Benefits of Treadmill

Are excuses holding you back from getting into shape? Are you too busy with work and family? Is the weather a problem? Treadmill exercise may be just the thing that wipes out your excuses and puts you on the road to good health and fitness.

With a treadmill, even excuses about being uncoordinated fly out of the window because the only sporty skill you need is something you already do all day long -- walk. The weather isn't a problem and neither is boredom. Place your treadmill in your home, perhaps in front of the television or a picture window, and put on those walking shoes.

What is treadmill exercise?
A treadmill is a machine that essentially allows you to walk or jog "in place." One of the best reasons to take your walking program inside is because on a treadmill you can maintain the pace of your stride easily. Plus, you can get the benefits of aerobic exercise without leaving your home.

Advantages of treadmill exercise
While there are many indoor exercise machines on the market, few compare to treadmills when it comes to health benefits and burning calories, an essential part of losing weight and getting in shape. In one study, treadmills easily outpaced an exercise bicycle, a rowing machine and a cross-country skiing machine.

A group of volunteers at the Milwaukee Veterans Administration Hospital did a series of workouts on different machines, each time exercising at what felt like the same intensity. Researchers used a special device to measure the number of calories burned. The treadmill allowed the individuals to burn up to 200 calories per hour more than the bicycle ergometer, which had the lowest energy expenditure, said the researchers.

The average medium-intensity treadmill workout burned 700 calories per hour, compared to just 500 calories per hour on the exercise bike. One reason for the difference is the amount of muscle mass that is used in both exercises.

Burning calories is a great benefit of treadmill exercise, but it's not the only reason to consider this type of workout. Walking is an excellent form of exercise for people with certain health conditions, such as osteoporosis, hypertension and back pain. For these, as well as those of us who aren't crazy about going to a gym, the flexibility of a treadmill can be very exciting. Further, a treadmill adds consistency to your walking workout because many models allow you to maintain speed and intensity throughout your entire workout.

According to research conducted by the Harvard Medical School, walking 45 minutes five times a week can cut your chances of getting a flu or cold in half.

Also, while some aerobic activities can be risky during pregnancy, walking has many benefits. Hormonal changes caused by pregnancy can loosen ligaments. Walking helps to tone muscles and strengthen joints that support a growing baby.

Treadmills have numerous features that allow you, for instance, to change the MPH or elevate the grade. Further, most models have options to determine calories burned, time elapsed and distance traveled.

An adequate display panel allows you to keep track of workouts (e.g. time and MPH), which in turn allows you to easily monitor progress.

Finally, if you are just looking to get in shape, walking or jogging on a treadmill improves muscle tone all over your body. Strengthened muscles means the heart can pump more oxygen-rich blood with each step you take.