Health Benefits of Walking On a Treadmill

You have decided to get a treadmill, or you already have one that sits in the corner of your living room, and you want to know the health benefits of walking on a treadmill? Great, you came to the right place! In this article, you’ll find out why it’s excellent to walk on a treadmill and what it does to your body. So, without further ado, let’s dive in right now.


#1. It’s Better for Your Joints

Walking on a treadmill is completely different than walking outside. Hard surfaces don’t absorb the impact well, so they return the force right back into your joints. On the other hand, Treadmills are built with a cushioning system that helps absorb shock, which puts less stress on your knees, ankles, and back. If you have painful joints, a treadmill is a way to go. And when you walk at an incline on the treadmill, you strengthen your muscle like you would if you were walking outdoors.


#2. It’s Convenient

If it’s pouring or boiling outside, or it’s late, or your baby is sleeping, whatever the reason, you’ll be happy to have a treadmill within your reach. It’s very convenient; the only thing you need to do is put your shoes on and start walking. No need for a hat, sunscreen, neither sunglasses nor bottles of water. It’s all set for you, and you can exercise from your comfortable house, morning, evening, afternoon.


#3. Treadmill Incline is Easier

The greater the incline, the more your muscles work, and the more you burn energy. Because It feels more comfortable to walk uphill on a treadmill machine due to the moving belt, you tend to do more without getting exhausted too quickly. Therefore, you get a better workout. You strengthen your calves, glutes, thighs, and backside. And if your goal is to tone up your glutes, the walking incline will do just that.


#4. It Offers More Workout Program Options

With a treadmill, you can access different customizable programs, enabling you to do your workouts best suited to your fitness walking goals. It also allows you to track your heart rate, time, and energy you burn. You can monitor your pace and adjust it if necessary to keep you in your ideal training zone.

Walking on a treadmill


#5. Help You Prepare Yourself for Hilly Terrains

If you live in open and flat regions, the treadmill, as I said above, can offer the inclines you need to reach your fitness goals. Let’s pretend that you prepare yourself for a trek or a hike in a mountainous area; you’ll need to walk incline in your regular workout as you would on hilly terrain. You can set your treadmill on a higher incline and work on it.


#6. It Allows You to Walk Wherever you Want

Technology has advanced so much in the last few years; it can make you feel like you are inside the devices’ real world. You can literally walk on your treadmill and have the same sensation as if you are walking in France on a trail in Corsica with other people. Isn’t it fantastic? And the best part is that you can do it without worrying about your clothing, pace, and body.


#7. It Allows You to Control Your Pace.

When walking outdoors, if you slow down, you can barely feel it, whereas, on a treadmill, you notice it right away. It’s much easier to track your pace and mileage on a treadmill. It also enables you to push yourself beyond your limits. When you push yourself, you get better results in every category, whether it’s for strengthening your muscles, burning more energy, or getting fitter.


#8. It Improves Your Heat Health.

Studies show that walking outside or on a treadmill, every day improves your heart health. It’s an excellent cardiovascular workout for everyone. If you are consistent and continue your fitness walking, it will also strengthen your heart and increase your blood flow. Other studies said that a healthy heart maintains your blood pressure balance. If you have high blood pressure, walking on a treadmill will be very beneficial for you.


#9. It Allows You to Walk in Peace.

If you are an introvert like me or you are not in the mood to see people outside, you have the choice to get on your treadmill and do your workout in complete peace of mind. We are not robots, and there are some days that we don’t feel like seeing people, not even one person. You just want to be with yourself. And there is nothing wrong with that, quite the contrary; it can help you clear up an issue.

Advantages of walking on a treadmill.


#10.It Safer

There are more risks to walking outside. We are more prone to trip over a stone or twist the foot on a sidewalk, or get hit by a tree that we didn’t see. For instance, where I walk, there are plenty of bats that fly low over my head, and this really scares me. That’s one of the reasons why I often walk on my treadmill. Yes, I am not a hero when it comes to bats:)


#11. It Prevents Bone Diseases

Walking regularly on a treadmill helps you build bone density. To be effective, you need to walk at a fast speed of 4 km/h or 2.5 mph, which is the minimum pace to maintain your bone health. Health studies suggest walking on a treadmill at a fast pace for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 4 to 5 times a week, to get the best results. And as I said above, walking on a treadmill is more accessible than walking outside, which might inspire you to exercise more often.


#12. It Improves Mental Health

By walking regularly on a treadmill or outside will help ease your mental health too. When you get fitter, you feel like you have control of your weight and your own self-motivation, and your self-esteem increases. Plus, when you walk, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins, which trigger a positive sensation in your body and make you feel happy.


#13. It Lowers Cholesterol Level

Like walking outside, walking on a treadmill helps lower cholesterol if you do it the right way. This means you need to walk 4 to 5 times a week, at a fast pace, and a minimum of 30 minutes per walking session. Walking is excellent, but you also need to change your eating habits. If you do both, your cholesterol will reduce. If I succeed in lowering mine, so can you do it too.

 


#14. It Helps Lower Blood Sugar

Many studies have proven that walking on a treadmill or outside is excellent to control Type 2 diabetes. To get good results, you need to walk fast (4mph) for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, and watch your diet, of course. And if you are consistent, you’ll be surprised by the result.


#15. It Makes You Look Younger

Walking on a treadmill shut down the aging process in your chromosomes. Walking doesn’t just make you younger; it makes you younger. Studies have found that it’s your telomeres that are responsible for aging. As you age, your telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, it can no longer replenish your tissue, leading to aging diseases such as stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. By walking regularly, you’ll keep your telomeres from shortening.


Conclusion

There are many other benefits of walking on a treadmill. The point is that a treadmill can be more convenient in certain circumstances. Still, it offers the same advantage as walking outside. Everything is a question of personal taste. Having both options at your reach can help you attain your fitness goal more quickly. If you don’t feel like walking outside, you can walk on your treadmill and vice versa. I use my treadmill when it’s raining or too cold or too late to walk outdoors, which really helps me.

Do you know other benefits of walking on a treadmill? I would love to know them!

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