Treadmill Workout Mistakes You Could be Making Every Day

A treadmill is a great home workout equipment to have. That way, you can squeeze a cardio workout into your day anytime you like. However, experts say that if you’re not careful, your daily treadmill workout could end up hurting you – rather than helping you. Here are five common treadmill mistakes that you should avoid –

1. Skipping Your Warm-up Routine

A warm-up is an essential part of your cardio workout. Warming-up prior to a workout gets your leg muscles in motion, it increases the elasticity of tissues and slowly increases your heart rate. If you push your stiff muscles into an intense workout without a warm up, you’re likely to strain a tendon or pull a muscle during cardio.

So make sure to start with a five-minute brisk walk or jog to get your body warmed up. If you’re short of time, a thirty second routine of high knees or butt-kicks will have the same effect on your body.

• Following the Same Workout Routine Everyday

Treadmills usually have various inbuilt features that allow runners to adjust the incline, speed and resistance of the cardio workout. Frequent changes in your cardio routine are useful for exercising different muscles of your body and reducing the risk of stress injuries.

Choose higher or lower speeds on the treadmill and adjust the inclination to simulate an uphill run from time to time to bring variations in your workout.

• Ignoring Your Running Posture

For regular runners, the running posture plays an important role in the effectiveness of the workout. Keep the following tips in mind to maintain a good running posture –

1. Never run too close to the front of the treadmill, this obstructs arm movement while running. Put a tape marking the one foot distance from the monitor and keep in line with it.
   1. Keep your arms bent ninety degrees at the elbow and parallel to each other. Don’t forget to move your arms while running.
   1. c.     Always look up ahead while running, constantly looking at your feet while running can stress out your neck and shoulders.
      
      
2. Hanging Onto the Handlebars

The handlebars in a treadmill are a safety measure to avoid injuries during your cardio workout. Don’t hold the side rails or handlebars during your run. Hanging on to the handlebars takes the load off your legs, so you put in less effort and burn less calories.

• Choose the Right Shoes

Choose your treadmill running shoes carefully. A wrong pair of shoes can lead to hip or knee pain. A good pair of running shoes keep your toes in their natural position and don’t squeeze them. Using comfortable running shoes prevents pain and improves the quality of your workout.

Treadmill is a wholesome cardio exercise which helps burn calories, achieve weight loss goals and keeps you healthy. Keep these simple cardio safety tips in mind to avoid injuries and make the most of your cardio workout every day.

This article is contributed by Sancket Kamdar – certified weightlifting coach and founder of SF Health Tech.