Why You Shouldn't Use a Treadmill

Having had experience working within a fitness equipment company, I got to see first-hand the assumptions people made about 'getting fit' and which piece of cardio equipment does it best.

When asked to name an exercise machine - 9/10 people will say treadmill or 'walker.'

Where everybody gets this from I don't know but my guess is the tv shows and infomercials that depict these machines which isn't necessarily a bad thing because at the very least the people that buy these machines are doing some form of exercise.

However when you compare the Treadmill to a machine like a Crosstrainer/ Elliptical machine - it becomes easier to see how less efficient the treadmill really is.

Here are some facts:

• The Treadmill is a High-Impact cardio machine. It puts pressure through your ankles, knees, hips and lower back. I know some brands have fantastic shock absorbing technology built into the treadmill but you will never be able to fully rid the machine of the impact it creates on your body.

• The Treadmill does not burn the most calories when compared to other cardio machines. Put simply, it doesn't provide enough tension on your muscles to require an extraordinary amount of energy in the form of calories.

• The Treadmill requires the most maintenance out of most cardio machines. This is linked to the High-Impact nature of the treadmill and the wear and tear that comes as a result. When most treadmill brands only offer a 12 month warranty on a product that retails around $1000 or more - it's not hard to see why they require the most work.​

You really are better off with either a crosstrainer/elliptical or a recumbent(bike with a backrest) bike.

#1 They both put very little impact (if any) thorough your body.

#2 They stimulate A LOT more muscle fibre and therefore burn more calories.

#3 They require a lot less maintenance (crosstrainers usually require some lubricant on the rails and recumbent bikes require next to nothing)

#4 They both take up less space and are easy to manuever around.

HOWEVER - I huge misconception is that a crosstrainer/elliptical stimulates your whole body. Where by the arms that you hold onto stimulate your upper body while the foot pads stimulate your lower body. The tension that the arms provide to your upper body is so minimal - I'd go as far as saying you are better jumping off the machine and doing push ups because mechanically the arms will move without your hands on them.

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