How to use a treadmill
Treadmills are used for a variety of training styles, from short interval training treadmill workouts, to long-distance running training and intensive cardiovascular workouts like interval training. Treadmills are the ultimate cardio machines for improving fitness and aiding weight loss. The way you use a treadmill depends on your specific brand or model. In most cases, after warming up your body with stretches and light exercise, you activate your treadmill as advised in the product’s manual and carefully start to walk or run. Ensure you read the instructions carefully before use, as these contain important safety information to help you reduce the risk of injuries or accidents. Once you’re up and running on the treadmill, you can adjust settings to achieve your desired workout.
Settings
Treadmills have a range of different settings like pace, incline, and pre-set programs. Incline refers to the angle of the treadmill surface you’re walking on. When you increase the incline, the surface slopes like you’re walking up a hill. Raising the incline is a great way to increase your heart rate and enter the fat-burning zone, especially if you incorporate a HIIT incline treadmill routine. If you want to focus on walking or running, a pre-set program automatically adjusts the speed and incline. Most treadmills have a range of programs tailored to different fitness goals, such as endurance, weight loss, and strength building. You can also input your height, weight, and age to get a more accurate program and data results. It’s almost like having a personal trainer in your own home.
Types of treadmills
There are many different types of treadmills, designed to meet specific fitness requirements. At Orbit Fitness, we stock a range of commercial, compact, and even the Synergy SPT Speedfit Treadmill with its unique, curved design. Commercial treadmills are typically larger than regular treadmills and designed to withstand multiple uses throughout the day, over a long period of time. Our smaller treadmills are suited for home gyms where space is a concern. A curved treadmill like the Speedfit is self-powered, mimicking real life running and optimising your workout routine. If you’re planning on long-distance running, then you would choose a treadmill designed to cope with long durations of impact. If you’re wanting a treadmill as another addition to your home gym, then a compact light treadmill will do the job. Or if you’re using a treadmill for walking, then you will likely not need a heavy-duty, top of the line model.
Treadmill features
Treadmills boast a range of features to take your workout experience to the next level. Treadmills have soft suspension, which helps the body move naturally, train harder and longer for optimum results while reducing the risk of injury, ensuring a smooth operation, no matter your fitness level. Most treadmills even offer workout data such as calories burned, current and max heart rate, distance, and speed–perfect for an active lifestyle. Orbit Fitness’ treadmill selection includes exciting features like; custom workouts and routes using Google Maps and iFit Live over WiFi, compatible music ports and speakers for music devices.
For more information on treadmill features, check out our article on the Best Treadmill for Home Use in Australia.
Benefits of using a treadmill
The benefits of using a treadmill include improved fitness, boosted cardiovascular health, and stronger muscles. Regularly running or walking improves your body’s endurance, which helps with everyday activities like walking up stairs and lifting. Treadmill exercises specifically target your lower body–your thighs, glutes, and calves. This helps build muscle tone and make your legs stronger and faster. Getting in a treadmill workout can also improve your cardiovascular system. Exercise increases your heart rate, which helps pump oxygenated blood to your brain. This stimulates hormones that keep your brain cells growing. There are also a number of health benefits associated with under desk treadmills for those who work from home or spend a lot of time at their desk. Whether your aim is to shed some weight, improve your cardiovascular health, tone muscles, or train for a specific event, a treadmill will help you smash your daily fitness goals in no time. And, just as importantly, you’ll have fun getting there.
How much should I use a treadmill
You should use your treadmill for 30 minutes or more, three to four times a week to maintain health and fitness. However, times and durations may vary depending on your fitness goals. If you’re a beginner with no experience, it’s best to start small and work your way up to a manageable workout load. Seasoned professionals, or people training for specific fitness events may use treadmills more frequently to align with their exercise routine. You could also use the treadmill as part of a larger routine, as a warmup or cool down.
Orbit Fitness can help you find the perfect treadmill for your needs. We stock all the leading brands including Orbit, ProForm, Impulse, Skyline, Synergy Air, Intenza, Synergy Drax and more.
Treadmill cost
The cost of treadmills depends on the size, brand, model, and supplier. Treadmills can come with a range of high-tech features like screens and WiFi connectivity, which adds to the price. You may also need to consider the electricity that treadmills use when plugged in at home. However, if you’re not on it all day, it shouldn't add significantly to your household energy bills. At Orbit Fitness, we understand fitness equipment is an investment, and making a big purchase can seem frightening. That’s why we offer flexible payment options like ZipPay and Afterpay, So that you can get running on your treadmill now. Our treadmills start as low as $499. We also provide fast, Australia-wide shipping. We deliver to your door with assembly instructions. Some of our treadmills like the Starlite Motorised Treadmill don’t require any installation. For further details check out our delivery information.
Treadmill maintenance
To get the most out of your treadmill, it’s important to keep on top of maintenance. This could involve turning off your treadmill when it’s not in use, keeping it clean, and monitoring the treadmill belt. Switching your treadmill off after your workout helps reduce electricity wastage and give the motor a chance to cool down, preventing overheating. Keeping your treadmill free of dust, sweat, and other contaminants may help avoid rusting and corrosion, which affects the performance and durability of the machine. You should also check the treadmill belt for signs of slipping. When the belt isn’t taught or straight, you could trip and cause an injury. If you notice your treadmill belt is loose, tighten it by adjusting the bolts on each side of the machine as per the manual’s instructions.
Lubrication
Lubricating the treadmill belt helps it run smoothly. Your instruction manual should detail how often you need to do this, but most treadmills require lubrication once every three months, using a silicone oil lubricant. This reduces the stress on your motor by making the treadmill belt move easily over the running deck and avoiding too much friction. If you notice the belt sticking, or sounding squeaky, it’s probably time to lubricate it.
Orbit Fitness has a range of treadmills
Orbit Fitness is dedicated to providing quality, affordable fitness equipment and accessories. If you're located in Western Australia, pop into one of our stores across Perth, Mandurah and Bunbury to view our different treadmill models. Our staff can walk you through the different features of each and help find the best treadmill to fit your training needs. Head to our locations page to find a store near you. We also stock a range of commercial treadmills suitable for gym and recreation centres. Head to our commercial cardio page to view the full range or call (08) 6241 3019 to speak to our commercial team. For other treadmill enquiries, get in touch with the Orbit Fitness team, or check our frequently asked questions.
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