InTheMarket.ie Beginners Guide To Treadmills

Take It Slow

Beginner runners should take a walk/run approach at first. Before you do anything, do not forget to stretch for a few minutes. You need to warm up your muscles. Then, warm up for a few minutes on the treadmill, then jog for one minute and walk for one minute. Repeat roughly 10 times–more if you\’re in good shape, and fewer if you\’re out of breath after five repetitions. Everyone starts at a different place. To avoid burning out and injury, don\’t increase your mileage by more than 10% each week as a rule of thumb.

Mix It Up

I don\’t know about you, but I find that running one mile on the treadmill seems like jogging three miles outside. Don\’t be scared to switch up your workout routine by running for a few minutes and then hopping off the treadmill (figuratively speaking!) to perform some weight training. For roughly a minute, do 10 push-ups, sit-ups, bodyweight planks, or any other core activity. This helps your mind reset and lowers your heart rate slightly before you get back on the treadmill and continue running.

Distraction

Another great way to keep your mind engaged is to run to music or watch one of your favorite TV shows. It can definitely help pass the time! Use a tablet or your phone to watch something on the television or listen to an app on your phone. All of our treadmills have built in speakers so you may as well use them! If you are focused or concentrated on listening and/or watching, it will stop you thinking about how sore your muscles are or how difficult your run is.

Cool Down

Spend two to five minutes cooling down and relaxing your muscles. It makes sense that the further or longer you run, the longer your cool down should be,

Stay Hydrated

Don’t drink too much before you start as your stomach will be full and you may feel sick. Keep drinking small amounts often as you run. If your mouth is dry, you need to drink. Remember to do so safely at all times.

InTheMarket.ie Treadmill Drill

All of our treadmills have pre-programmed running plans on them but you may want to try our own program below.

Section 1: Warm-Up

Begin with a three-minute jog to get your heart rate up, blood flowing, and body moving. Concentrate on maintaining a conversational speed that allows you to effortlessly breathe.

We\’ll run for three minutes at a little quicker pace from here–about a minute per mile faster. You should be able to communicate, but not as effortlessly as you were during the warm-up. Pump your arms a little harder to help force your stride forward.

Section 2: Cadence Drilling

A cadence drill focuses on how many times your feet contact the ground during a running stride and how quickly you can turn around. As a result, set a five-minute timer. Spend 30 seconds counting how many times one of your feet contacts the ground at the start of each minute–no need to count for the next 30 seconds.

Take that number (say 45) and increase it by one step per minute for the next minute when you count for 30 seconds again. So you\’d strive to get 46 steps in 30 seconds in the next round.

Repeat for five rounds of one minute each, increasing your cadence by about one step each time you count for 30 seconds. The idea isn’t actually to speed up, but to shorten your stride, improve your running form, and increase your running efficiency.

Section 3: Speed Intervals

We\’ve arrived at the final portion before the cool-down, so make the most of it!

• We\’ll start with two minutes of fast running. Concentrate on a 7-out-of-10 perceived effort. You shouldn\’t be able to have a conversation comfortably, but you also shouldn\’t be out of breath.
• Then take a one-minute break and go for a slow jog. You can reduce it to a walk break if you\’re feeling very tired.
• Repeat for a total of five rounds of two minutes of hard work followed by one minute of easy work.

We\’ll speed things up in part two of the interval segment, but we\’ll concentrate on shorter intervals. Don\’t worry, it\’ll be a lot of fun!

• Begin by sprinting quickly for one minute. Consider a perceived effort of an 8 out of 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
• Allow yourself 30 seconds to catch your breath by jogging or walking for 30 seconds and inhaling deeply.
• Repeat for a total of six minutes of hard work followed by 30 seconds of easy work.

Now it\’s time for the final set of intervals–you\’re almost done! We\’ll travel even faster this time, but for a much shorter period of time.

• Begin with 30 seconds of fast running, which is about as fast as you can go on a treadmill–a 9 out of 10 perceived effort.
• To catch your breath, jog or walk slowly for 15 seconds.
• Repeat for a total of six 30 second hard, 15 second easy rounds.

Section 4: Cool Down

After all that hard exertion, you should take at least three to five minutes to cool down and restore your heart rate to normal. Then get off the treadmill and do some mobility stretches that you enjoy.