You should do stretching moves only after you did at a 5 minutes (at least) warm session. The stretches will increase flexibility, reduce the muscle tensions and lower the injury risk.

There are several guidelines for stretching .These will help you do a correct workout and maximize the effects.

First of all: always do the 5 minutes warm up before training .Second : always stretch before and after the main exercise.

After you warm up you can start stretching alternate muscle groups. Always stretch slowly and gently. If you bounce or do these exercises too fast you risk muscle injuries.Maintain the stretching position for at least 15-20 seconds and do not hold your breath.

Here are some stretching moves. If you do these before training and you will have a better treadmill workout.

Hamstring stretching
Sit down with a leg extended and with the heel on the floor. Bend forward and slowly until you feel the stretch at the back of your thigh. Hold this position for 20 seconds and then repeat it the exercise with the other leg.

Hip Extension
Standing with both feet pointing ahead (keep one hand on a chair for support) slowly lower your hips towards the floor until resting on one knee. The back should be straight. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and do not force the stretch.

Calf stretching
Stand up straight and put a leg behind you keeping the heel on the floor. The other foot should be bended and you should lean forward (use a chair or wall for support.).You should feel the stretch in the leg “behind”. Hold the position for 20 seconds and switch legs.

Groin stretching
Stand with legs a little wider than shoulder. With one foot pointing forward, point the other foot to right 45 degrees then lunge in that direction without letting knee go past toes.

Waling workouts can give the same benefits as running. For cardio training they idea is to walk fast enough to keep your heart rate in the zone. Same is for weight loss workouts. So the answer is that you can get the same results as in running. You just have to stick to your training program.

There are several things we recommend for the ones that are doing walking workouts.

First of all we recommend to not using hand weights. These weights can seriously improve your fitness level but use them separate. They will not provide the extra resistance but will increase the blood pressure and increase the injury risk because they force the ligaments and tendons.

Next, we advise you to get new walking shoes every 300 miles or so. An old shoe can affect your training routine and can cause injuries. Make sure that your training shoes are in good conditions before starting your routine.

The average fitness walking pace is close to a 15 minute per mile. But, your average walking pace can vary because of the fitness level or technique so we cannot give you a very accurate advice. What we can say is to consider workouts that slowly increase your heart rate and then keep it at that level for 30-60 minutes.

You can always use the talk test to see if you are training at the right pace. If you can’t speak without gasping you are walking too fast. If you are able to sing a song and walk it means you are walking too slowly.

If you care about your foots and you want to avoid injuries and after training pains you will have to ditch the old shoes and get new ones, specially made for running. At one point we also had the impression that the industry got crazy when they throw on the market shoes for all kind of sports.

But in the end if you think for a little you will realize that for perfect comfort and balance you need special shoes for each sport. When you play basketball or football you are not doing the same movements as in running. So you need special shoes for each sport if you want to perform and be protected in the same time. Running shoes are designed for forward motion and they will not have the proper support for movements in other directions.

The running shoes must have several special features. They need to have additional cushioning and strength around heel area. Different companies have various names for material and technology implemented around heel area(like adiprene, dmx or air) but in the end they have the same principle and goal.

Running shoes are supposed to be flexible and light. You also need to know your foot type (do a little web research) before stat shopping. Motion control will decrease excessive pronation while a shoe with extra arch cushioning will help a supinator foot.

There is a test you can do to check the stability:

- Bend the shoe heel to toe and see where flexes.If is is not in the same place as where the foot bends don’t buy it.

- Now pick with a hand the toe area and with the other the heel area. Twist in opposite direction. If you can wring it like a towel it means there is no support.

- In the end you should squeeze the heel left to right. A stable heel will not cave in.

In case you are undecided here are 7 reasons for buying a treadmill:

1. It saves time. A lot of time. Imagine that you don’t have to get into in the car, spend 20-30 minutes driving, do your training and then get back. You can do the workouts, whenever you want and do other activities in the same time (like watching your favorite TV Series)

2. You have to pay around $50 per month for the gym. Now you will pay the same money (if you are financing the purchase) for the treadmill but you will keep the machine.

3. The same machine can be used by all the family members. Also the ones that didn’t exercise until now may start doing some workouts when they see you train.

4. It helps you keep a routine. It will be easier for you to train every day.

5. You train in the comfort of your home. It does not matter if is snowing, raining or if is too hot.

6. Is an easy to use training machine. You have only 2 main controls: speed and incline. You just have to click start button in order to begin. Also you can easily switch from a cardio workout to a fat burning one.

7. Is a good investment. You may pay some money for it but if you get a mid range machine it will last for years. You will save the money you spent on gym or gas (for gym trips) and in the same time you will be in a better form.

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Anyway in case you planning to buy a manual treadmill there are a few things you need to know.

First of all the manual treadmill has no motor. You are the one that provide the power. It is pretty difficult to move the belt especially when you start the workouts. This effort will also add some extra stress on the joins so be careful.

Another thing you should know is that you cannot change the incline of the belt during workout. You have to get down, adjust the belt and start again. Also manual treadmill has only 3-4 fixed positions for the incline and do not think this is different for the speed. A manual treadmill will go only as fast you push yourself.

Manual treadmills have some advantages also. First of all they are very inexpensive. Usually a manual treadmill costs around $100-$200.Also, since you are the one that power the machine the workouts are more intense and you will burn much more calories.

The manual treadmills are not a solution we recommend. But they can be a solution for the persons that are not willing to spend a lot of money on a training machine. You can also check for a second hand motorized treadmill rather then a new manual treadmill.

Interval training is a much more demanding form of exercise. It consists of short interval of intense physical activity followed by a rest period. The intensity of the workout should aim for you target heart rate zone (around 70-80%).

This training technique is used by the distance because of its effectiveness it improves the cardiovascular system.

Here is an example of interval training for treadmill

Warm up
Do a 10 minutes light jog or walk (stay in 50% to 60% of your maximum heart rate).The do a stretching sessions

The Workout
Run half a mile and try to cover this distance in 3 minute (75-85% of your meax heart rate). After that do a 2-3 minute recover interval at easy pace (around 60-65%).

Repeat these steps 6 times in order to cover a 3 mile run. If you cannot cover this distance you can shorter the distance & time in the intensity intervals.

If this is too easy for you can increase the number of intervals or you can change the incline of the belt.

Cool Down
Finish with a 5 minute light jog or walk and do another stretching session.

There are lots of ways to do interval training. You can play with the interval numbers, distance or intervals time. The only thing that should remain constant is the fact you need to alternate the intensity intervals with the rest one.

The interval training is also a good solution when you get bored doing the classic workouts.

1.How many persons will use this treadmill?
You need to know how many persons will use this machine. If the treadmill will be used by many people it means that you have to consider a better & expensive one.

2.What is the height or weight of these persons.
If the treadmill will be used by a person that weight more than a regular one you need to get a machine with a powerful motor and a solid frame. If a tall person will use it then you need to get one with a longer belt.

3.How often will you use it
Is one thing to walk for 30 minutes per day and another thing to run for 1h. You know what your fitness level is so you will know if you plan for long training session look for a better machine.

4. Incline and speed.
Make sure that the maximum speed and incline of the treadmill is what you need. You don’t want to pay a top speed of 15 mph when your training speed is not bigger than 8mph.

5. How much space do you have?
The treadmill is usually a big and heavy machine. Make sure you have enough room in your house. If you don’t have this space you can consider a folding treadmill. Also if you leave at second level (or higher) make sure that you will not disturb your neighbors.

6. TV and mp3
If you put the treadmill in a room with a TV or a stereo system you don’t really need to buy a treadmill with a iPod dock or TV in console.

7. How many Fitness tools do you need?
Most of the treadmills come with many build workouts or other fitness tools. Make sure that you bought the treadmill that has all the necessary features and don’t spend the money on things you are not going to use.

Push the button that control the incline and you will burn more fat have stronger leg muscle and have a better fitness level.

Running on an inclined belt is harder even if you do this at a slower pace. A study that was made in the Georgia University discovered that exercising on a inclined belt activates 9-10% more muscle and another study made in UK revealed that a 1% incline require the same energy spent on an outside track.

Here is a treadmill workout where with the belt inclined at different values.

1. Walk at slow pace for five minutes. Do also a 2 minute stretching sessions.

2. Now elevate your treadmill at 1% and run at a easy pace for 1 mile. After that raise the incline to 2% and run for 3/4 of a mile.

3. Raise the incline again. This time to 3%. Run for half a mile.

4. Make the workout harder and raise the elevation to 4% and run for another half of mile.You reached the top of the hill.

5. Start lowering the incline in the same order you raise it and running the same distance.For 3% run 1/2 of a mile, for 2% run 3/4 of a mile and for 1% run a full mile.

6. Finish up with a cool down session and don’t forget to stretch.

For this workout you should keep the intensity at an easy level. Lower the pace while you increase the belt incline.

If you will take care of your treadmill you will extend the machine live and avoid expensive repairs. So here are some maintenance tips.

Dirt can affect the belt and deck wear si every weak clean the space between deck and belt. You should also vacuum the space around treadmill. You should also clean the motor at least 3 times per year. Unplug the machine and read the instructions before doing that.

Another important is the lubrication process. Some treadmills do no require this so read the manual and instructions because you can damage your treadmill if you are doing something wrong. If your machine requires lubrication or waxing, follow the producer instructions.

Other things that require extra attention are the belt alignment and tension. The belts should run directly down the center of the deck. If the belt is not aligned correctly you should arrange it asap.

If the belt is too loose you can slip and cause extra wear on the deck. If the belt is too tight it will cause wear to the motor. Consult your manual and make sure that the belt is installed correctly. New belts will stretch and require readjustments.

Remember that you should check the condition of the belt every 3 months. Check the underside of the belt and if is worn and rough you should replace it.

In the end make sure that the machine is plugged in properly grounded AC outlet in order to avoid electrical damage.

Most of the time you get knee pains because you’re pushing you body too far. But that is not the only cause. Most of the people in this situation forgot one golden rule: “Stretch before train”. If you do a worm-up session along with stretching you will avoid most of the complications including these knee pains.

Another possible cause for the knee pain is the bad training shoes. You should go to a running store. Not the ones at the mall but a real shoe store. These stores should evaluate your run and after that give you a pair of shoes that works for you. They usually put you on a treadmill and film you running. Remember that you need new running shoes every 3-4 months.

If these advices don’t help you them you should take it slow. Do power-walk workouts instead of running. Also you could consider setting the belt’s incline at zero degrees. You should be comfortable and safe when doing treadmill workouts.