With the summer heat upon us, getting a good run in on your treadmill is a great way to keep your fitness level up where it belongs! But, doing the same workout gets boring after awhile – and not only does that have an impact on your motivation levels, it can also impact the quality of both your workout as well as your results.
Running indoors can be incredibly effective. Keep in mind – you don’t have to deal with rogue animals, traffic, uneven terrain – and you get to stay out of the heat as well. And, you can multitask – listen to music, have foot and water nearby, and you never have to leave your home! Here’s some tips to improve the effectiveness and quality of your workouts!
1. Be Prepared. Have your clothes ready prior to your run. And, as you’re going to work up a sweat – it’s recommended that you wear, for example, a technical T-Shirt (such as Dri-Fit or other technical names) – to help wick away sweat and keep you comfortable. Keep a water nearby – filled with chilled water, in order to stay hydrated during your run. Dehydration can kill the effectiveness of your run.
2. Warm Up Correctly. Don’t just dive into a hardcore run. Warming up gets more blood to your muscles, helps loosen them up, and can help you avoid injury. Try doing a 3 minute walking pace to start your workout with, then speed up to a comfortable 3 minute jog. Then – reverse this for your cool-down after your run.
3. Focus on your pace. In other words – make your cadence work for you. When you run on a treadmill – your stride may be different – and the pace you run at on the road may be different than on a treadmill. Use this to your advantage. Focus on your form first – try to make sure you barely hear your feet hit the belt. Then shoot for 180 foot strikes per minute – this is the sweat spot for both fat burning and heart rate.
4. If you can adjust the incline of your treadmill – do it! Change the angle every 3rd workout – make believe you’re doing hill runs. This breaks up your workout, fooling your body into changing how it works, improving the quality of your workout. And, it can also help break your workout up – changing how you do things can keep your workouts fresh and interesting!
At Fitness 4 Home Superstore, we have a wide selection of treadmills that can help you achieve your cardio and fitness goals. Visit one of our three valley locations to learn more!
