body feels. If your knee hurts or you start to feel faint, don’t ignore the pain
or try to drown it out by cranking up the volume on your stereo headphones.
You may be damaging muscles or joints.
That said, here’s a look at the most popular cardiovascular machines.
Treadmill ............................................................................................
Treadmills are the motorized equivalent of walking or running in place. You
simply keep up with a belt that’s moving under your feet. Treadmill workouts
burn about the same number of calories as walking or running outdoors. The
only exception seems to be running uphill. When you incline the treadmill to
simulate running uphill, it’s somewhat easier than running up real-life hills of
the same grade. But walking uphill on a treadmill is virtually the same as
walking uphill outdoors.
Who will like it
Treadmills are especially popular in crowded cities, where you need to be
part cutting horse, part smog filter to run or walk through the streets.
Treadmills are great for beginners because they require little coordination to
use. Plus, treadmills can move at a slow enough pace to accommodate even
the most out-of-shape exercisers. People with back pain, bad knees, or weak
ankles often find treadmills kinder to their joints than concrete or cement.
Today’s treadmills are springier and more shock-absorbing than ever. Many
have added flashy new features, such as Internet hookups so that you can
run and walk with other treadmillers from all over the globe. Some treadmills
can store up to 100 personal programs.
Who will hate it
You need a very strong or very blank mind to do long workouts on a tread-
mill. Most people find more than a half-hour on this machine mind-numbing,
even with entertainment. If you crave the wind whipping through your hair
and scenery flashing by, reserve the treadmills for emergency aerobic situa-
tions only. Running also places more impact on your joints than most other
exercises and may not be a favorite if you have a bad lower back, achy knees,
or weak ankles.
Treadmill user tips
Treadmills are among the easiest cardio machines to use. Still, treadmill
users are not immune to poor posture. And if you’re not paying attention,
you can stumble. On occasion you may see someone slide off the treadmill
like a can of beans on a supermarket conveyor belt. Here are some tips to
make sure this doesn’t happen to you:
Chapter 9: Using Cardio Machines 133