Treadmill beginner

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  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
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    The best advice is to keep your hands off of the machine. Holding on to the machine can mess up your posture and it burns fewer calories.

    If I'm walking on the treadmill, I like watching Netflix on my phone. 20-30 minutes fly right by.

    I put my hands on there because it tracks my heart rate but I take them off sometimes

    Definitely keep your hands off unless you just want a quick heart rate check. Holding the bar will decrease your calorie burn. Being on my own with my 4 kiddos for the majority of the time, a treadmill has been the best purchase I have made. It is nearly impossible to find time to go outside for a run. And quite honestly, seeing all the dead snakes on the road lately makes me not even worry about getting outside!

    I have also found that keeping the treadmill flat was causing me to have back pain. I keep mine on at least a 1 or 1.5 incline when I run and it makes it so much better.
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    I put my hands on there because it tracks my heart rate but I take them off sometimes

    I wouldn't worry about HR tbh, until you're actually putting in some serious miles it's really not important.

    Take a few checkpoints, but that's about it. Far better for you to not use the handholds for the points mentioned.

    Ohh okay I thought it was important lol
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    I'm not saying that you don't have the right shoes, but from experience, the wrong ones will do real damage. It's best to get fitted for shoes that fit your running style.

    Thanks!! I will get fitted ;)
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    The best advice is to keep your hands off of the machine. Holding on to the machine can mess up your posture and it burns fewer calories.

    If I'm walking on the treadmill, I like watching Netflix on my phone. 20-30 minutes fly right by.

    I put my hands on there because it tracks my heart rate but I take them off sometimes

    Definitely keep your hands off unless you just want a quick heart rate check. Holding the bar will decrease your calorie burn. Being on my own with my 4 kiddos for the majority of the time, a treadmill has been the best purchase I have made. It is nearly impossible to find time to go outside for a run. And quite honestly, seeing all the dead snakes on the road lately makes me not even worry about getting outside!

    I have also found that keeping the treadmill flat was causing me to have back pain. I keep mine on at least a 1 or 1.5 incline when I run and it makes it so much better.

    Thanks for the advice and tips!
  • BonworthVonFattyPants
    BonworthVonFattyPants Posts: 49 Member
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    Start slow.

    Incline is a killer. Ease into it but do use it.

    Speed and incline intervals are a great thing to do.

    You can probably go faster on a treadmill than on pavement.

    Wipe it down when you are done.
  • mblair1968
    mblair1968 Posts: 323 Member
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    Start, measure distance, time, incline. Always work at increasing one of the 3. Even if it is by 0.1. Keep track of what you do. Then in a few months if the treadmill becomes the dreadmill, and you feel like it is not making a difference, you can look at your progress.
    If you started out at 1.0 miles at 4.0 miles per hour at 0 incline, and then you see you are now at 3.0 miles at 6.0 mph at a 2 incline. You can see your accomplishment.
  • porterca
    porterca Posts: 187 Member
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    If you do decide to do a program like Couch to 5k, know that you can still vary it for your own needs.
    For me, I've found that turning 1 week into 2 really helps me out. The first week, I do the run/walk with 0 incline. Then the next week I put it at a 1 incline to make it a little more difficult and help me get ready for the next level.
    This is just something I do. Mainly, please don't get discouraged, though the program is technically 8 weeks long, many people take longer.
  • jstockler
    jstockler Posts: 15 Member
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    I don't have the knees for running anymore and I am an avid walker/hiker, so standing in place indoors seemed horrible to me. But I started watching netflix and hbo go on my ipad while I go and that pushes me past the boredom. I also made a rule that I can't watch this stuff on TV, has to be on the treadmill....
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    Start slow.

    Incline is a killer. Ease into it but do use it.

    Speed and incline intervals are a great thing to do.

    You can probably go faster on a treadmill than on pavement.

    Wipe it down when you are done.

    LOL I wipe it before and after ;)
  • KayBallin
    KayBallin Posts: 111 Member
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    I would keep it on 2.0 incline to mimic outside conditions. I used the treadmill for a few weeks on the C5K program and I THOUGHT I was making good progress..... until I ran outside. I was so winded. I barely jogged a mile, and it's probably because I kept the treadmill on 0 incline, which, I've read, is like running downhill.
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
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    I am learning how to run a 5K on a treadmill. It's in the middle of nowhere with no sidewalks. It's safter for me on the treadmill plus AC on a 100+ degree day is a nice bonus. I am using a C25K app from Zen Labs that was free on my smartphone with music I loaded from my computer. It helps me to have some upbeat music to listen to.
  • ThatMouse
    ThatMouse Posts: 229 Member
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    run outside instead.

    treadmills are soul-sucking death machines. im not an avid runner but im trying to get into it, and have in the past as well. nothing is worse than running in the same spot for an extended period of time

    Sometimes a treadmill isn't that bad.

    I live in a place where running outside some days will freeze your toes off. And I gave myself Runner's Knee and Jumper's Knee (wtf, knee) running a track - my physio told me the repetitive strain of turning in one direction coupled with how women's joints works makes running a track not the best option for preserving knee health. Especially if you've a tendency to want to push it (which I have... in abundance).

    I'll run outside if weather permits, but for when I can't, I'd use the treadmill. There's nothing worse than running in the same spot? Try not being able to run at all for a while. Or just straight out not running and sitting in the same spot. A treadmill is a fine place if outdoors isn't an option or is too intimidating for one reason or another.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I read somewhere that if you subtract your age from 220, that will give your max heart rate while exercising. Not sure if that's 100% accurate, but at 45 y/o, 175 would be my max. I feel stressed @ 150 and as a beginner I generally don't go above that. Someone else said headphones and a great play list. I love 80's rock for exercise (The Clash, Talking Heads, the GoGo's...anything with a driving beat).

    I'm close to the same age and like the same music for exercise (go figure).

    I'm kind of just tagging this on here to address the OP's comment about heart rate. Heart rate can vary from person to person, despite the averages. Some people have higher or lower max heart rates than the average based on age and it's really no problem usually (someone can have a stress test at the doctor if worried). Mine has always been kind of high, including back when I was younger and in much better shape. I really like the RPE method, as a result, here's one link:

    http://www.runnersworld.co.za/tools/rate-of-perceived-exertion/
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    I do both indoor and outdoor running. I enjoy the smell of fresh air outside and change of scenary while treadmill is pretty decent if I want to do some HIIT training...I don't live near a high school so tracks aren't very accessible for me. I rely on treadmill to do sprint, right or wrong but that's what I've got. :)

    Make sure you adjust the platform to the softest. I keep the incline to 1.0 just because I dont feel the need of any higher when I sprint. :) But I have seen people doing HIIT by changing inclines up and down as well.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    what I can't take is the elliptical machine...I just don't understand why such a boring thing even exists...
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    Update: when I went yesterday I did an incline of 1 and speed was on 3...my heart rate was much better this time didn't burn a lot of calories but I did a mile...one step at a time :)
  • aarnwine2013
    aarnwine2013 Posts: 317 Member
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    Update: when I went yesterday I did an incline of 1 and speed was on 3...my heart rate was much better this time didn't burn a lot of calories but I did a mile...one step at a time :)

    That's awesome! Keep at it. You will surprise yourself and how much more you can do a few weeks down the road. Listen to your body so that you don't get an injury and keep going!
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    Update: when I went yesterday I did an incline of 1 and speed was on 3...my heart rate was much better this time didn't burn a lot of calories but I did a mile...one step at a time :)

    That's awesome! Keep at it. You will surprise yourself and how much more you can do a few weeks down the road. Listen to your body so that you don't get an injury and keep going!

    Thank you so much!! :)
  • cherow123
    cherow123 Posts: 13
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    I LOVE my treadmill! I'm a speed walker but I've recently been easing into running. I've inherited some pretty crappy knees and running on the treadmill is significantly more comfortable than running on pavement.
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
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    I LOVE my treadmill! I'm a speed walker but I've recently been easing into running. I've inherited some pretty crappy knees and running on the treadmill is significantly more comfortable than running on pavement.

    I love the treadmill too!! :) One of my favs I get on that first

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