Treadmill Incline (page 2)
Benefits of incline walking (and jogging) without holding on:
• Mimics walking real hills outdoors.
• Challenges the cardiovascular system without requiring speed; ideal for people either not in the mood for speed workouts, or people who cannot ambulate swiftly due to orthopedic conditions.
• Because an incline challenges the heart at a slower pace, this means less impact on knees and hips.
• The slow nature is good for people either just getting back into exercise after injury, or for people new to exercise who don’t want to pull a muscle at faster speeds.
• Recruits lower back muscles to keep your body erect.
• Provides a stretch to the calves and Achilles tendon.
• A great alternative (walking) for people suffering from heel pain (plantar fasciitis) because of the minimized heel-strike impact, and the stretching of the foot with each step.
• An alternative for people who are getting bored with the same ‘ol flat walking or jogging.
Are there drawbacks to using an incline?
No. The injury risk is very low when you don’t hold on. Even if you briskly walk an incline, the slope will limit how fast you can walk. In fact, people with knee pain may find that walking — or even jogging — an incline produces less discomfort than walking or jogging level.
Some people with lower back issues may feel aching at that location, upon walking an incline without holding onto the treadmill. But rather than hold on, these walkers should slow down and/or lower the incline. If their back is still killing them, they should:
1) Use a very low incline and/or a really slow speed
2) Consult with an orthopedic specialist to see if it’s okay to just stick it out. Some injuries need to be worked through in order to be worked out of the body
3) Avoid the incline until the injury heals.
Will walking or jogging an incline bulk up calves?
No. This is good news for women who are concerned about getting bigger calves. But it’s bad news for men who think that incline walking will increase calf size or build mass in the calves.
Of course, you’ll feel your calves burning -- a real good calf burn -- if you’re new to incline walking/jogging. But a burn doesn’t mean the muscles will beef up. Walking and jogging recruit slow twitch muscle fibers, which are designed for long-duration activities.
Slow twitch fibers, which are structured for sustained aerobic or cardio activity, do not grow bigger. But they do become more efficient. Increased efficiency does not always mean bigger size. These fibers cannot bulk up, due to their physiological structure. Incline work will give you firmer calves, tighter calves, and will promote calf toning.
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