One of the most used tools in public or home gyms, it owes its success above all to its ease of use.
Mainly characterized by a moving roller, it allows you to create customized training courses, both independently and with the help of programs stored in the memory of the tool, a personal trainer or the numerous existing fitness apps.
If you are undecided whether to start or not, know that there are differences compared to running outdoors.
Very suitable for losing weight and toning, even training with the exercise bike. The two best models on the market are Peloton and NordicTrack brands, similar but with some differences.
Playing sports is essential at all ages, even when you are no longer very young, also to prevent the onset of osteoporosis as much as possible.
But if walking and running are not your thing, training with the elliptical is a viable alternative.
If, on the other hand, you don't like staying indoors, and you want to train outdoors, you should know that running is perfect even in winter.
Alternatively, try Nordic walking. or training on the stairs.
Be careful though, training too much and undergoing excessive effort can hurt your body and mind.
Overdoing it can also generate post-workout headaches.
, in order to perform the best training and avoid future pain or injury.
The foot must rest completely on the roller, the torso should be slightly extended forward and the arms and shoulders relaxed. It is important to look straight ahead and not get distracted so as not to risk falling.
Subsequently, the essential parameters required by the tool must be set, which may vary from model to model, but which usually include at least weight, duration of training, speed and slope of the platform.
Evaluate the right slope
The latter is a fundamental aspect to consider because the more it increases, the more effective the exercise is, in terms of muscle, cardiac and respiratory toning and endurance.
If you want to start by simulating the characteristics of the external terrain as much as possible, the slope must be at 1 or 2%.
After becoming familiar with the tool, to carry out a gradual work, which works but at the same time does not tire too much, the ideal slope reaches a maximum of 4% for running and from 5 to 8% for walking.
The best strategy for toning up is to decrease the speed and increase the incline, in order to increase the muscle contraction. It is also useful to alternate sloping movements with atria on the plain every 4 minutes.
Before each session it is essential to remember to warm up by walking slowly.
At the end, however, be careful not to stop abruptly but continue for another 5 minutes of slow walking, followed by 10 of stretching, to relax the muscles and avoid tearing.
For stretching, exercises with the Foam Roller are also indicated.
For the abdominals, on the other hand, planks are excellent, as long as you don't make these common mistakes.
because running and walking on a roller in motion is easier than doing it outdoors.
The reasons are many: the shock absorbers of the car reduce the impact on the joints much more than asphalt or concrete, you don't have to do with the air resistance and you don't have to pay attention to the dangers of the terrain.
All this makes the movements more fluid and makes it easier to focus on what you are doing, rather than on the surrounding environment.
On the other hand, training with the treadmill can be more strenuous on a mental level because, always remaining in the same place while moving, the sensation of feeling like a hamster running on its wheel in a cage can arise.
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Different benefits
Walking is perfect for toning the lower body and training your breath for more complex challenges, while running is more useful for burning calories and aiming for weight loss.
Calories that continue to burn even when the workout is over.
The recommended frequency for beginners is three workouts per week of about 20-30 minutes each.
Exercise with resistance bands is also excellent to tone the muscles.
In addition to squats, lunges are also good for training the lower body.
For strength training, jump rope exercises are also excellent.
To keep track of your prigresses, apps for smartphones or fitness trackers are very useful.
: 5 minutes from running, gradually decreasing, to walking.
, up to more sustained travel. Slope as desired.
Training: 1-2 sets of 1-2-3-5-3-2-1 minutes at a fast pace.
Recovery: a minute and a half of slow running.
Recovery after each set: 5 minutes of slow running.
Cool-down: 8-10 minutes gradually decreasing the pace.
Taking into account how much you are sweating and the temperature and humidity of the environment in which you run, drinking is still essential. Before starting to train, you must therefore check that you have a water bottle with water or other suitable liquids on hand.
If in addition to a cardio workout you want to do some toning exercise, to sculpt the buttocks it is very useful to perform squats with elastic resistance bands.
Exercising your arms with dumbbells is also helpful to balance your workout.
