I just have to talk about this subject. I've watched too many people holding on for dear life on the incline setting, their bodies at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Now, I'm no expert, but I'm thinking that if you were running or walking uphill on a real hill, your body would not be at a 45 degree angle to the ground. Because if it were, you'd probably fall backwards!! (hence why I see people holding on to the bars while at an incline on the treadmill) And then there's this thing called gravity, that tells to pull us downwards in a straight line.........
Of course, I just had to do some research on this, to see if my initial suspicions were correct, or if possibly I was the weirdo at the gym.
First off, the basic form for using a treadmill are generally the same tips found on any site I visited and are as follows:
1) Posture and spine should be straight, that is at a perpendicular angle to the ground; don't hunch forward, don't lean back
2) Keep head up and looking forward
3) Hold your arms at 90% and at waist level, swing naturally from the shoulders
4) Relax your hands, don't clench your fists
5) swing your arms back and forth not side to side
6) Relax your shoulders and square them up forward to maintain good posture
7) Land in the middle of your foot and roll through to your toes to avoid foot and knee stress
Advice for using the treadmill at an incline:
I found many sites that recommended using an incline to maximize the fat burn of your workout. In general, the advice is to start off slowly, allow 5-10mins for a warm up at a slow speed and low incline and gradually work your speed and incline up. There is no hard fast rule as to what speed or incline works best. What is most important is to watch your heart rate. I try to work towards a heart rate of 140-150. I've found that each time I increase the incline a few degrees, my heart rate response by increasing an additional 10 beats per minute. As everyone is different; age, body shape, weight etc, you will need to experiment to see what is most comfortable for you. When I had a personal trainer, he would be happy when he started to see me sweat. He would say, "NOW you are starting to work!!". So I tend to use that as an indicator to whether I'm pushing hard enough. I find it takes me 15mins on the treadmill before I start to really sweat. So for me, I need at least 30 mins to have an effective workout. A word of caution, if you smoke or have not worked out much before or only visit the gym occasionally, you should see a professional trainer at least once but several times is better. The trainer can help you develop a workout routine that is best suited to your immediate capabilities and needs. Once you have learned the workout, you can use it yourself during your gym visits. After a few months, you probably want to book another session or two with a trainer, to revisit your workout so that you continue to benefit from your efforts.
Again, I have to make sure you understand that I am in no way a professional. I'm just an average person, like you. I know what has been working for me, and I see what other people do in the gym. What works for you is something that only you and your personal trainer can decide.
Finally, above all else, you should truly enjoy your time at the gym. If you hate going to the gym then its not going to work for you. Whatever activity you chose to get your recommended 60mins of daily physical exercise it needs to be something you enjoy doing. Strangely, I never expected to enjoy working out at the gym, but I really do like it and I look forward to my morning work outs every day.
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