Traversing the Treadmill

We've all seen it....at least those of us who tend to exercise in a gym. Next time you're there, take a look around at the treadmills.....you will see at least 2-3 people walking at such a high incline that they feel obligated to hold on for dear life. I wonder exactly what goes through a person's head to decide to do this, but....no judgement. Another treadmill faux pas is to walk while holding on with your hands in a reverse position. This means that the fingers are facing the back of the treadmill. If you've done this particular technique, you will have noticed that the exertion becomes quite rather less. The question is.....are these dedicated exercisers just making an innocent error or are they purposefully sabotaging their workouts??

In this exercise era, we try to coach our clients to approach workouts with obtaining the result of being able to perform daily tasks and functions well and with success. If you think about taking a walk or a hike, do you question whether or not to hold on to the side bars? No, you do not. Now, I'm not saying that all people should be able to walk on a treadmill without holding on at all. Some folks simply do not have the balance skills necessary to safely walk without the aid of the bars. However, if you are not of this population you are hindering the result of your workout by "cheating." In addition, if your balance isn't very good do not increase the incline to the point that you're practically vertical. You take too much weight off your body to effectively work your cardiovascular system and (god forbid) if you lose your grip....you're toast!

Try to find a setting on the treadmill to include both speed and incline that brings your heart rate into the proper range or such that you feel that you're doing moderate to hard exercise. (This discludes those under a doctor's care who must stay within a specific heart rate.) Try not to hold on to the safety bars and walk with your elbows slightly bent and do not let your hands cross your saggital plane (the imaginary line that runs down your middle dividing you between left and right). Never hold on with your hands backwards. This will ultimately hurt your wrists and it is a cheat because it lifts your body somewhat up taking away intensity. Walk heel to toe or on the middle of your foot. Try to avoid "toe-walking." If you find that your tibialis anterior (muscle near your shin) is getting sore, try tapping your feet prior to exercise or performing ankle circles and point and flex your feet. We'll talk about interval training at a later date.

Again, you don't hike or walk while holding on to safety bars so if you don't need them...don't use them.

Happy Thanksgiving!