Treamill advice- serious

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Yes, I agree with what others have said .....it takes time to get comfortable.

    After awhile I didn't need to hang on, but still had to "check" myself from time to time by putting my fingers on the arm rails.... simply touching them helped me .... I don't know .... focus maybe.
  • originalkazila
    originalkazila Posts: 200
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    Nothing wrong with hanging onto the rails - that is why they are there after all. Hang on and practice looking straight ahead until you can walk normally, then take small breaks with your hands off the rail. If it makes you feel better - most treadmills have a emergency stop break away clip. Get too far away it pulls and stops the machine. :)

    Stay with it! You'll be a pro in no time.
  • garciabnm
    garciabnm Posts: 138
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    I still bounce off the rails, front and sides! If I drift too far back or really veer off I'll grab on to steady myself but I make the rails work to hold me on! :laugh: I'm glad that I'm always alone in my apartment's gym I'm sure I look like the ball in a pinball machine sometimes. So you are not alone, just keep working towards it and it will improve, but I think most anyone swerves sometimes!
    Sounds like you and i have the same problem..we run like phoebe on friends..lol
  • Maggie821
    Maggie821 Posts: 55 Member
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    The best advice I can give you is to slow down your pace; perhaps not worry so much about the 5K until you can walk with confidence, without holding on. If you are serious about running/jogging, I would recommend that you go to a running store that has a treadmill and have them do a "test walk" to see if you need different shoes. The wrong shoes can lead to balance issue, overcompensation and future injuries.

    Last, be proud of yourself that you are moving your body. Stand tall, stare straight ahead and focus on keeping your hips facing forward! You'll rock it before long!
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
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    Go slower. When you're comfortable, go a little bit faster. I understand you may feel like you're not getting much of a workout if you're only going, say, 2.4 mph, but you actually are still burning calories! You will get more comfortable in no time and you will be going faster and you'll feel comfortable and confident. Additionally, you will have a real sense of progress, which will help you stick with it.

    Seriously, go slower.

    This!

    And I disagree with the people who say don't worry about holding on. It's a better workout (and more natural for your body) to walk/run without holding onto a bar.
  • saminmio
    saminmio Posts: 44 Member
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    I don't run on the treadmill but I do walk. The funny thing is as long as I keep my eyes on one spot I do great but when I look around my balance goes haywire. Could that be part of your problem?
  • savbentley
    savbentley Posts: 103
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    If you're going to stick with the treadmill, focusing on one spot is helpful.

    I highly suggest the elliptical though. It's easier to incorporate your arms in the workout, it's just as difficult, and it's easier on your joints.

    Another reason treadmills aren't optimal is because you aren't required to propel yourself forward. The treadmill running under you does that work for you. It's kind of just pounding your legs down in a repetitive motion. Elliptical require you to actually push yourself forward just like if you were running outside (as in it doesn't move for you) so you burn more and get a more effective workout. :)
  • dakotawitch
    dakotawitch Posts: 190 Member
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    I hold on when I'm on my treadmill, but that's because the heartrate sensors are on the handrails :). One thing that helps is to pay attention to your form. I have a tendency to lean forward and hang on for dear life at first, so I instead start the tread slow, then focus on moving my shoulders away from my ears and my shoulderblades down my back (a yoga technique) and also dropping my tailbone. These are very subtle movements but they move me over my center of gravity. I find that I'm more stable -- so that my hands are resting firmly on the heartrate sensors but not gripping the rails in a death grip -- and that I am able to go longer, faster, and without running out of breath.

    It takes some time to get the hang of it, but it really does help.
  • justicer68
    justicer68 Posts: 1,223
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    I hold on when I'm walking at a steep incline at a fast pace but for the most part I just keep my eyes front and do my thing. Maybe you need to slow the TM down a little bit to get used to the movement without holding on?

    I have to do the same thing when I am walking at an incline - which is most of the time. But I have noticed that when I attempt to run I don't have to hold on and when I am going at a slower pace. You will get it in time. I do have to straddle it to drink some water though. I can't walk and drink at the same time. That is asking for trouble, I am a clutz by nature. :laugh:
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 953 Member
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    I've been using the treadmill for a few years now, and I still hang on. I never got to the point where I felt comfortable without using the rails.. I know this isn't the best way to do it, but it's better than sitting on the couch. I do try to balance my workout by using all the cardio available - so I work 20 on the treadmill, 20 on elliptical and 15 on the bike - seems to be working for me.
  • rayzer99
    rayzer99 Posts: 3
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    i have the same problem,
  • rbaker1304
    rbaker1304 Posts: 2
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    True about propelling - suggest doing a 1 to 1.5% incline... this should compensate. Don't worry about the distance... better to do 15min with some level of enjoyment than 45min with dread!
  • starli879
    starli879 Posts: 2
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    I did the same thing the first few times. I find that if I put on an upbeat track on my ipod and not look at the offset TVs I seem to walk/jog straighter. The fear is there when I have to get a drink, mess with controls, and even towel of the sweat. But it's getting better each time.

    Good Luck! :tongue:
  • wikitbikit
    wikitbikit Posts: 518 Member
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    I know I already posted my advice of go more slowly, but I want to add that it's important for doing something like C25K as well.

    I know it says 'Start with a brisk 5 minute walk to warm up' and then it tells you to run and walk and run and walk and whatever. Here's the secret for those of us who are ridiculously out of shape, somewhere beyond couch, whether we want to admit it or not: Go more slowly. Do your warm up at something brisk--FOR YOU. Something that makes your body feel like it's working, not what number your brain thinks that should be. And then when you get to the part where it says run?

    Don't change the speed.

    Just start jogging instead of walking. You will still feel like dying after the 60 seconds are up, but you will actually recover in the 90 seconds afterward. And you will be able to do it again. And again, and again, as it calls for. You can work on speed after endurance.

    At least, this is what has worked for me, the super slug sloth glob of doom.
  • xaMErica
    xaMErica Posts: 284 Member
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    Let go of the bars going like 2 mph.. then SLOWLY speed it up! I still have a serious balance issue myself but that helped.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    Putting the treadmill on an incline, even if it is just a 1 or 2, will help with your balance. Plus it feels more natural to me than on a 0 incline.

    I was just going to write the same.
  • affini12
    affini12 Posts: 25
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    The only way I could ever let go was when I would put my arms up like chicken arms and power walk. I'm sure I looked silly, but it boosted my heart rate by getting my arms involved. It helped me balance.

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