There is no denying in the benefits of a good old run. Stretching your legs, stretching your lungs, burning fat and improving your fitness. It’s a glorious way to exercise, especially when you can get out into the great outdoors, see the sights, smell the smells, gawp at the wonders and feel the wind rushing over your face. However, there can be a lot of factors that weigh into a run. It could be too hot or too cold. It could be raining or windy. It could be dark before you get home, and unsafe to run. However, that shouldn’t stop you making out for a run, or stop you making it to the gym. As such, we have come up with a few innovative and alternative ways for you to use a treadmill. They are no longer just a device for running or walking, but for full-body workouts too.
Side Shuffle Squats
The squat shuffle will test even the fittest of gym-lovers, and is all about building strength. What you need to do is stand on the treadmill side-on with your feet the typical shoulder-width apart before dropping down into the squat position. Then as the belt starts to move, you need to step sideways, stretching the width of your feet before closing the gap with your other foot. Do this for one minute, walk for two and then turn and face the other way for a minute. But why stay flat. A great way to boost your strength is to chuck a little incline on your treadmill and start squat shuffling uphill.
Climbing
This is proof of how versatile some gym equipment can be; it is just a matter of ingenuity. So, keeping the treadmill turned off, so that it is used as a form of resistance band, get into a push-up position behind the treadmill with your feet on the treadmill track. Now, start moving the belt with your toes. Imagine you are climbing, sliding the belt back as far you can with one leg before bring it back up to your chest and going again with the other leg. You will really start to feel the effects and feel them quickly. As such, start with ten pushes on each leg, then rest for a minute and go again. If you want to up the game a bit, why not incorporate some actual press-ups into your routine, or raise the incline. Don’t worry because the machine is turned off, there is no chance of you breaking the mechanisms.
Lunges
We all do lunges as a form of stretching and working out, but we typically do them in a static position. But why not take them onto the treadmill. The slower you do it the more effect this exercise will have. Standing on the belt and facing forward, have one foot on the side board and the other on the track. Now wait until you reach the back of the treadmill before taking a large step forward, lowering yourself down into a lunge. Once you have completed the lunge, swap legs and do the same on the other. Do this for 90 seconds and then walk for two-minutes before completing another set.
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