DO NOT JOG ON THE TREADMILL

mittensofdoom

Walk right out of that gym and find a real one.

He had a few semi-valid points but they were wrong. 1. you aren't "burning fat" by walking or running, you're creating a caloric deficit. 2. he's right that walking is safer than jogging but they have no business not allowing people to jog or run.

That gym is clearly not dedicated to providing results or allowing people to train.
so find a new one

I agree with the trainer, walking is safer than jogging/ running. One of my old trainers who now owns his own gym and writes for multiple fitness blogs always sticks with the saying, "Be fit to run, do not run to be fit." which is a simple way of saying you need to be in shape to jog/ run safely, especially for women (because of our pelvis shape). So while running can be pretty safe (a recent study showed that running less than 4 miles per run actually improved knee joint health), you need to be in good shape to do it. If you just decided to get fit you should probably start out with walking and work up.

Chipmaniac

The whole "you burn the same amount of calories per mile no matter how fast you move" never made sense to me. If I'm really freakin' hauling I would think I would be burning more to sustain that speed than if I was just plodding along. But I'm not a thermogeneticist or anything.

You are both right. In theory, it takes a fixed number of calories to move a 200-pound person from point A to point B no matter what method is used. However, efficiency comes into play. You'd use a lot less energy biking the same distance than you walk or run. That's because a bike is super efficient. Mechanical assists aside, humans are optimized for walking because our ancestors used to have to track game for long distances. Running is less efficient due to the gate and energy wasted hitting the ground. Thus, walking uses less calories for a given distance than running.

The one exception is if you are walking at such a high speed that a normal walking gate is not possible. At those speeds, running is going to be more efficient than walking, assuming walking is even possible.

jillian769

That's the craziest thing I ever heard of, not being able to run on a treadmill at the GYM!!!! I would cancel my membership. Are you allowed to use heavy free weights too or just the 5 pound ones because it's safer????

musicstardust67

Wow very dumb. Ya I really don't think that trainer was right honestly. Unless you have bad knees or something or that u feel as if u may pass out while jogging then ya. There are tons of people who run or jog and burn so much off and are in such great shape. Walking is great too but if u want to jog go for it! That rule is very dumb. I'd find another gym, too.

Di3012

Walk right out of that gym and find a real one.

He had a few semi-valid points but they were wrong. 1. you aren't "burning fat" by walking or running, you're creating a caloric deficit. 2. he's right that walking is safer than jogging but they have no business not allowing people to jog or run.

That gym is clearly not dedicated to providing results or allowing people to train.
so find a new one

I agree with the trainer, walking is safer than jogging/ running. One of my old trainers who now owns his own gym and writes for multiple fitness blogs always sticks with the saying, "Be fit to run, do not run to be fit." which is a simple way of saying you need to be in shape to jog/ run safely, especially for women (because of our pelvis shape). So while running can be pretty safe (a recent study showed that running less than 4 miles per run actually improved knee joint health), you need to be in good shape to do it. If you just decided to get fit you should probably start out with walking and work up.

and what happens once that person is already fit? Should they still continue to walk?

What happens if the person wanting to join that gym is already fit, should they be prevented from running on the treadmill? Not everybody who joins a gym is as fit as a sack of old spuds you know, some people are fit-fit and want to stay that way.

FlynnMacCallister

I believe everyone has the right to walk or run on the treadmill, depending on what they want.

No, you don't have the right to use someone else's equipment in violation of their rules.

Exactly. Which means the OP needs to find a new gym. ;p

mikeyrp

Technically, he is right about the first. You burn more calories walking at an uncomfortably fast pace than jogging at a slow pace.

however, that rule is just stupid. Treadmills are made for running.

Yeah but you burn more calories in a shorter space of time running than walking, which directly effects the amount of fat you burn.

Exactly which is why running intervals on a treadmill for 15 minutes is A LOT more effective than running the same speed on a treadmill for 20 minutes.

Intervals are great for speed training - not sure if they are better for total calories burnt though (depends on the length and intensity of the work/recovery cycles vs intensity of running normally). My experience is that I burn less calories in an interval training session - but over a number of months they do raise my average speed (and therefore cals burned) when running 'normally'

amyy902

it depends on if youre very overweight, just a bit or fine. are you on meds at all? and really your fitness levels. yes it is said to be a good way to loose fat, efficency is long and slow, but then again HIIT training is also a fantastic exercise to loose fat. but if youre on say beta blockers then he cant have you running because youd possibly give yourself a hear attack. if youre super overweight then you might injur yourself and if your unfit then he dosnt want to set you up for ffailure. anyway you create a calorie deficit relates to weight loss. - he has to cover his back etc...

(im not saying you are the ^^) if you dont have any of the previous concers inc hypertension. then yeah theres zero reason as to why you shouldnt be alowed to run if thats what you want to get that out of your training session. and if thats the case and hes saying no then as a personal trainer myself id say he wont have many clients left.