As we all know that regular exercise can bring countless benefits to health, such as strengthening heart strength, lowering blood sugar level and staying away from diseases. Besides, good regular exercise can also help you burn a lot of calories so as to make your figure more symmetrical and attractive, and making your muscles stronger. Using a good piece of fitness equipment is more effective than your pure workout. Among much excellent home fitness equipment, treadmill is a popular choice for home gyms. It can provide effective and efficient exercise for people of all fitness levels without going outdoors. It allows you to run easily at home so as to achieve better health and good fitness results.
If you have ever used the running exercise machine, at some point, you will feel that holding onto its handrails kills the vibe of your workout. And it's an experience that comes naturally when running machine is at high speed or you feel tired. You aren't alone if you share these feelings and sentiments. When our legs and bodies start giving up while running, we will unconsciously hold onto the handrails of the running exercise machine because they will provide the support we need. But in fact, you shouldn't hold onto the handrails of running exercise machine while running. Do you want to know the reasons? Please continue reading.
What are the reasons why running exercise machine has handrails?
There are only four reasons, and they don't involve physical fitness.
1. Liability
People can become careless and throw caution to the wind if their mind isn't fully committed to the workout. Accidents happen, and you can injure yourself on the treadmill. This lowers the safety standard of the running exercise machine. And running exercise machine companies have to put the handrails as a safety net so that they don't become liable if you fail to take precautions.
2. Support
You must step onto the running exercise machine as you mount it; for this, you need support. The handrails provide support for your first step before you find your rhythm and start running without holding.
3. Console
You can attach your heart rate touchpads on the handrails and let the machine monitor your beats per minute. It's a way to let the machine do the work for you when you don't have chest or wrist straps.
4. Safety
Not all the time, your body will be 100%, but you may still feel like working out. Handrails can provide you with security. They serve as a place to rebalance and help you to stay in the middle of the belt. If you’re struggling, feel out of breath or have any pain then do hold onto motorized treadmill handrails. Press the stop button and keep hold of the handrails for your health and safety. Also, if you’re recovering from a serious injury you may need the handrails to hold onto.
Why you shouldn't hold onto running exercise machine handrails?
Running exercise machine handrails are an important safety feature. You find them on most machines and they come out just enough for you to hold onto. They are so convenient right next to you that why shouldn’t you hold onto them all the time? When exercise gets hard or you’re trying to get the last few meters in it can be tempting to hold on. But you should try to resist the temptation and here I’ll tell you why.
1. You burn fewer calories
Holding onto the handrails makes any exercise you do easier so the time you spent doing it is less valuable. If you’re trying to lose weight by power walking for example. You burn more calories by freeing your arms than you do by holding onto the handrails. You may be tempted when you’re on an incline, but you still shouldn’t. Your time is valuable so make the most of it by not holding onto the handrails.
2. It’s bad posture
If you hold onto the handrails all the time you will eventually develop injuries. It’s not natural for your arms to remain in the same position whether you’re walking or running. Your arms need to swing freely because this is what happens when you exercise outside. When you exercise on a running machine we’re trying to replicate exercising outside because it’s so good for us and convenient.
3. It reduces the effect of the incline
It can be very tempting to hold onto handrails when you’re going uphill on your treadmill. It’s good exercise going uphill and gives you a great workout for your lower body. You negate all of this if you hold onto handrails. You’re making all this effort and have probably planned your workout routine but you’re almost cheating if you hold onto handrails as well. Get the most of the incline by freeing your arms.
4. Your balance is not improved
The great thing about walking or running on your running exercise machine is it improves your balance. It takes practice and a certain amount of concentration to stay at the center of the belt. This exercises all kinds of secondary stabilizing muscles that help give you balance in everyday life. All this is greatly reduced if you hold onto the handrails.
The handrails have a purpose but that isn’t to help you exercise. Only use them if you really need to. Therefore, in order for you to make the most of the treadmill and get the best out of your workout, you should not hold onto its handrails while running.
