Treadmill mistakes you may be making to stop you losing weight

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The treadmill is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a way to do some cardio exercises and lose some weight. When done right, a treadmill workout can help with your posture and walking form and prevent strains and pain.

That being said, it’s not uncommon to not see the results you’re looking for. That’s because you’re probably not doing something right. Well, fear not, as that’s exactly what we will help you put with. We’ve come up with five reasons that may be preventing you from losing weight. So, let’s not waste any more time and jump straight into it!

1. Switch it Up, Challenging Yourself

If you’re on the treadmill almost every day and doing the same old routine, chances are it’s not helping improve your fitness. Our bodies can adapt to intense workout routines, so if you’re not switching things up, you’re not giving yourself a chance to change or lose the weight you’ve been trying for ages.

To achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself, your treadmill workouts for weight loss will have to vary by frequency, intensity, duration, or mode of exercise. Here’s what you can do:

Intensity and Durations

The only way to push yourself is to make your workouts more intense and the way you can do it is by either increasing the speed or the incline on your treadmill.

When it comes to the duration of your workout session, you can gradually increase your time on the treadmill over time. For example, let’s say you now spend 30 minutes on the treadmill. You can increase it up to 45 minutes for a week and after that, if you’re feeling confident in yourself, push it up to 60 minutes.

Remember, the key is to push yourself.

Frequency

Once you’ve gotten used to walking on the treadmill, you can decide how to maintain the frequency. Walking for 30-60 minutes at a brisk pace for most days of the week or a total of 140-300 minutes per week can help significantly reduce health risks.

Keep in mind that if you’re taking up more challenging or intense workouts on the treadmill, add easy days when you don’t exercise. This will help keep the frequency of your routine going.

Types of Exercise

If you’re not running on your treadmill yet, it’s time to start now. Change it up and challenge yourself. You can also use other machines when you’re not using the treadmill, such as a rowing machine, exercise bike, or stair climber.

You can also add circuit training, and weight training to help get your body moving in new directions.

2. Looking Down Instead of Ahead

Walking is an excellent way to lose weight, and in order to ensure you have a good walking posture, you’ll need to keep your head up and your eyes forward when you’re using the treadmill.

Yes, you can use various forms of entertainment when you are on the treadmill, so make sure to position your phone, tablet, or book in a way that helps you to look straight ahead instead of up or down.

A bad walking posture can lead to several health issues such as shoulder pain, and neck and back pain. Not only that, but this can also lead you to not being able to take complete, full breaths and amplify a bad sitting posture. 

Make sure to give your shoulders a good backward roll from time to time to prevent yourself from becoming the next Hunchback of Notre Dame.

3. Overstriding, it Needs to Stop

For those who don’t know what overstriding is, chances are you might be doing it without even knowing. It’s when your front heels hit the ground far from where they should be.

Many people do this thinking that if they walk faster, they’ll see the results faster too, and that’s not how it works. Instead, overstriding can lead your foot to hit the front of your treadmill and cause you to either fall or trip.

Doing it Right

On the other hand, a good and fast walking stride can do wonders for your posture and weight loss. With fast striding, your front heel falls much closer to your body while your back foot stays on the ground longer to give you a powerful boost. This boost will not only give you more power and speed but will also help to burn calories and work your muscles better.

Start by shortening your stride and take shorter steps first. Next, you can move on to concentrate on focusing on your back foot and getting a good push from every step you take. Try focusing on it for a few minutes until you are familiar with it. This will help you to walk fast but easily.

4. Let Go of the Handrails

While it may feel reassuring to hold on to the rails while on your treadmill, you should be aware that that’s not the natural way to run or walk. It’s impossible to get the results you’re looking for when you can’t move naturally or if you don’t have a good walking stride.

Try not to hold on to the rails even when you’re just walking or running at a slow speed. You’ll get a better workout that was at a slower pace than you would at a faster one. However, if you have disabilities or balance uses, then you can continue using the handrails for support, but we recommend you consult your trainer or physical therapist.

5. Avoid Leaning Forward

A good trainer will tell you that a proper walking posture should be upright, not leaning backwards or forward. To start working on your walking or running posture for weight loss, take a few moments to check your posture before you step onto your treadmill. Here’s what you should be doing instead:

• Make sure your abdominals are engaged while maintaining your spine.

• Next, make sure your body is always in a straight position. Hunching or slouching is not a good idea.

• Remember to give your shoulders a much-needed backward roll to prevent yourself from hunching.

• Once you realize your posture is straight, it’s time to get on the treadmill and start walking. When you feel you have a straight posture, get on the treadmill, and walk.

• Keep telling yourself to maintain an upright posture no matter what. Check yourself and your posture every time you change your pace or your incline.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, a treadmill is a good way to get your cardio done and lose some weight. We hope the reasons we mentioned here help you change how you use your treadmill. Remember to set goals you can achieve and develop a habit of using your treadmill regularly.

Don’t forget to let us know how you made it work for you and what you recommend for those who aren’t so sure of themselves. Till then, stay safe and healthy!

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