Although the functioning of a treadmill controller may vary depending on the brand of a treadmill, they have an intuitive operating system.
Users should always find it enjoyable when on the machine.
Treadmills are easier to use in comparison to bikes.
Whether you exercise using a home or commercial treadmills in gyms, you got to familiarize yourself with them. With time, you will learn the basic functionalities and the entire console of the machines.
If you desire to be an elite indoor treadmill user, you need to understand more than the start, stop, speed up and slow down buttons.
Generally, the buttons will assist you to exploit your machine as you carry out therapeutic, diagnostic, or aerobic-type physical exercises.
With the knowledge of the treadmill buttons, you will not need to avoid using some buttons, for you are unsure of their effects. Some treadmill buttons work manually, while the newer models have touchscreens systems. These touchscreens are used in almost every operation.
In addition, the user has to activate the console earlier before using exclusive features. Machine owners will need to use their smartphones, tablets, or computers to activate the console.
However, the critical issue is to understand the use button system regardless of the model of the machine.
Treadmill Buttons
Every owner of a treadmill should always keep the users’ manual where they can refer from.
Here, there is a clear explanation about the use of every button and its location on the console. In most machines, you will find some buttons on the handrails.
You will observe parameters like distance, speed, elevation, heart rate, elapsed time, and calories on display.
ACSM formulas determine these calculations depending on the user’s age, weight, or gender. Examples of buttons found on treadmills are;
Start – To start the workout, you will touch the big green buttons to make the belt begin moving.
It is recommended to begin moving at a speed of 2.5 MPH for the first few minutes for safety. After that, you can increase the pace depending on the level of your fitness.
Additionally, you can opt to play around with both incline and speed. The working of the start button should not count like the workout program.
Stop –This is indicated by a big red button which can put all your exercise activities to a halt.
Whenever you feel tired or overused by the machine, you can always reach this button. When you press this button, the machine slows down and stops safely. Never attempt to hop off the moving belt, for this can turn accidental.
The stop section also includes an emergency button where a key is used to connect it to a clothing segment.
If the two are disconnected, the treadmill comes to a halt.
Speed – When exercising on your machine, you can opt to accelerate the pace at which you are running.
However, some treadmills have few buttons that can increase the speed of the machine.
The speed buttons can gradually accelerate or decelerate the pace at a rate of 0.1 miles per hour. One can continually hold the speed button with a finger until one reaches the desired pace. Notably, a home treadmill that uses a motor can have its speed fluctuating from 0-12 miles per hour.
Some advanced treadmills will come with speed buttons that enable the user to reach a specific speed directly.
Regardless of the rate you are in, the belt’s pace will be gradual until it comes to the selected speed. Furthermore, some speed systems allow a user to choose speed units that include decimals. For instance, one selects a speed unit like 7.5mph.
However, this is only possible where a console is not set at the metric unit.
In some cases, the treadmill comes with speed buttons on the handrails. Here, you only need to reach the handrails to make appropriate changes that alter the speed.
You should avoid holding on to the rails every time you run the machine.
Try to keep your arms at an angle of 90⁰ as you do while exercising outdoor. Whether you reach the console or the handrails to change your exercise pace, speed buttons remain essential on a treadmill.
Incline – Most treadmills have an incline system that ranges from 10% to 20 % to enable the user to change the gradient. Generally, most machines have their incline buttons on the opposite side of the speed buttons on the console.
The change of steepness while exercising will be critical when one wants to burn calories. Additionally, inclining will also assist in exercising body joints and different groups of muscles. It is recommended that you apply a high incline only while walking on the belt.
As for the speed buttons, incline buttons will offer a wide range of numbers for selection.
Here, you press the numbers of your choice, and the machine will elevate accordingly.
Each number represents its percentage. For instance, number 10 will incline you to 10%, while a lower number will decrease the elevation. Inclines are primarily for individuals who are aiming at losing weight. For users to incline some cheap treadmill models, they need to adjust them manually.
Other buttons – Other kinds of buttons enable the users to suit their exercises.
These buttons are essential in operating fans, Bluetooth speakers, and other features like contrast-level buttons. Most home treadmills have fans that one can turn on, especially during vigorous aerobic physical exercise. The buttons on the console have buttons that engage the fan to change its speed.
In your attempt to combat boredom, you can opt to connect your device to the console’s speakers.
The console has a Bluetooth button that easily pairs with the user’s device. Once the two have paired, you can listen to your audio through the console’s speakers. Playing music will build motivation as one exercise.
The console has buttons that assist one in adjusting the level of contrast in the display. Here, one can choose the level of brightness on the screen. The user’s manual has a lot more about these and other buttons on the treadmills.
Workout Program Buttons
Generally, these are buttons that one can use to access the built-in programs in a treadmill system.
The program’s settings offer you a wide range of workouts to choose from based on your need. Program buttons assist you in setting the ease, difficulty, or the time at which the program will run. Some of the most common workout program buttons are;
Hill- This comprises the uphill segment that commonly assists in building stamina and strength. Under this program, one gradually climbs a steep slope.
At the middle of the exercise, the slope reaches the peak, and the incline gently lowers as one completes the program.
The user assists the body to create endurance since some treadmills have elements that involve valleys. Others will mix both inclines and flat running.
Fat burn- This is a calorie burn parameter that aims to assist the user in calculating what they are attaining from the exercise.
It is mainly recommended for those who need to lose weight. The user should note that the readouts are approximated for they do not consider other body factors.
Primarily, this program is based on speed and the duration at which one can exercise on the machine.
Cardio – If you are a treadmill enthusiast aiming to strengthen your cardiovascular system, subscribe to this program. This will involve vigorous aerobic exercise, which improves the health of both lungs and the heart.
The activity demands a substantial amount of oxygen over a long time. During this exercise, ensure that your heart rate is close to your optimum training zone. To enhance this, ensure that you maintain your exercise intensity.
Strength – The treadmill system will work in a way that assists you in regaining your figure and making your leg muscles more defined. Regular exercise on the machine will turn your arbs harder and strengthen your lumbar muscles.
As you swing your arms while running, the arms and shoulders do more than when just on your couch.
More so, when you incline your machine, you recruit your calves and improve joints flexibility. Such body flexibility guarantees you an upright posture as you grow old.
It also helps you avoid some bone diseases and other factors that limit flexibility.
HIIT – The (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a program that is not common in all treadmills.
Basically, this exercise engages your slow-twitch and quick-twitch muscle fiber. When using the HIIT workout program, you start from warm-up followed by 80%-90% one-minute work interval.
Afterward, a two minutes recovery interval follows where less effort is needed.
Repeat this process on and on to make it more effective. It is advisable to break from this workout a few days per week to enable your body to recover and build muscles and enhance your energy system.
Heart rate control – Most treadmills have a heart rate control feature; however, their buttons might not be on the console by themselves.
To enable it to check on one’s heart rate, you are to put a heart monitor around the chest but under your clothes.
Additionally, the monitor should be in contact with the skin for efficiency. The system enables you to maintain your maximum heart rate as you exercise.
To get your maximum heart rate, you need to subtract your current age from 220. When running at your maximum heart rate, you maintain healthy fitness.
Summary
Understanding the proper working of buttons on a console of a treadmill is a great idea. It will help you understand a variety of activities on the machine. You will no longer have to avoid certain buttons on the machine for fear of damage.
Activities like inclining, speeding, cooling down, and getting off the machine will be intuitive. Motivating yourself by playing music or setting the level of contrast will ease.
Other activities like measuring the heart rate and calorie burn will no longer be strenuous. Eventually, running on a treadmill will be enjoyable, and you will yield the highest from your machine.
However, it is advisable to press the buttons cautiously for long and efficient working. Repairing or replacing them can be dearly, and therefore every user should remain sensitive while using them.
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