ankle joint - a large inversion (i.e., rotation inwards) is expected on the treadmill.

• Handrail support - implicit security guarantee. If you lean on handrails, the anatomical technique of movement will be changed. Rotation of the torso should be extinguished in its lumbar region, but partially the depreciation falls on the underlying joints. This creates a certain torque in the joints, which can lead to serious injuries. Because during the rest you need not to increase the support on the railing, but just to go off the treadmill.

• According to the identity of the load, the track is inferior to running on air. Yet during natural running, you overcome a multi-relief terrain. Running on alternating surfaces sets up training challenges that only benefit her. Over time, the nervous and muscular systems begin to “recognize” the effects on the body of various soils, which is useful for honing the strength and technique of running. Yes, in modern paths there are different programs that imitate running along different soils, but still they are imperfect.

• For a treadmill, shoes are important too. If someone thinks that running on the ground requires special shoes, and the home path allows you to save on this, such an opinion is wrong.The treadmill is comparable to rough terrain in terms of rigidity, but still there is not enough cushioning, and if the shoes are wrong, the impact load will fall on your joints, more specifically, on your knees. Yes, and the technique of running from classes in the wrong shoes will suffer greatly.

But you should not be afraid of such warning moments: The treadmill is a wonderful invention of humanity, useful and well thought out. And if you use it correctly, if you do not limit physical exertion only with this simulator, it will help you solve actual problems and “teach” to enjoy physical activity.

The main element of the simulator, its “heart”, is the motor. How long the track will last depends on the power of the motor. And it is measured in horsepower and can have a constant load and peak. For a treadmill to work efficiently, constant power must be at least 1 liter. with. If the engine is good, it is usually almost silent.

Other elements of the treadmill.

• Running cloth. In terms of dimensions it may be different, its choice depends on the goals of the buyer and his capabilities. The thickness of the track, if you are set up for everyday race walking (do not forget that the simulator can be used for it), should be 2 cm. But this is enough if you just walk. If they are set to run, this parameter increases to 2.5–3 cm. The height and weight of the runner is important: if a person is tall, track 40 by 120 cm + will be optimal.

• Frame. It supports the entire structure. It is usually made of steel and high-strength aluminum. A track with a frame made of steel will be cheaper, but if you buy a version with an aluminum frame, the device will have additional protection, shock absorption. Finally, aluminum is lightweight and is not afraid of corrosion.

• Control Panel. Tracks movement speed, calories, workout duration and other important indicators. In modern models, the control panel contains several different programs that set the pace and complexity of training.

• Vertical racks. Part of the frame, often equipped with handles. Sensors can be on racks, but they are not accurate enough. The simulator uses averaged calculations and the number of kilocalories is indicated in this approximate, but not exact (depends, for example, on how many percent of muscle mass in humans, etc.).

Physical activity can be turned into a benefit, and you can only aggravate the state of health. Treadmill is also concerned.

10 arguments in favor of a treadmill.

1. This is a good cardio training - thanks to it the cardiovascular system is strengthened, endurance increases.
2. The body during sports comes to a tone, due to hormonal processes in an athlete heightens his mood, a charge of vitality and new psychophysiological reserves appear.
3. Jogging improves digestion, metabolism, and slag removal, and this, in turn, has a positive effect on the condition of hair, nails, and skin.
4. Running is a great tool to combat excess weight, but you need to take into account the starting indicators. If there is a lot of excess weight, jogging instead of a good workout becomes a heavy load, and your knees are affected and not only.
5. Classes on the treadmill develop and respiratory system.
6. With systematic training, there are improvements in the work of the nervous system.
7. After a few months of training on the treadmill, the person becomes more courageous, decisive, he moves to training on the street. And then he is interested in already competitive sport - participation in half-marathons, marathons, etc.Often, those who decided to just run home “for themselves” became participants in triathlon competitions and radically changed their lifestyle.
8. The treadmill disciplines. You can not get out of the workout, referring to bad weather.
9. It is possible to engage in a more physiological discipline for a person - walking. She has fewer contraindications, and the result can be just as good.
10. Treadmill - a good tool in the fight against stress. Along with physical exertion, bad thoughts, obsessive fears and apathy disappear.

The most obvious load when running falls on the legs. But it can be constructive, and can harm the body.

Running on a treadmill affects:

• gluteus muscles. They, by the way, are considered the strongest in the body. They take part in fixing the position of the body, and also in the slope of the pelvis and thighs.
• Muscle thighs. This refers to quadriceps (the so-called lower limb bend in the hip joint and extension in the knee), as well as biceps muscles, which are responsible for the rotation of the lower leg and outward extension of the body when the lower leg is stationary.
• Muscles calves. Their function is to rotate the foot, keeping the body in balance.
• Tibial leg muscles (front and rear). They work in pairs for rotation and extension of the foot.
• Muscle flexors and extensors of the fingers of the lower extremities and the third peroneal muscles - lift from the outer edge of the foot.

But when running and during sports on the track, the muscle of the upper torso is connected to the leg muscles. Specifically - the pelvic ileo-lumbar, abdominal muscles, external and internal intercostal, as well as back and shoulder muscles. It means that in training involved almost all parts of the body. But, again, this only happens with a properly constructed lesson.

A person himself can create conditions under which even the “smartest” simulator will harm him.

Let us consider examples.

• You are not well prepared, new to running. But they immediately chose a complex one from the proposed programs. Light loads - for beginners, complex - for advanced. This rule should be the first for you.
• Ignoring contraindications. Before you buy a simulator, make sure that you are aware of current information about your health. Go to the therapist, take the tests, ECG. Let the doctor say that you have no contraindications for such active activities. For example, if you have spinal problems (the same osteochondrosis, although this diagnosis is formal), first resemble exercise therapy, take recommendations from the doctor on physical therapy, and only after stabilization begin to run.
• Uncontrolled classes. They are dangerous and often lead to a tragic denouement. Everyone should follow the pulse, the structure and duration of the workout, their regularity, their own state before and after the run.
• Training "despite ...". A person is often obsessed with some kind of idea (the same HLS), that even in spite of the negative symptoms he starts training. He has a headache, and he is trying to "run away" from it. Or his joints hurt, and he decides that this problem can be solved by running.
• Acquired diagnoses. Most often, avid sportsmen suffer from pains in the area of ​​the thighs, planetary fasciitis (heel spurs), Achilles tendinitis, spine-ons, Morton's neuroma.

Dizziness may occur while running. Often the cause of this condition is overtraining. A person overestimates his strength and capabilities, with excessive zeal refers to the exercises, and the body reacts accordingly.

If running pain occurs in the knees, this is not the norm.

When you can not run on the track:

• with obesity - first to the doctor, then a medical diet, and only after losing weight on the background of the diet, you can think about the track;
• with arthrosis;
• in case of a complicated form of bronchial asthma;
• post-infarction and post-stroke condition;
• serious pathologies of the musculoskeletal system;
• myopia and glaucoma;
• osteochondrosis (first - its treatment);
• age of 50 years (only after consulting a doctor);
• ARVI (complications are not excluded);
• various disorders of the heart and blood vessels (for example, heart disease, mitral stenosis, etc.);
• acute period of any disease.

In early pregnancy You do not need to abruptly complete the workout, if you are used to them and if the doctor allows light loads.

Treadmill is often supervised as a means to help lose weight. But one thing, if you are trying to get rid of 5 extra pounds, and quite another, if you have obesity and pre-obesity. Your really extra, perhaps a lot of weight will be an excessive load on the musculoskeletal system.

It would seem that everything is obvious: it is more convenient and psychologically easier to study at home. You do not need to look for suitable terrain, you do not need to take care of your own appearance and be distracted by passersby - this is a significant advantage of a treadmill. But even the most advanced simulator will not give the body that volume, multidimensional load, like running on the street.

The surface of the treadmill is perfectly smooth, the depreciation program is clear, given. The human body enters into a given rhythm and quickly adapts to it, it relaxes. Running on the track is still not 100% full-fledged running training. In the process of running on the street, the pace changes, and with it the rhythm, the width of the stride, and the balance of the center of gravity and dynamic local links. Finally, the soles of the feet are constantly waiting for a variety of obstacles that are natural to them: pebbles, twigs, grass, etc.

But the indisputable advantage of the track over street workouts is availability of home run. It happened more than once that a person tuned in for jogging, made them several times, but then parted with the habit that was still not fixed. Most often this happens because of the weather, because of the remoteness of the places to run and even the usual complexion. A treadmill is a workout with yourself (if you exercise at home, and not at the gym).

But in both cases, the person who decided to go running, First, you should do your own willpower, decisiveness, ability to plan and not to leave the planned path.

The tracks may be different, and these differences dictate, for example, the purpose of the device. The rehabilitation walkway is located in the physical therapy rooms, as well as in specialized rehabilitation and rehabilitation departments for people after injuries, cardiovascular diseases, neurological pathologies, etc. Children's running tracks for children of a certain age are in children's sanatoriums.

The tracks can be indoor, folding, professional, amateur. Many models today are available with a curved running surface. They differ in quality and thickness of the coating.

This is the cheapest and easiest version of the track, in which the load is set only by the mass of the runner and the friction force. In very simple models only tilt angle canvases. The larger this parameter, the harder it is for an athlete to run. More modern models have a special brake shaft, which affects the canvas with a screw or handle.

But the shortcomings of the mechanical path are significant:

• no additional functions at all or they are minimal;
• it is impossible to regulate the load with accuracy;
• the load on the joints is very large;
• the canvas moves in spurts;
• the speed of movement of the running belt correlates with the fatigue of the student.

When the developers installed a magnet in the role of a braking element, they managed to make the mechanical path more efficient. In a simple mechanical path, a runner pushing away from the canvas with his feet displaces the canvas itself, and the friction force (equal to the resistance force) slows down the movement as the pushing force decreases. The magnetic brake does not interfere with the movement of the running belt, but simply slows it down. This has a positive effect on the smoothness and convenience of running.

How is a magnetic track better than mechanical?

• its course is smoother;
• mechanical wear of the brake is excluded;
• work of the simulator is more quiet;
• the track is compact and autonomous.

In this type of device, an electric motor works, which sets the force, speed, angle of inclination of the web and other important indicators. Electric tracks are complemented by a microcomputer that creates and maintains valuable training conditions for you. Such models usually have pulse, pressure and temperature sensors in their arsenal.

Electric tracks are divided into three classes.

• Economy These models can not adjust the angle of inclination, they have a power not exceeding 5 kW, their speed can not exceed 15 km / h.
• Amateur. Speed ​​- up to 20 km / h. There is an electronic regulation of the angle of inclination, as well as the training programs stored in the memory. Also, these models have a wider canvas, it reaches 50 cm.
• Professional. These are powerful, high quality treadmills. Often, they are installed brushless motors, which are designed for daily hours of operation in specialized rooms for the training process. The power of the tracks reaches 12 kW, and the speed can be accelerated to 40 km / h (but this is important only for professional athletes).

The advantages of electric tracks are many: They are distinguished by a smooth course, uniform load distribution, precise and easy adjustment of parameters, the presence of embedded programs, and complete control of the state of the body. Finally, it is a more advanced and reliable mechanism, convenient and very easy to use.

All ratings are conditional and in a certain sense subjective. But in the production of simulators, there are leaders whose reputation has been gained over the years. Name, demand, use of the most modern technologies - some brands can boast of this.

The list, which relies on numerous positive feedback from the owners, will definitely include the following simulators.

• Clear Fit Eco ET 16 Al. A universal model that can be used by both teenagers and adults. It involves the choice of speeds, mode of movement and load control. On the handrails are quick access buttons.

• Oxygen Laguna II. Powerful engine, touch-sensitive pulse sensors, 19 programs and wide display, program specification system.

• Vision Fitness T60. Professional simulator, the leader of many top lists. Far from cheap equipment, but more often it is used in sports clubs.

• Sport Elite SE-T1512. Electric track with a remote control, the width of the canvas at 41 cm and a length of 105 cm. It has a fairly discreet set of functions, but is in demand because its price is acceptable for a large number of consumers.

• Precor TRM 885 Next Generation. It has a touch console based on the quad-core processor and the Android system - and this is a rich training program and strict control of physiological parameters. The angle of inclination can imitate running through the hills. The impact control system is present in the device, which reduces the load on the knees and back.

• Matrix TF30XR. The ideal “iron” part in terms of biomechanics and modeling of natural training conditions. There is a virtual landscape technology and even entertainment applications.

• TechnoGym Excite Run 100. Modern TV console with entertainment features, which has recently been an advantage among treadmills. Optimal flywheel, speed and angle adjustment, visualization of outdoor training.

Other brands that offer interesting track options include Hasttings Evok II, WNQ, Treadmill, and others.

A variety of models, very profitable and interesting offers, optimal software, it seems, only aggravate the choice. It is difficult not to get lost in the variety of options and buy a good track for home use and not overpay.

When buying a simulator for an apartment, consider the following points:

• evaluate the security system of a specific model, it should be with minimal traumatic risk;
• the simulator should be simple and easy to manage;
• if the simulator has a large range of speeds, you can not worry that having improved cross-country workouts, you will have to look closely at new models of tracks;
• estimate and dimensions - the path should harmoniously fit into your home.

Beginners should start at a low speed. Stand on the canvas only when it is set in motion. When the track is turned on, the legs should stand on the sides. But to rely on the handrails in the process of running is not necessary: ​​they are designed for safety net. Hands should be kept bent in elbows, slightly pressed to the body, moving them in time with the legs.

Also note the following points.

• When running, always look ahead. If you look around, you will be off the beat. Such a distraction leads to injuries: someone called, the person got distracted and fell.
• Losing balance on the track is very easy, especially for a beginner. Dizziness is not uncommon at first trainings, since a person still needs to get used to the fact that he is moving, and everything around remains in place. The vestibular apparatus adapts over time, but be alert in the first classes.
• Watch your posture and back position. - abdominal muscles are tense, and shoulders are relaxed. Do not lean back or sideways.
• Under the track you need to lay a mat. Children and pets should not be near the simulator.
• The cable should not be in the outlet if you do not exercise. If the track itself began to pick up speed or there was another technical failure, get off the canvas, turn off the track.

And do not forget that The simulator needs to find a comfortable place in the apartment. Around the track should be 1.5-2 meters of free space.

If you are passionate about athletics, the track can not be the center of the training process, but it is quite suitable for the role of one of its important links.

The track will not bring you benefit if you do not approach responsibly the issue of building a workout. You need to prepare for the lesson: study the instructions, make sure there are no medical contraindications, find the optimal time. Before class, make sure you know how to turn the track on and off, how to adjust the speed, choose a program.

At the first training session, a person gets acquainted with the track and with its readiness for the training process. Do not start immediately with running: walk 1 km at an intense but not at the fastest pace. If the load is easy, adjust the angle of inclination and speed, but not very much, the pace of training should be comfortable.

Take the following speed chart as a basis:

• 1-3 km / h - very slow walking;
• 3-4.5 km / h - moderate walking;
• 4.5-6 km / h - normal walking;
• 6-7.5 km / h - fast walking;
• 7.5-9 km / h - running to warm up;
• Up to 12 km / h - moderate run;
• Up to 14.5 km / h - fast run;
• Up to 15 km / h - running for a professional.

Ideally, a professional will select the training program for you. In accordance with your weight, age, level of preparedness, state of health, the specialist will draw up a program that does not bring harm and discourage the hunt to continue.

Most practitioners prefer interval training according to the scheme. The scheme is approximately as follows: warm-up - first stage - respite - second stage - respite - third, etc. During the respite, the speed decreases, but does not fall at all: for example, it decreases from 8 km / h to 3.5 km / h.

If you rehearsed on the treadmill for a month and maintain a good pace, you cope with the program, you feel great, you can change the training plan. But one month with a monotonous regime should still be sustained. If the initial training took you 20 minutes, in a month it should not grow to 50 - this is too big a jump.

For the first training month, the requirements are as follows:

• the total duration of classes is 20-25 minutes;
• speed can be increased in the range of 1.5-3.5 units in 7 minutes;
• tilt angle can be changed within 2.0-3.0.

Usually, all the “home runners” who instilled discipline, responsibility, desire for physical exertion, want to train in the street with time. Do not be afraid that because of this track will stand idle. A body that is already accustomed to regular and systemic training will require running. And at home it is easier to give him the opportunity, because the runner who is active and has entered the training rhythm will not have any downtime.

How to choose a treadmill for the house, see below.