Bad Treadmill Habits (page 3)
Console-plastering
Some people plaster their palms behind the console. This causes their arms to lock out straight, especially if the person is shorter and using an incline. The body tilts back straight while the bones in the arms absorb much of the work. The legs simply go through motions.
One-handed bandits
Even one-handed holding is cheating. In no way does this duplicate actual walking. But it certainly does provide a false sense of accomplishment. Holding on with one hand, even alternating hands, creates unequal stresses on the body,
In none of these situations is actual walking simulated. Even “resting” your hands on the machine compromises efficacy. The minute the speed or incline is increased, those “resting“ hands will tighten.
The harm of holding on
Here is what happens when you hold onto either the side rails, front bar, or console:
• The upper-back muscles become over-stretched (especially when you hold onto the front bar), and this shortens the chest muscles. This problem is even more pronounced in tall people, as even more forward-posture results. View such a person from the side, and you’ll see really bad, slumped-forward posture, often with a head that juts out (the “forward head”). But if you’re short, don’t think it’s okay to hold on. Holding on produces an unnatural, inefficient gait for all heights and body sizes.
• Spinal alignment becomes skewered, plain and simple. Observe people who hold on and you’ll see a very interesting variety of misshapen postures and motions, including butts sticking way out, hunched up shoulders, crooked backs and over-rotating hips.
• Holding on un-teaches your body how to efficiently walk. Repetitive stress injuries can occur in the over-rotating hips.
• Gripping at fast speeds raises blood pressure.
• A false sense of accomplishment results. There have been people who habitually walked at 15 percent incline at fast speeds while holding on. I’ve instructed them to remove their hands and slow down to 3 mph, but still at 15 percent grade. Their calves were burning within minutes. They quickly fatigued and could not sustain the much slower pace.
• Teaches the body to depend on external support. When you use your arms as anchors, the machine’s rails or front bar become part of the kinetic chain of walking. Your body adapts to this and becomes less competent.
• Removes significant workload from the lower body. A critic might suggest that walking on a moving tread, whether or not you hold on, doesn’t count as actual walking because the tread helps move your feet. But if you don’t hold on, your legs must work to keep up with the moving tread. If you DO hold on, your legs don’t do much work at all, because your arms have connected to the machine, bringing the machine into the equation as external support.
• Repetitive stress injuries can also occur in the shoulders and knees, and a painful heel condition called plantar fasciitis can result in the feet.
• Many more negative things can happen, so keep reading. Treadmill FAQ.
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