Top 20 Excuses People Hold Onto the Treadmill (page 2)
5. “I’ve been doing it this way for years.”
It’s just as wrong after 20 years as it is after 20 minutes. What a shame that at many health clubs, personal trainers fail to make it a mission to point out this blunder to unsuspecting members.
6. “I get dizzy if I let go.”
Let go at a slower speed. You’ll adapt more quickly than you think. Holding on reverses your body’s proprioceptive (balancing and coordination) skills; you unlearn how to handle motion. But you can relearn it.
7. “It’s the only way I can read (or watch TV)!”
Put away the magazine and move away from the TVs. Gyms aren’t libraries or entertainment centers. You’re there to produce changes in your body. This means you must commit yourself to focusing on your workout, not on Lindsay Lohan’s latest act of stupidity or whatever else is on the tube. If you can’t get away from the TVs, then don’t look at them. You’ve heard of “Walk off the pounds,” for sure. But there’s no such thing as “Read off the pounds.”
8. “I have a bad back (or knee).”
Holding on alters natural walking mechanics and natural synchronization. This can worsen a bad back or knee! If your back or knee still hurts after letting go, then stay off the treadmill until your injury heals. If it’s a permanent injury, then remember that letting go will more closely simulate the environment that your injured body part must function in, in everyday life.
People seem to forget that a treadmill can go as slowly as 1 mph; some go down to one-half a mile per hour. People need to humble themselves and slow down to accommodate a bad back, a bum knee, or the fear of falling off. Then, from that baseline, build up your abilities and confidence. It will happen faster than you think.
9. “The machine keeps telling me to hold on for heart rate.”
Select a program that doesn’t nag at you. Humans should not take orders from a machine. Unless your doctor has warned you not to exceed a certain heart rate, there’s no reason to obsess about it. Constantly monitoring heart rate will detract from the routine. Pay attention to how your body FEELS rather than relying on a reading from a machine that might not even be accurate.
10. “I’m tired.”
Slow down or lower the incline, walk naturally and breathe deeply.
| 1 2 3 4 |