Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with treadmill

Joint pain after treadmill usage

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:46:43 -0800

YANMD (or my personal trainer) but I need advice on a cardio workout that will help me lose weight and also not kill my joints. Difficulty: I am quite overweight...my BMI is just shy of 60 I have lost 50 lbs (yay me!) but still have a ways to go. To keep the momentum on my weight loss, my wife and I joined a gym this past weekend.

Living in a small town our gym options were limited and we settled for a Snap Fitness which has no 2 year contracts, is reasonably priced, and consists of a number of bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, and some nautilus-type weight equipment.

I am gunning for an hour workout a day, and as my goal is to build endurance and lose weight I'm focusing on cardio. My plan for these early days was 30 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes on the treadmill.

On Sunday, our first day working out, I did a bit over 30 minutes on the tradmill, my heart rate held around 140, and my average was just under 3MPH. I was happy with that result...it was a well paced walk, which is what I could handle at this point.

I quit after the treadmill, not moving on to the bike, because after stopping I realized I was in a lot of pain. It wasn't muscle pain, which is what I anticipated, but instead it was severe joint pain, focused in my ankle and my knee. My feet also ached.

I took some Advil and resolved to go back the next day, but the pain actually worsened the more time passed. It's now been over 48 hours and I'm still on a heavy Advil rotation and have not returned to work out as standard walking is quite painful at the moment.

(background: despite my weight I have no history of joint problems, and my feet do normally bother me if I walk a good distance of a couple miles, but never my ankles and knees like this).

I'm not sure if I should "push through the pain" and hop back on the treadmill, if I should just focus on the stationary bike for a while and do 60 minutes on the bike completely foregoing the treadmill, or if there is a better option.

Suggestions would be most appreciated.

i am fat and happy, and want to be less fat and more happy

radiosilents — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:58:01 -0800

lazy slacker who dislikes people wants to start home fitness routine. the wii and some "move your butt" titles are less money than, say, a nordic track, but... what's the best return on investment in in-home fitness equipment for the money?

i understand that motivation is the primary concern, and i think that not having to sweat in front of other people will resolve my lack of drive.

i'm not terribly overweight or terribly unfit, but i'm not exactly running marathons, either. i'm looking for an entry-level experience that will possibly inspire me to want to pursue further avenues.

a wii + some fitness titles w/ a balance board will run somewhere around the $350 range. the excercise equipment i've been looking at online (treadmills, recumbent bikes, the aforementioned nordic track) seems to start around $700 and go up rapidly from there. i also know that a step, some freeweights, and one of those giant ab balls would give me all the workout i need, too, if i knew how to properly use them all, but i'm also not sure rolling around with a giant ball is quite where i'm at yet (though i admit it looks intriguing).

what do you have in your house? how happy with the results have you been? how much did it cost? how long have you been using it?

i'm also interested in people who have integrated the wii into their fitness routines, and what impact they think it's had on their overall fitness. i've googled quite a bit and seen some of the opinions out there, but i'm always interested in what the hivemind thinks.

i see an awful lot of friends with expensive equipment that they use as a coat rack or "place to stack things". i'd like to avoid that, so i suppose a followup question would be what equipment would you NOT recommend? what failed you, let you down, didn't work as advertised?

Looking for a gym-type audio headphone system for my treadmill & tv at home...

ollyoop — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:28:44 -0800

Looking for a gym-type wireless headphone system for my treadmill & TV at home... I'd like to set up a system on my treadmill similar to ones you find at the gym so that I can watch the TV and listen to it via my own headphones plugged into a receiver unit attached to the treadmill.

I've kind of looked into wireless headphones but the ones I've seen are all huge and clunky - not appropriate for running with, anyways. Line of sight systems would be fine - once it's set up, it won't be moving much ;)

I've also found this unit but am not sure it fits the bill...

Any suggestions?

Treadmill versus running

devnull — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:34:26 -0800

Treadmills: is running on a running machine a good approximation of running for real? I find running on a running machine pretty easy, but when I run for real it's a lot more difficult. Which got me wondering...

How similar is running on a running machine (electric treadmill) to running in real life? Are the same muscles used? Is the technique the same? If yes, why is running on an old fashioned (non-electric) treadmill so much more difficult?

Treadmill Belt Repair/Replacement Options?

Otis — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:14:44 -0800

What are some treadmill walking belt repair/replacement options? Duct tape? Are there alternatives to the $90 replacement belt? I recently picked up a ProForm 785TL treadmill for 20 bucks at a rumage sale. Although the treadmill is older (1996) I like the fact that it has a built-in TV that works. After just a couple sessions, a 6-inch horizontal rip has developed in the walking belt. The rip looks like it is at the seam of the belt, and is roughly in the center of the belt.

What are the repair options for a cheapskate such as myself? If I slap some duct tape on there, will it keep me going for a while? If, as I suspect, that option is eminently stupid, are there any other options? A new belt looks like it costs around $95 from ProForm, and a not much cheaper from a third-party seller on e-Bay. Are there cheaper "generic" belts? Are there repair options other than duct tape? Just can't see sinking a hundred bucks into a 20 dollar treadmill.

Thanks!

treadmill vs. elliptical

hellboundforcheddar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:56:00 -0800

Mr. hellbound and I are going to buy either a treadmill or an elliptical. Please recommend models of either machine and describe comparative advantages of having one vs. the other. I was a runner for many years and I now suffer from moderately painful chondromalacia so I was leaning towards the elliptical until I realized that if I am on a padded surface and concentrate on absorbing impact in my hips, butt, and hamstrings- I can handle some long term jogging.

Our budget is around $1,000- $1500.

Leg cramps at the gym

naju — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:09:59 -0800

Why do I always get these leg cramps at the gym? At the gym, I almost always get leg cramps when I switch from using an elliptical machine (for 20-30 minutes) to walking or running on a treadmill. The cramps are in the lower muscles of my leg, and usually it only occurs in my left leg. The first time this happened, I ignored the pain and kept going, and ended up with a charlie horse that lasted for over a day. Why is this happening, and how do I prevent it? I always stretch for a few minutes, though it's standing stretches, as there's not much room to sprawl on a mat in this crowded gym. Also, this is never a problem when I just use the treadmill, or just use the elliptical; the combination sets it off.

How can i attach a laptop to a treamdill?

PlayWithFire — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:49:55 -0800

Does anyone know of a product, or a DIY method to attach a laptop to a treamdill? It has to be portable. I am looking for a way to watch videos on a treadmill at the gym. I think my video player would be a low end laptop, and now is just the problem of attaching it to the treadmill.
If this was at home, it would be just a matter of buidling a tall shelf, but because i'll be taking the laptop to the gym, i need something that will attach to the treadmill.
Surf Shelf seems like a good start, but i think it places the laptop too low, meaning that you would always look down, and mess up the posture while running.

Simulating outdoor running strength on a treadmill

lord_yo — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:35:54 -0800

On a treadmill, what kind of slope/incline% should I set to simulate the strength needed for normal outdoor running? I like to run on a treadmill in my gym. However, I have learned that the force needed to run on a treadmill is lower than normal running, because the floor moves for you (i.e. you jump up and down, but don't pull yourself forward).

A way to increase the force needed is to set a slope / incline on the treadmill, i.e. simulating running slightly uphill.

My question: What is a good percentage slope to simulate the strength needed in normal, outdoor, horizontal running?

Where in Philadelphia can I go to use a treadmill for free?

jrichards — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:33:08 -0800

Where in Philadelphia can I go to use a treadmill for free? I generally run outside, but the hot weather is killing me. I don't want or need to join a gym, but I would love to be able to use a treadmill once or twice a week. Does anyone know of anyplace in Philadelphia that would allow me to use their treadmill or pay a drop-in fee? I live right across the street from Pennsylvania Hospital, but they don't have anything available. I know there are unused treadmills all over the city! Does anyone know of a hotel or physical therapy office in Center City that might be willing to share?

Other Like Hiro to Help Me Lose Weight

Smarson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:07:59 -0800

Recommendations for Sci-Fi while on the Treadmill? I managed to lose a fair amount of weight about 18 months ago thanks largely in part to listening to Snow Crash while on the Treadmill. I found that it gave me something to look forward to at the gym and kept me distracted from how much I wanted to quit after 15 min. of jogging. Needless to say I've slacked off in recent months and have put some of that weight back on.
I'd love some recommendations for medium-to-fast paced sci-fi that I could get onto my iPod and hit the treadmill with again. Snow Crash is an excellent example of the type of pace of story I'm looking for. Something I'd consider not such a good choice would be Cryptonomicon. While still an awesome book by the same author, its lengthy descriptions about code breaking and math would bore me in about 3 seconds at the gym (however on the bus I eat that stuff up). I also tried using Gibson's Spook Country, and that too failed miserably (although worked great on a 7 hour car ride). If I hadn't already read Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive I'd probably be using those.

I've heard good things about Richard K Morgan's Altered Carbon.

Reading over this I've clearly used cyber-punk almost exclusively as examples, but I enjoy all the sub-genres inside Sci-Fi so whatever is action packed/funny/witty/ etc. I'm willing to try.

Put me on a treadmill and strap me to a video screen...

dino terror — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:53:41 -0800

I'm looking for a treadmill for walking ONLY that is ideally compact and folds up at an affordable price. I would be using my hands to use my laptop or play video games or what have you so if manual treadmills require your hands on the bars to brace yourself then those are out (anyone know?). Failing that, anyone know of what the best thing is in a folding electric treadmill that is only designed to support walking speeds?

Will a static tinsel kit stop my treadmill from shocking me?

JanetLand — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:35:20 -0800

Has anyone used a static tinsel kit on a treadmill? I have a lot of problems with static electricity while using my treadmill -- I generally have to run with keys in my hand and touch them to the rail about every 20 seconds to discharge the buildup. Will this tinsel thing fix that? I can't seem to find much information about it.

How do I get started using a treadmill?

zooropa — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:50:32 -0800

How do I get started using a treadmill? I just bought a treadmill from a co-worker. I am 33 years old, overweight by about 30 lbs., and type-2 diabetic. I know I need to get in shape for many reasons. Please no judgments about why it took so long.

Is there anywhere online with a good resource for beginners? Ideally, I'm looking for a resource online where I can keep a log or record of my progress.

But most importantly of all, I don't know where/how to begin. Almost everything I've seen so far is geared toward experienced runners. I'm nowhere even close to that. I would like to follow something like this:

* Day 1, walk 15 minutes at 3MPH
* Day 2, walk 15 minutes, jog 5 minutes
* Day 3, walk 10 minutes, jog 10 minutes

And so on and so forth.

So I'm really looking for two things:

1. A guide to getting started with a program that details what I need to do

2. An online tracker

How do I mount a laptop to my treadmill?

mosch — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:09:23 -0800

What's the best way to mount a laptop to a Landice L7 Treadmill, for use while walking? Previously I had a True 500 treadmill, and I mounted a laptop by building a custom wooden shelf. This (obviously) presented some problems, and shortened the lives of the laptops that sat on the shelf, but was great for my fitness regimen.

Since the original experiment was such a success, I want to do it right this time. But what is right?

Casual games for the treadmill

mmoncur — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:12:49 -0800

I have a computer (macbook pro) next to my treadmill. Please suggest some casual games I could play while exercising. The WGA strike has put a kink in my "watch TV while walking away the pounds" plan, so I'm looking for games to play while on the treadmill. Requirements:

1. Works on a mac, either online or off
2. Casual, nothing I'd have to devote my life to. Can play a session in 45 minutes or less.
3. Requires little to no keyboard use. I have a mouse handy but typing is difficult at speed.
4. More strategy than intensity. If it requires intense concentration and focus, I'm likely to fall off the treadmill.
5. Interesting enough to make me forget I'm doing something healthy.

Examples I've found so far: Desktop Tower Defense and its relatives; Bejeweled; Peggle.

Free or paid, online or offline. Thanks for your suggestions.

Walk Hard 2: The Ask.Metafilter Story

jacquilynne — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:49:29 -0800

Walk longer or walk faster? I want to start walking on a treadmill in order to build fitness, as I am fat and out of shape. I had in mind the idea of walking during a 1 hour television show, possibly with the idea of walking a little faster during the commercial breaks since I gather you're supposed to vary your tempo and stuff.

I went up and tried it today, set the treadmill to 2mph and bumped it up to 2.5mph during the commercial breaks. Made it almost half an hour and almost a complete mile before I was all sweaty and exhausted and out of breath. I could probably have walked longer if I had thought to bring water, but not for the whole hour at that pace.

So, in terms of building fitness, would it better for me to continue with the 2/2.5mph split and just do what I can manage, in the hope that this will gradually become a longer and longer period of time? Or should I slow down to a speed that I can manage the whole hour at, and then gradually increase the speed?

I'd rather avoid anything too much more complicated than that, though the treadmill has all kinds of programmy options and such, as it's not my treadmill and I don't know how to program it.

Please, please, please my knees!

gergtreble — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:42:23 -0800

Is there a low impact alternative to the Couch to 5k? I've just started week 5 of the Couch to 5k plan (well... I'm repeating week 4 to be honest). But I'm having problems, my knees are feeling it badly. I broke down on the middle session of week 4 and was in some discomfort for the whole weekend. I've been to see my Doctor and she told me to take some anti-inflammatories if it got any worse. Now I'm not a quitter so I've jumped straight back on the horse so to speak, and it feels ok at the moment. But I'm thinking that I could probably do with an equivalent plan that's not as hard on my poor old knees (OK OK! I'm only 31!!). And not have to resort to pharmaceutical measures. So is there an equivalent plan? Say for the elliptical machine, bike or rowing machine? Or do you have any other ideas into how I can increase my cardiovascular fitness gradually whilst working towards a goal?

Some stats: I'm a 31 year old male, recently joined the gym after working 2 years on a night shift where I put on 14Kg (30lbs). Starting weight = 108kgs (240lbs) Current weight= 97kg (214lbs). I'm looking more to getting cardiovascular fitness rather than weight loss.

Hope you can give me some tips!

Did my treadmill get me sick?

atayah — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:36:38 -0800

Did working out make me sick? How do I prevent this? We recently bought a treadmill! Yay, fitness! So I've been working on building up a routine towards losing weight. Last week I worked out one day, took a day off, worked out two days in a row, all about 40 minutes each. I am being careful not to overexert myself, as I am out of shape and I'd rather do "slow and steady" than anything else. I maintained a pace that made me sweat but allowed me to speak normally. I drank lots of water.

The day after, I felt like crap. My throat hurt, I had aches, I was randomly dizzy. It felt exactly like the oncoming of the flu. Now, I know it is possible to work out to the point of sickness, is this what happened here? It has also happened in the past when my partner and I had a very exciting and busy week in bed, and then my body sort of did the same thing. By Saturday, I still felt a little sluggish, but about 95% better.

So did I overdo it? Was this dehydration? How do I prevent this in the future? It kinda sucked.

On the same note, my goal right now is weight loss, with the overarching goal of overall fitness (yes, I am also working on the dietary/nutritional side of things). Is my plan of 40 minutes on a day I have time to do it a good plan for this? Would a standard 30 be better? Sometimes, due to my schedule, I can't do a "one day on, one day off" plan, so I will want to work out one day after the other.

Where to I take my running from here?

nickmark — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 12:44:12 -0800

I'm finishing up the Couch-to-5K Plan. What's the best way to keep building my speed and endurance on a treadmill? I'm familiar with the idea of increasing weekly distance by 10% every other week, and with track work for boosting speed… I’m looking to do a bit of both, ideally simultaneously (I'm okay if that means progress in each area is more gradual than if I concentrated on one).

For the C25K, I've been on the slow side, because 10-minute miles make the math easy in terms of distance, speed, and duration of workout. I'm on a treadmill, and will be for at least the next few months, because the gym's convenient for my schedule and we're hitting winter in Minnesota. The advantage of the treadmill is that I can force myself to go at the chosen speed, meaning sustaining speed over distance is more assured (assuming I don't choose to slow down). The disadvantage is that it makes track-like work a bit tougher – I have to pick a specific speed, not just "sprint," but more than that is that I'd rather not be switching speeds every couple minutes, at least not every run, as it's distracting and I'm clumsy at it. Are there treadmill-specific suggestions out there?

Most training plans for beginning runners I’ve seen take you up to the 3 mile/5 K point and then you’re kind of on your own. Where can I go from here? It's obvious how to increase the distance, but I'd like to build speed at the same time, to keep the time spent on the treadmill from ballooning. I think a reasonable intermediate goal is to be able to do 5 miles at 8.5 min/mile, but I'm not sure how to (safely!) combine building speed and distance. Do I just bump up by 0.1 mph and an extra quarter mile every week or so? Are there plans out there I haven't seen? I'm not really looking to train for races necessarily, just fit a longer run into less time.

Workouts!

SirStan — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 18:38:11 -0800

Advice for training for a 5k run. I am looking into running a 5k run this May, which leaves plenty of time. For a while I was working my way up on the Couch to 5k progression, and I am (was) at step 6. I took a ~8 weeks off from the gym when I broke my toe, and am now getting back into it. I have started back at step 5, which I can handle.

My question is this.. Being overweight (~250lb, 6'2", 23yr) how bad is this for the knees? I am exercising mainly on a treadmill at a gym. Should I be doing this more on an elliptical? How applicable is a elliptical workout to a treadmill workout for a real-life 5k run on streets?

Thanks!

Heart-rate monitor attached to treadmill

Saucy Intruder — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 08:15:31 -0800

Yesterday on "CBS Sunday Morning," a correspondent chronicled his attempt to lose weight. I'm trying to identify one of the machines that his personal trainer used to evaluate his progress. The device was attached to an ordinary treadmill. The subject would exercise for a few minutes, and the device would check his vital signs (presumably his heart rate, but perhaps also other indicia.) When he first came to the trainer, the machine said that his health was "poor." Ten weeks later, although he hadn't lost any weight, he was reevaluated as "excellent." The trainer said that this was because he had exchanged fat for muscle.

What kind of machine is this? Is it a simple heart rate analysis or is something more complex going on?

How to remove silicone lubricant from a treadmill belt?

tr33hggr — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 07:20:06 -0800

How can I remove silicone lubricant from my treadmill belt? Help! In an effort to keep our treadmill serviced I grappled with the idiocy of the user manual. When we bought the treadmill, it came with a small bottle of silicone lubricant, which stayed in the closet until I pulled out the manual. It suggested that every six months (it had been about seven since we bought it) we lubricate the "running deck."

I know, I know I should have thought more than a second, but I mistakenly thought the manual was referring to the belt rather than the surface under the belt.

So I squeezed the silicone lubricant all over the belt and tried to spread it around. And then realized my mistake and cursed the infernal manual for not being more clear (or at least including an illustration).

I called the manufacturer, who suggested I clean the belt with Formula 409 (since it cuts grease, I guess) and a soft brush. I have done so four times. It is better, but the slickness is still there and we can't safely use the treadmill until it's totally gone. I'm also finding that the belt is just starting to slightly "buckle" a little from the moisture of the cleaner.

How can I completely remove the lubricant? Should I keep scrubbing and hope the damage to the belt is minimal? Should I try rubbing alcohol? Any nifty ideas or solutions?

My shins burn when I walk.

dpx.mfx — Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:34:44 -0800

My shins burn when I walk on a treadmill. Please tell me how to make it stop. I joined a gym. I got a trainer. I've got a program. I've been sticking with the program. The program calls for lots of cardio. On weight days, it calls for 30 minutes on the treadmill. My trainer wants me to go at 4.0 mph at a slight incline. Anything past about 3.4 causes the most horrible, awful, terrible, excrutiating pain in my shins.

The trainer checked my shoes. It isn't my shoes. The trainer said stretch - I've been stretching (but am open to suggestions on how better to stretch those muscles). I don't start at 4.0, obviously, I work up to it. Is there something I should be doing?

Also, is 4.0 time to jog? I'm scared of jogging on the treadmill and do more intense cardio on the elliptical trainer for that reason. Maybe if I jogged, it wouldn't hurt so much? Help!!

Looking for a treadmill for home.

benjh — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 12:09:31 -0800

FitnessFilter: I want to buy a treadmill for the house. Are there any brands/makes I should either avoid and/or seek out? I will be running on it, so it can't be completely junky.