Holding onto the treadmill?

faithbelievejoy
faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
edited September 29 in Fitness and Exercise
So I've been doing some research about holding onto the bars while walking/running on the treadmill...and so far all the websites are saying don't do it because you won't get results, you won't become fit and you won't lose weight. Since I've been walking on my treadmill almost everyday now I hold onto the front bars because if I don't I will lose balance. I still feel the burn in my legs and I feel like I get a good workout. Is it really that bad to hold on?

Replies

  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    I know some of them require it for the heart rate especially if your doing a fat burn program on it. If you take your hands off it will beep and tell you to put your hands back on it. I think you get a better workout with your hands off it, because you are swaying them back and forth, but I don't think holding will prevent anything, maybe a little less calorie burn, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's a lot healthy having your balance and not falling than taking your hands off hurting yourself and not using the machine anymore. You could always slow the speed down, that might help with the balance.
  • sm0113
    sm0113 Posts: 89 Member
    i haven't researched it or anything, but i don't think it's really that horrible to hold on. You will probably get a better burn if you are pumping your arms and what-not, though. If you're being active and moving, you're still burning calories whether you are holding onto the machine or not.
    This is what makes sense to me, but i could be wrong.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    You can still get a workout. The problem is that if you are relying on the machine to calculate your calorie burn, the numbers will be off because you are supporting some of your weight on the rails. You can also really throw your stride off when your arms can't move freely which can eventuallly result in injury.
  • sjkcarter
    sjkcarter Posts: 417 Member
    I don't know how bad it is, but when I feel like I need to hold on to the bars, I slow down a bit.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
    Use it if you need it. Let it go when you don't. If you need it for balance, you will still get a workout, it will just limit how fast you can run. It's best to not use it, but don't get too hung up on those little things if you are still new to it. :smile:
  • CherrySunday
    CherrySunday Posts: 301
    I think you should do what your body is asking of you. I mean, you don't want to take a bad fall (which I did once on a treadmill, and it was terrifying)! My advice is to take your walking-running outside, that way you won't have to worry about holding anything. I know the treadmill can be intimidating while running. I ran into that feeling my first week of running on the treadmill, but you get used to it. BUT if it's a balance problem, then I would not risk it!
  • Moonbeamlissie
    Moonbeamlissie Posts: 504 Member
    Going by my hrm, it is not as high as it would be if you don't hold on and move your arms. At my gym they say it can hurt your back as well. I held on for a long time because I couldn't keep my balance but it gets easier the more I get on it. I still walk from side to side and hit the rails though.
  • mrscouchpotato
    mrscouchpotato Posts: 8
    I always hang on to the treadmill. I lost a lot of wait using a treadmill many years ago; too bad I let myself gain it all back. Anyway you can lose weight and work up quite a sweat hanging on. If I don't hang on I tend to stumble on the darn thing. Guess I'm a klutz. :happy:
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I read that a study showed that your workout is 15% better when you don't hold on. Not sure if it is true but I don't hold on because I slow down when I do.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    I have never heard that you won't be getting a workout, of course you do.

    When I first started walking on one, I would feel like losing my balance and so held on. Overtime, I learned to walk without it.

    I have always read, you get a better calorie burn not holding.

    You still get a workout, it is just better to not hold on.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    It's not specifically bad, unless you are running (then you need your arms to not be up front holding on), but it's better not to. Swing your arms at your sides, like you do if you're walking fast on a track or on the sidewalk, and you'll pump up the calories more plus be toning them some too.
    As far as balance, is your treadmill electric or the kind that goes by your walking (with incline). I know the 2nd kind are harder to balance on. If you have an electric, start slow and get used to the feel with arms by your side then gradually increase speed. Make sure the tread is also wide enough for your gate (how you walk)!
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    If you're afraid of losing your balance, you might try slowing down the speed until you feel better acclimated to the feel of the treadmill. Also, you might investigate the merit of doing some balance exercises. If you go to a gym, see if you can sign up for a yoga class to improve your balance. Or try balancing on the flat side of a BOSU ball. Strengthening smaller muscles and developing fine motor skills are both important parts of injury prevention.

    I've seen tons of videos on the subject on YouTube and Hulu on yoga, BOSU, stability balls, and balance. Take a look!
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    I know some of them require it for the heart rate especially if your doing a fat burn program on it. If you take your hands off it will beep and tell you to put your hands back on it. I think you get a better workout with your hands off it, because you are swaying them back and forth, but I don't think holding will prevent anything, maybe a little less calorie burn, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's a lot healthy having your balance and not falling than taking your hands off hurting yourself and not using the machine anymore. You could always slow the speed down, that might help with the balance.


    Maybe I should slow the speed down. I'm just getting back into exercising and maybe I should stop pushing myself so hard to go at a fast pace.
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    i haven't researched it or anything, but i don't think it's really that horrible to hold on. You will probably get a better burn if you are pumping your arms and what-not, though. If you're being active and moving, you're still burning calories whether you are holding onto the machine or not.
    This is what makes sense to me, but i could be wrong.

    At least it's some sort of working out :P
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    You can still get a workout. The problem is that if you are relying on the machine to calculate your calorie burn, the numbers will be off because you are supporting some of your weight on the rails. You can also really throw your stride off when your arms can't move freely which can eventuallly result in injury.

    I think I'll slow it down a bit and go at a speed that I feel comfortable not holding the bars.
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    I don't know how bad it is, but when I feel like I need to hold on to the bars, I slow down a bit.

    I think I'm going to start doing that....go a speed that I feel comfortable with.
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    Use it if you need it. Let it go when you don't. If you need it for balance, you will still get a workout, it will just limit how fast you can run. It's best to not use it, but don't get too hung up on those little things if you are still new to it. :smile:

    Thank you :)
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    It's not specifically bad, unless you are running (then you need your arms to not be up front holding on), but it's better not to. Swing your arms at your sides, like you do if you're walking fast on a track or on the sidewalk, and you'll pump up the calories more plus be toning them some too.
    As far as balance, is your treadmill electric or the kind that goes by your walking (with incline). I know the 2nd kind are harder to balance on. If you have an electric, start slow and get used to the feel with arms by your side then gradually increase speed. Make sure the tread is also wide enough for your gate (how you walk)!

    It's just an electric one.
    I think I'm going to go back to the speed I first started out with, but it kind of bums me out reducing the speed. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry though because I might end up hurting myself.
  • faithbelievejoy
    faithbelievejoy Posts: 25 Member
    If you're afraid of losing your balance, you might try slowing down the speed until you feel better acclimated to the feel of the treadmill. Also, you might investigate the merit of doing some balance exercises. If you go to a gym, see if you can sign up for a yoga class to improve your balance. Or try balancing on the flat side of a BOSU ball. Strengthening smaller muscles and developing fine motor skills are both important parts of injury prevention.

    I've seen tons of videos on the subject on YouTube and Hulu on yoga, BOSU, stability balls, and balance. Take a look!

    Thank you so much! I will check it out :)
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    When I do my treadmill work outs I crank the incline up as high as it will go, and always held on to the treadmill cause I was afraid that I would fly off the back. Recently(by recently I mean since monday!) I have stopped holding on for between 5- 10 minutes at a time. What I do is warm up at a speed of 3.0 with a 15% incline and then when I want to let go bump the speed down to like 2.5, but keep the incline where it is. I also find that placing my hands on my hips helps with the balance issue. When you get tired and feel like you're gonna fly off the back, just hold on again. Eventually you can work up to the full time.
  • angelofmusic1
    angelofmusic1 Posts: 31
    I have ALWAYS held onto the treadmill and got great results regardless. I do that for safety. I speed walk rather than run on it and am focusing on the TV in front of me. It gets me toned and is really good for my abs. I managed to drop more than my goal weight each week - all holding onto the handle bars :-)
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