Treadmill Workouts: Special Physical Consideration
Special Populations: Think you Must Hold on Because of Your Special Physical Consideration? Don’t Underestimate Yourself.
My rule of thumb: People who should hold onto the treadmill are those who use a cane or walker. Everybody else? Hands off! This includes people with special challenges.
5’4” and 200 pounds, osteoarthritis
Karolyn was a client of mine, who at age 54, weighed over 200 pounds and had no cartilage in her knees, plus no exercise history. From the start, I told her hands off. In everyday life, her gait was lopsided and awkward. But she walked without assistance, so thus, she was a candidate for hands-off walking on the treadmill.
Eventually, she was walking 4 mph at 5 percent incline, no hands, and so proficiently, that I promoted her to walking BACKWARDS without holding on. But I started her at only 1.5 mph. I stood on the machine with her, my feet on either side of the tread, and kept my hands up to steady her if necessary.
I had Karolyn start out 10 steps at a time without holding on. Eventually, she was up to 2.5 mph for several minutes at a time. Forcing her legs and hips to work without hand support dramatically improved her ambulatory efficiency in everyday life.
100 pounds overweight; car accident injury
Cherise was in her early 40s and more than 100 pounds overweight. She reported that “one side” of her body was paralyzed from a car accident. I studied her rhythm as she clung to the machine. I told her to let go. She did and walked just fine. I told her not to give in to her challenge ever again.
Neurological damage
Bob was in his early 40s and had enormous upper-body strength, but frail, withered legs from a spinal injury. His gait was very unsteady, though he did not use a cane. I told him to let go. “Say what?!” he responded. I said, “Believe in yourself. You load 45-pound plates on barbells without help. You do not need help walking on a treadmill.”
Bob let go and was delighted that he could handle a moving tread without losing his balance. By walking hands-free, he was stimulating nerves in his body to fire up and grow new connections. But by holding on, he was merely maintaining his current condition.
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