No matter what kind of health and fitness book you read, it always says the same thing: the best exercise for anyone is a brisk walk. Though this is known to anyone who has even taken a fitness class, those who do not have the luxury of being able to walk in their neighborhood wonder what they can do to accomplish the same thing as a brisk walk. Their reason can vary from not wanting to walk after dark to feeling uneasy being seen by passers-by. It can also be living in a place where there truly is no place for a person to walk.
What does a person do that wants to walk and has no place to walk or feels uneasy walking in their neighborhood? Some area malls in some states have devised a walking track where they have actually marked off in increments so that the walkers know how far they have walked. These indoor tracks are available to anyone, but the problem is they are only available for use before the mall opens. That works for those who want to walk before going to work, but for those who start work very early, it isn’t a feasible alternative. For those who are unemployed, this means getting up extra early to get to the mall before it opens. If the potential walker is a stay-at-home mom with children in school, this can be a real nuisance since the time allowance would not make it worth the effort.
Is there another alternative besides running in place in front of the television set in the living room? Is there an alternative to driving to the mall just to take a walk in the wee hours of the morning? Of course, there is! It’s called a treadmill, an electronic, stationary walking machine. Like a stationary bicycle, this machine can be positioned in front of the television to allow the participant to have something to do while exercising. Depending what model you choose, speed and tension can be adjusted in order to speed the heart rate, the most important part of exercising. According to a study that was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the health benefits of using a treadmill outweigh a stationary bicycle, rowing machine, and cross-country skiing machine. In a study conducted by the Milwaukee Veteran’s Administration Hospital, the treadmill burned an average of 200 more calories per hour than the rowing machine, cross-country skiing machine, or stationary bicycle. In fact, this study showed that the average calories burned in a medium-intensity workout was 700 calories per hour compared to just 500 calories per hour on the exercise bicycle. These differences have been attributed to the amount of muscle mass used for each exercise.
Though burning calories is a good reason to engage in treadmill exercise, there are other advantages as well. Walking has been found to be a great exercise for people suffering from osteoporosis, hypertension, and back pain. It also improves muscle tone all over your body, and these strengthened muscles allow the heart to pump more oxygen-rich blood through the body.