The human beings are constantly in the act of toning their body for good. It really has become an obsession to some people. There are many exercise machines and techniques to reap the benefits from. But none has become popular like the Ellipticals, Pilates and the treadmills. They are being used in all the gyms and workout places. Several people usually either borrow or bring them to their homes so that they can practice. The treadmill is given more concern in this article. The treadmill allows a person to run on it or in other words, exercise by running on it in the comfort of staying at one’s house. The people make the gesture of running on a treadmill and wring their legs in circular motion.
The health critics have termed the treadmill as not one of the healthy form of exercises. They are of the opinion that the exercises which are done naturally and outside in the external world is the best form of exercise. But some people dismiss the fact and prove by research that the treadmill provides the similar benefits as that of the other forms of the exercise. Rather than paying heed to the controversies people continue to get benefited by the treadmills. But it is true that running on a treadmill creates a sense of boredom in people. It benefits the body as it will be benefited when run outdoors. The treadmill is a more modern piece of machine equipment that helps to relax and tone the body according to the way of the different lives of the people.
The treadmills like all the other forms of the exercise equipment’s provide the combination of advantages and disadvantages to a person. A person must first get to know his body completely before using such machines as each person’s body is unique. Only after that the person must start to use them accordingly.
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Pros Of Using A Treadmill
The treadmills were aimed to suit the purpose of serving the people beneficially. The treadmills create many serious advantages to the body. The advantages are:
1. Same Difficulty Level:
- The difficulty level is the most debated one when it comes to decide between the treadmill and running outdoors.
- The people can reap the same benefits from a treadmill as they have a chance of increasing their stamina.
- Setting the inclination of the treadmill a little further will ensure the same benefits for the person.
2. Joints Safety:
- Running on the treadmill provides safety and lubrication to the joints rather than running on the hard pavements or the roads.
- It is the best suited exercise to those who recover from injuries and benefits as a whole.
- The people who recover from injuries are advised to run in sequence between the treadmill and running in roads.
3. Shift to Different Environments:
- The treadmills make a person to be accustomed to different paths or environment.
- It is particularly helpful to the sports athletes to prepare themselves for any running competition.
- Even normal people who refrain from any competition will reap the benefits by the shift of pace of the treadmills to different environments.
4. No Heed For Weathers:
- The weathers change constantly.
- It is impossible for a person to run outside during harsh rains and cold weathers.
- So it is better to use the treadmills during those times.
- Similarly the same applies to the summers.
- The treadmill comes in the form of a savior to assist those in running during the impossible times.
5. Control of Paces:
- The paces of a person when run outside cannot be controlled.
- There will be times when a person will need to have a tendency to slow down.
- This leads to irregular monitoring of the exercise of the person.
- But it is not so in the case of a treadmill. It helps to keep track of the pace and the distance travelled by a person and account for the loss of the distance.
6. Stamina Test:
- The treadmill challenges to show the real stamina of a person.
- The stamina of a person can be improved by regularly running on it.
- It serves as a means of a great cardio exercise to those who have a normal rate of heartbeat.
7. Convenience:
- The treadmill provides the people with the ease of running at home.
- They can watch their TV shows and make sure that they are not missed.
- It gives the person a sense of self confidence.
- The people will not only become leaner but also their body becomes fit.
8. Controlled Workouts:
- The person can make himself get tuned to the various paces.
- It makes a person get accustomed to various running speeds of his body.
- Even sports person who have to get themselves ready for any sprint can make use of the machine to tune him/her.
9. Efficiency:
- The critics argue that the treadmill is not as effective as the act of running outdoors.
- The heartbeat of the people tend to be lower when using a treadmill rather than running outside.
- This can be adjusted by allowing a person to change the gradient of the machine by one.
Cons of Running On A Treadmill
The treadmill also provides various disadvantages that the critics are happy to pinpoint. But the disadvantages are not so serious. All it needs a self-interest and motivation to maximize the exploitation of the treadmill to the desired level.
1. Boredom:
- The fact needs no denial except a few passionate users who get used to it.
- The athletes need to bear the boredom of the machine for a while in order to tune their body.
- A research was conducted recently by an American University. The people were asked to practice on a treadmill and some were asked to run outdoors. The people who practiced outdoors developed their chances of becoming a very perfect athlete than the ones who run on a treadmill.
2. Lack of Certain Physical Capabilities:
- The maximum speed of the treadmill is only 13 mph.
- The treadmill does not offer all the physical capabilities that a sprinter or an athlete needs.
- The speed of the treadmill is not sufficient for them.
- The downhill running is not applicable in a treadmill.
3. Lack of Oxygen:
- The treadmill makes a person lack of oxygen. Deprived of it a person cannot perform.
- In order to counteract it, the person needs to run outdoors or place the treadmill in a garden.
4. Incapability To Perform:
- When a person gets accustomed to running on a treadmill, he cannot be able to run in the outdoor competitions.
- The joints and the body of these people get accustomed to running on a treadmill.
5. Incomplete Form of Exercise:
- The treadmill has been said to be an incomplete form of exercise.
- The people cannot work their upper part of the body.
- It is only the knees and the hips that get worked.
6. Wind Resistance:
- The person will lose his capacity to overcome the wind power in the outside world.
- The treadmill trains a person to be excellent indoors but makes him stagger outdoors.
7. Display:
- The display of the treadmill will be misleading at times.
- They will display the information incorrectly.
- The people will take them for real and be mislead.
8. Imbalance:
- The treadmill has been designed in such a way that a person will tend to fall if he or she missteps.
- The person may fall down and hurt his body.
9. Ownership:
- The cost of the equipment is expensive.
- An athlete may have to go to a gym to practice regularly.
- It cannot be moved from place to place.
The treadmill is a product of man and it is prone to have its errors. The people must analyze the advantages and the side effects of the treadmill before continuing to start the exercise on routine basis.
The treadmills must be used only to tone the muscles of the body and not to physically over exert ourselves. They must be done in moderation so that the muscles of the body will not be overwhelmed. It is enough to spend some time in the day for about one to two hours with the exercise machine. The treadmills are now equipped with the digital gauges that display the time and the amount of calories burnt. The treadmills were once a sensational product in the last decade but now they are losing preferences owing to the ever changing demands of the people.
Reference: Treadmill