Treadmill Workouts Keep You Fit and Happy

Staying fit is a fundamental desire in the 21st century. And it figures. Who wouldn’t want a beautiful body, lean muscles and mobility?

The good news is that now you can have it all: the fitness and the joy it comes with it. And you can have it easily by running.

If you believe it is impossible to be a runner because you don’t have a running track near you, there are other alternatives at hand. One is the treadmill, a machine that basically reproduces a real running and walking surface, either at the office, at home or the gym.

But don’t forget the treadmill is only a tool. The most important ingredients are commitment, consistency and motivation to keep your fitness beliefs all together and not give in when it gets tough.

What will the treadmill do for you anyway? First off, it ensures your daily cardiovascular workout. Then, it provides great toning and it helps you strengthen your muscles. Also, losing pounds will no longer be a crazy dream. Treadmills offer a great selection of running and walking programs that will help you shed those extra pounds.

As far as functionality goes, treadmills are great machines that recreate the real fitness environment. Many users find the treadmill quite challenging. And it actually is. Still, it depends on what gets you going. If you need a real gravel track to stay motivated and encouraged, then you should go for this option. However, treadmill users shouldn’t worry about monotony and being discouraged. Treadmills were created to imitate the ground running surfaces and the difficulty they entail.

OK, let’s go over this once again. Running can help you stay fit and invigorated. But where does the happiness come from?

During workout, the brain and all its neurochemicals are fully activated. Dopamine, serotonin and endorphins are the substances that provide a good feeling and a positive attitude. Serotonin equals comfort and satiety. Dopamine is in charge of your sleeping routine. Endorphins are the body’s painkiller.

All three elements are extremely important for a proper body functioning and for having a positive attitude towards life. It often happens that we don’t pay attention to the unseen factors that govern our life, although they may be the most important of all. Working out makes you feel good and feeling good makes you work out. They are all connected, even if sometimes it’s hard to entirely perceive what goes on with your body.

Here is a treadmill workout you can do 3-4 times a week to keep you motivated and well fit. The exercise is called ‘Power Walk’ and is based on different speed levels:

Warm up: 1.5 mph speed for 2 minutes and 2.3 mph speed for another 2minutes

Segment 1: 3.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 2: 3.5 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 3: 4.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 4:4.5 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 5: 5.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 6: 4.5 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 7: 4.0 mph for 30 seconds
Segment 8: 3.5 mph for 30 seconds

Repeat segment 1-8 at least 5 times (minimum 24 minutes)

Cool down: at 3.0 mph for 2 minutes than at 2 mph for another 2 minutes

As a tip, for those with a little budget, you can look at the LiveStrong treadmills. They come with pretty good preset workouts.

To conclude, it’s actually amazing how the human body works. It has its own rhythm and its very own flow. All we have to do is trigger this flow and benefit from all the perks that come to us. So it is fair to resume that running workouts keep us fit and moreover, happy.

This article is written by Anna who writes also for RunReviews.com, a project dedicated to treadmill reviews and treadmill workouts.

• Currently 5.0/5 Stars.