Walking on a treadmill may seem easy but it can lead to a number of injuries if you do not follow the right technique. Walking on a treadmill is one of the most successful ways to lose weight and increase the number of calories burned. It is an ideal vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise for healthy adults since it gets your heart pumping, which can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. But you can also make a number of mistakes while doing this form of exercise.
Wrong Footwear
For people who start a new fitness routine, it is extremely important to choose the right kind of shoes before stepping foot on a treadmill. Choose the best footwear with extra padding in the sole so that your knees and ankles are protected from the high impact of your foot when it hits the treadmill surface.
Hunching Forward
Hunching forward can cause you to develop an excessive forward lean or anterior tilt, which can cause you to lose your balance and may cause lower back pain. Keep a solid standing posture, and engage your core muscles. If you can’t maintain good posture, slow down your pace and lower the treadmill resistance.
Slapping your Feet Down
This will create too much force on your body and can cause muscle pain issues and strains. Landing flat-footed can cause your body to lean backward as the belt goes forward, which strains back muscles from the force generated through your back and hip and could also cause you to lose your balance.
Running Flat Footed
This is one of the most common mistakes made by beginners. While landing on the treadmill, most people slap their foot causing strain in your leg muscles. The impact of your feet landing hard on the treadmill will force you to lean backward and increase the chances of losing your balance. Experts recommend people use their mid-foot, instead of their heels, while using a treadmill.
Constantly Looking Down
You may lose balance while looking at your feet on the treadmill. Looking down can also strain the misalign the rest of your body and back of your neck, causing your hips to thrust out behind you, spine, stressing your hips, and knees. Instead, look straight ahead and keep your shoulders level while walking, running or jogging.
Swinging Your Arms Widely
You may think you are burning more calories, but this is counterproductive. If you want to make your workout efficient, don’t swing your arms. Rather, keep your arms by your side so that your overall body movement will be controlled. If you choose to run and jog, keep your arms parallel to each other and bent at a ninety-degree angle.
Locking your Arms on the Treadmill
It is important that once you gain some comfort on the treadmill, and lose the lock grip. Using the best treadmill without holding on to the bars will help you to increase your fitness level.
Increasing the Resistance
Adding speed, incline and resistance are all good ideas in an effort to increase your fitness level and burn more calories, but these are things you should work up to over time.
Taking A Giant Stride
In a bid to cover more ground, do not give up your form and efficiency by using extra long strides. This is unsafe and can result in you losing your balance and may injury.
Conclusion
The ten mistakes that are done on the treadmill will affect your body and result in hip and back pain. To avoid this follow the above guidelines that should be done on the treadmill while doing workouts.
