Walk Yourself Fit With a Treadmill
Walking is a great form of exercise for seniors. But not everyone has access to safe, traffic-free walking routes, and even if you do, cold or wet weather can put you off venturing outdoors to walk. That’s where treadmills come in. “Regularly using a treadmill can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your stamina, give your heart a workout, and boost your bone and muscle strength,” says David Thomas, MD, professor of medicine and rehabilitation medicine at Mount Sinai. But which model to choose? There is a wide variety of options on the market and given that there can be substantial cost involved, carefully considering your individual needs may help you avoid making an expensive mistake.
Check the Dimensions Even the least expensive treadmills can be large, and it’s easy to underestimate how much space these machines take up. What looks like the ideal size when you’re perusing treadmills in a department or sporting goods store may well have a much larger footprint than you thought once you set it up at home. Non-folding treadmills are about the size of a small couch, and you’ll need to allow for at least three feet of clearance at the sides and five to seven feet behind. Folding treadmills are generally shorter than fixed models and can be stored upright to save space.
Think about ceiling height, especially if you will be using the machine in a basement or a room with a slanted ceiling. “While you may not require much height if walking is all you will be doing on the treadmill, jogging or running requires more clearance above your head, especially if you will be utilizing the treadmill’s incline feature to mimic jogging uphill,” Dr. Thomas says. When you’re looking at a treadmill in-store, set the incline as high as it goes and have the tallest user (or a tall sales associate) run on the machine to gauge the vertical clearance you may need. The position of the treadmill motor also is worth checking—as a rule, treadmills with the motor positioned underneath have decks that sit higher off the floor, meaning that you may need more overhead clearance to use them safely. Treadmills with the motor at the front tend to sit lower.
Consider Your Stride Length Longer treadmill belts measure about 50 to 60 inches, and the shorter ones are around 45 to 50 inches. “Taller people tend to have longer legs and a longer stride, so be sure to match the length of the treadmill belt and deck to the stride length of the tallest person who will be using the machine,” Dr. Thomas advises. You can measure your stride length by using chalk to mark a starting point on the ground and then walking 20 steps before stopping and marking the ground where you stopped. Measure the distance between the two marks in feet and then divide it by 20 to get your stride length.
An Incline Feature Helps Work You Harder Most treadmills incline up to about 15 percent and using this feature can help you burn more calories and increase your aerobic fitness. “Indoor walking is easier than outdoor walking because there is no wind resistance indoors,” Dr. Thomas says. “Raising the slope of the treadmill even just a little can help provide that resistance and ensure that your heart works a little harder. Be cautious if you often experience lower back pain though, since walking on an incline can aggravate this—choose a model with a cushioned deck, to lessen the stress on your spine.”
What Power Motor? Motor capacity is measured in “continuous duty horsepower” (hp), and if you plan to use your treadmill for walking only, you shouldn’t need a motor much more powerful than 1.5 to 2.0 hp. The exception here is if anybody who is overweight or obese will be using the machine. Heavier individuals need a more powerful motor, otherwise it may overheat and burn out faster.
Think about how fast you can walk, too. “Most fit older adults find it difficult to walk at speeds faster than five miles per hour, so you may want to avoid paying more for treadmills that permit faster speeds than this,” Dr. Thomas observes.
Other Features to Look For Most treadmills incorporate a heart rate monitor and inbuilt workout programs that you can use to control the speed and incline of the treadmill. “For ease of use, choose a wireless chest strap heart rate monitor that doesn’t impede your movement,” Dr. Thomas says, “and look for inbuilt programs that allow you to adjust the routines based on your age, weight, gender, and fitness level. You also may want to consider a treadmill that varies the speed and incline of the treadmill automatically in order to keep your heart rate at a pre-determined level.”
The display of your chosen treadmill should be easy to read, and the controls should be within reach so you can adjust them while using the machine. A water bottle holder is also handy.
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