Advantages, disadvantages, contraindications
Let's evaluate the benefits and harms of “home” running. First, let's look at the positive aspects of such activities:
- no sports equipment required;
- you can practice in any weather;
- saving time;
- moderate load on the knees and spine;
- lack of embarrassment in front of others;
- free class schedule.
Disadvantages of home jogging:
- low efficiency (compared to classic running on the street);
- monotony;
- lack of fresh air.
Running on the spot at home does not harm the body, but is simply less productive than street exercise. In defense of home training, we note that it has many useful properties:
- cardiovascular training;
- strengthening muscles, ligaments, tendons;
- improved digestion;
- normalization of the reproductive system;
- weight loss;
- calming the nervous system;
- getting rid of depression;
- working on women's problem areas (hips, buttocks, back of the arms).
Despite the “mild” effect on the body, running at home has some medical contraindications:
- damage to the spine or joints;
- varicose veins;
- coronary syndrome;
- late stages of pregnancy;
- recovery period after surgery.
If you have health problems, be sure to visit your doctor. Only he can decide on the use of physical activity as a preventive measure. Otherwise, you risk worsening your health and accelerating the progression of the disease.
According to statistics, Russia is in third place in the prevalence of hypertension. The disease is characterized by high blood pressure, which damages the cardiovascular system and other internal organs. As a result, the risk of developing irreversible consequences increases.
Moderate sports activity is considered one of the methods for preventing hypertension. Running in place is suitable as physical therapy. It helps to dilate blood vessels, relax muscles and normalize blood pressure.
Home running on the spot at home: the benefits of the technique and its harm
Home running in place
Are fast running exercises in one place beneficial? Without a doubt, if all the rules of this technique are followed, the effect on the body is not strong and does not cause injury. Cardio exercises have a developing and strengthening effect on the blood vessels and heart, the spinal column, and strengthen breathing.
Such exercises stimulate endurance, straighten posture and improve metabolism. Running in place helps you use all your muscles.
Positive and negative sides
The benefits and harms of running
Is running in the same place beneficial? The advantages of this type of training, in addition to keeping the body in excellent athletic shape, are as follows:
- To study at home, you don’t need any special clothing: just choose something comfortable from your wardrobe;
- It is possible to conduct self-training at any convenient time;
- There is no need to waste time on the road and specially choose a suitable place;
- Playing sports at home does not depend on natural phenomena and weather;
- The risk of injury when running in one place at home is minimized;
- You don't have to travel long distances to do cardio at home;
- You don't risk meeting hooligans in the park;
- Provides superior step and shock absorption, which relieves joints, muscles and spine from excessive stress.
Constant and regular exercise helps achieve the following results:
- You will lose weight, your body will become more resilient and in good physical shape;
- Muscle tissue strengthens and develops, which gives the body completely different capabilities;
- Any running improves blood circulation, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and restores the body faster when giving up bad habits.
Cardio training improves mood, relieves unnecessary stress, speeds up metabolic processes, keeps muscles toned, and activates brain activity by increasing blood flow to the brain and saturating it with oxygen.
Be sure to read: How many calories are burned with different swimming techniques
Important: Before starting home training exercises, do not forget to visit your doctor. Playing sports without following the recommendations and rules can cause significant damage to your health.
Among the negative aspects of running in the same place at home, the following can be highlighted: in the absence of movement along a horizontal plane, the load on the muscle tissue will be minimal.
Also, such sports activities contribute to a greater extent to the development of muscle tissue in the calves, since they take on most of the load. However, due to the severity of this area, the formation of the calf muscles will require a fairly long period of time.
Apart from this, running in one place at home is a largely boring and monotonous activity. The conditions of a park or stadium allow you to admire the surrounding landscape, while at home you can only watch TV shows. Because of this monotony, many do not maintain the course and stop training sessions.
How to turn negative aspects into advantages:
- For a more even distribution of tension throughout the entire muscle tissue, it is important not to forget to change the pace of running as often as possible, take turns lifting your legs and knees overlapping, raising your feet high above the surface.
- Weighted sports cuffs and additional exercises contribute to increased tension on the muscles and the loss of more calories. They are not forbidden to diversify the entire monotony of the above-described complex.
- In addition, you can add color to boring and monotonous activities in the room with stimulating music, a TV show with training, or doing exercises on the balcony.
Restrictions
Running restrictions
Monotonous running exercises in the same place are strictly prohibited:
- In case of severe curvature of the spinal column;
- Pregnant girls and women;
- With exacerbation of hypertension;
- In case of injured lower extremities;
- Overweight (if BMI exceeds 35, it is better to use more gentle exercises).
People with venous insufficiency require additional consultation with a doctor: as a rule, compression garments in many cases save the situation.[
What muscles are involved?
Like classic outdoor jogging, jogging in place forces the whole body to work. The load is placed on the legs, abs, back, and shoulders.
Due to the specific technique, the emphasis falls on the lower legs (calf, soleus) and thighs (quadriceps). Thanks to this, the athlete gets the opportunity to make his legs slimmer.
Of course, we are not talking about any gain in muscle mass. Running exercises in place help correct the shape of the lower extremities, toning the muscles and reducing body fat.
What results can you achieve by running on the spot at home?
Experienced athletes argue that running at home cannot completely replace a treadmill or jogging in the park, since the necessary physiological amplitude is not maintained during all movements. But they agree that running at home allows you to prepare the body for stress and start metabolic processes.
This exercise must be performed every day and control the landing of the foot. If you follow the running technique and systematic training, you can lose excess weight and restore the respiratory function of the lung tissue. Cases of remission of bronchial asthma and a decrease in the frequency of blood pressure surges in people suffering from them have also been reported.
Running in place for weight loss promotes improved blood circulation in the body.
When performing exercises at home, the mental and emotional state of patients with disorders of the nervous system functions is stabilized. Scientists have proven that running in place helps increase stress resistance and reduce the risk of heart attack.
Warm up before running in place
It is necessary to warm up muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints before each workout. First, it reduces the risk of injury. Secondly, it improves the body's sensitivity to stress. We offer an example of a simple warm-up for home training:
- Squats without additional weight (15–20).
- Forward lunges (15 on each leg).
- Rotations in the knee and ankle joints (20 times each).
- Swing your arms (20 times forward and backward).
- Bend forward and to the sides (15–20).
- Jumping in place with high hips (10–12).
If you have a cardio machine at home (elliptical, stepper), replace the leg warm-up with 10 minutes of walking at a calm pace. This will be enough to warm up your whole body and prepare for the main part of the lesson.
Ways to increase the load
To lose weight and create a beautiful body contour, additional physical exercises are included in your workouts. Experts recommend alternating running with anaerobic techniques - push-ups, exercises with weights, dumbbells.
Incorporating exercises with a skipping rope will help you lose weight and give you a slimmer figure in a short period of time.
The load on the leg muscles is achieved using the following basic techniques:
- running with knees raised;
- running with choking of the shin;
- mixed media.
The knee lift and shin wrap technique is used to increase intensity, but only for short periods of time.
Running in place with knees raised
Jogging in place with high knees is an intense endurance workout for the body due to the stress on the ligaments and joints. But this technique is used only after warming up and if you have experience in running. Start with a normal run, and then add challenging elements like knee lifts or shin sweeps. Training with high knees increases the load and therefore reduces the duration of training.
Raising your knees when running is an enhanced cardio workout that works your calf muscles and thighs. The abs, by raising the legs, the lower back, the back, and the buttocks are also involved. When incorporating technique into your training routine, you can take short breaks between intense runs. Options for a training complex are selected in accordance with the state of the body.
Example of alternating loads:
- Running in place - 12 minutes
- Running with knees up - 20 seconds
- Running in place - 1 minute
- Walking - 10 seconds
- Run in place for 3 minutes
- Running with knees up - 20 seconds
Running with knee raises is included in the workout to increase load and intensity.
Running with shin sprains
Jogging with shin overlapping requires the body to be leaned forward. During exercise, you need to raise your shin high, trying to touch your buttocks with your heel. The workout is intense, but the load on the legs and pelvis is less than when jogging with knees raised. The intense load in the exercise falls on the buttocks and back of the thighs. The technique allows you to reduce weight, create a beautiful silhouette, tone the body, and launch the process of restoration and rejuvenation of the body.
Mixed running technique
In mixed training, you alternate between different types of running, strength movements and cardio exercises. The training time takes approximately 30-35 minutes. The training complex can take place in the following sequence:
Technique | lead time |
warm-up for the body, including twisting the body, swinging the legs and arms | 2 minutes |
jumping in place in the standard way or with legs apart, moving forward and backward | 1 minute |
standard run at a moderate intensity pace | 3 minutes |
speed run | 2 minutes |
running at an average pace | 3 minutes |
steps in place | 1 minute |
running with high knees | 30-60 seconds |
standard run | 1 minute |
walking | 30 seconds |
repeating cycles of running with legs raised high, classic jogging and walking | 2 times |
jogging with shin grabs | 1 minute |
simple running | 1 minute |
running with shin grabs | 2 minutes |
standard run | 1 minute |
running with shin grabs | 2 minutes |
simple running | 1 minute |
race walking | 1 minute |
simple running with breaks for walking (cool down) | 5 minutes |
After jogging, muscle stretching techniques are performed. Changes can be made to the programs in accordance with the level of training.
Experts do not recommend starting complicated exercises in the absence of regular training. You need to start with a simple run and then rest.
Technique of running in place
Correct technique is the key to the effectiveness of any exercise. The same applies to running elements. To make home training productive, adhere to the following rules:
- Start by simply walking in place. There is no need to raise your knees high. The task of this stage is to smoothly enter the training regime. Continue for 2 minutes.
- Then move on to easy running in place. Keep your back straight. Try not to lower your heels to the floor, move on your toes. As you raise your hip, also lift your opposite arm, bent at the elbow.
- Relax your shoulders, don't lean forward, don't lower your head. If it works, breathe through your nose; if not, use a mixed style (inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth).
- Some beginners make the grave mistake of sticking their toe into the floor. This harms the ankle and knee joints. Therefore, when moving, try to lower your foot gently.
- Once you have completed the main part of your workout, gradually reduce your pace until you reach a walk. “Walk” in place for a couple more minutes to calm your heart and restore your pulse.
In home training, it is not at all necessary to use equipment and, in particular, sports shoes. You can exercise barefoot or in socks. But be prepared for the fact that after class there will be pain in the toes of your feet. If this happens constantly, we recommend running in sneakers. Professional models with shock-absorbing soles are best suited.
Execution technique
To get the maximum effect from running, it is necessary to take into account the execution technique, calculate the required pace, exercise time, and heart rate. And along with the obvious points, it is important to follow a training schedule - run 4-5 times a week.
Running technique means the following rules:
- Keep your back and body straight so as not to put stress on your spine.
- The arms are bent at the elbows and pressed to the torso, the cries are lowered and relaxed.
- Alternately move your legs to simulate a jog.
- Landing and pushing off are important toes for maintaining healthy joints.
- Don't lean on your heels.
- Raise your knees higher to increase the effectiveness of the exercise.
If the shoulder joints are tense, the training will not be effective, because This position helps retain energy and reduce metabolic processes.
It is not recommended to lower your head and look at your feet when training. Look forward; in the absence of external obstacles, when moving in place, training is safe and does not allow you to stumble and fall.
Correct running technique and body position can reduce tension in the spine and lower back and save energy costs.
How to reduce running noise
Neighbors sensitive to any noise can interrupt your running workout. To prevent this from happening, follow these recommendations:
- wear shoes with soft soles;
- Land exclusively on your toes, leaving your heels elevated;
- use a special non-slip fitness mat;
- work out during the day.
Don't forget, making noise in the evening is prohibited. Each region has its own legislative rules for maintaining silence. For example, in Moscow it is prohibited on weekdays to interfere with the rest of neighbors from 23:00 to 07:00, and in St. Petersburg - from 22:00 to 08:00.
How to diversify running in place
Music is a runner's faithful companion. To make your workout more enjoyable, play your favorite tracks. It is advisable that the songs match the rhythm of the lesson. This will make physical activity much easier to bear.
If music doesn't stimulate you to move, you can turn on the TV. Please note that it is not advisable to view intellectual programs during class. The brain will try to simultaneously grasp the meaning of the information and maintain the pace, which can negatively affect the training.
If you want to add some variety to your monotonous running, periodically speed up for 10–15 seconds. This way you will improve the development of the muscles of the lower body. You can add jumps - pushing off with one leg while simultaneously lifting the opposite knee.
For experienced athletes, we recommend making exercise more difficult with weights. Take light dumbbells or put sand weights on your wrists and shins. Additional exercise will help increase calorie consumption and lose weight.
Running in place and burning fat
Any intense exercise speeds up metabolic processes and burns calories. Therefore, running in place is effective for losing weight.
The rapid reduction in body fat when running is associated with the expenditure of calories. Jogging on the spot allows you to burn about 250–300 kcal per hour of continuous training. For comparison, classic jogging helps you burn an average of 500 kcal per hour. But those who study at home should not be upset. To increase energy expenditure, use soft weights or add special exercises to your workout (more on them later).
A few words need to be said about the duration of running sessions. For beginner athletes, we recommend training no more than 15–20 minutes in the first month. This is necessary for the muscles to gradually adapt to the load. After week 4, gradually increase the training time to 30 minutes.
Experienced athletes should run for at least 40 minutes. This is due to the fact that first the body burns glycogen reserves (the main source of energy for muscles) and only then begins to consume subcutaneous fat. Glycogen lasts for half an hour. Therefore, weight loss training should last 40–45 minutes.
The number of classes is determined individually. Start with three workouts per week. If you don't feel tired on rest days, add another workout. The main thing is not to overdo it. Otherwise, you can reach a state of overtraining, which will negatively affect the results of your runs.
Weight loss processes start only with a calorie deficit. Actually, running in place is needed to create a negative energy balance (when an athlete spends more energy than he receives from food). But physical activity alone is not enough. It is necessary to review the diet and avoid foods with a high glycemic index (baked goods, sugar, confectionery). The combination of a low-calorie diet and regular running exercises will quickly get rid of extra pounds.
“Prokhindiada, or Running in Place”: positive effects on the body
The effects of running in place are similar to regular jogging. At this time, the muscles receive a softer, non-traumatic physical activity. There is training and developing tension for the heart and blood vessels, as well as the musculoskeletal system. This increases the body's endurance and improves metabolic processes. Running in place involves almost all muscle groups. Undoubtedly, this exercise only improves your posture.
When running in place, energy is consumed at the rate of 100 calories in 15-20 minutes. If you run continuously for half an hour, you can burn up to 280 calories (the average person weighs 58-60 kg). Actively lifting your legs burns more calories. Running greatly warms up the body, which requires additional costs. Therefore, the body begins to take this energy from fat deposits.
To increase the load, you can use weights for the legs, dumbbells for the arms, change the tempo and rhythm of movements. When running in place, active sweating begins, which removes toxins and waste products from the body.
Running in place forces you to breathe actively, and you oxygenate your entire body. The body will quickly thank you with excellent work.
Running exercises
Let's consider exercise options that can be used to increase the load and fully work out the muscles of the lower extremities:
- Running with overwhelm . The athlete tries to touch the heel to the buttocks with each lift of the foot. The exercise stretches the quadriceps well and effectively loads the hamstrings.
- Running with high knees . When performing, the hips rise to parallel with the floor or higher. Exercise helps increase the number of calories burned and increases the stress on your hips.
- With arms waving . The athlete performs a simple run in place and simultaneously rotates his arms forward. The element additionally strengthens deltoids and accelerates weight loss.
- Running in place while lying down . Exercise helps diversify your workout. In addition, when performing, not only the muscles of the legs are worked out, but also the arms and abs.
- Running onto the platform . The exercise uses a step platform. The athlete moves energetically, moving his feet from the floor to the stand and back. The element accelerates the burning of calories.
- Lateral movements with jogging . The athlete takes quick short steps in place, sharply shifts to the side a meter and again takes 3-4 running steps. Then he repeats it back. The exercise allows you to develop agility, mobility, and speed.
Reviews
People call running in place with high knees and hips one of the most effective exercises for improving the appearance of the legs and buttocks. With it, the greatest consumption of the body’s physical strength occurs, which means that the training is better, and the process of losing weight is faster.
The main disadvantage of the exercise is its monotony, because in order to see the result in at least a month, you will need to run every day for 20 minutes a day, in the same environment.
Sports trainers recommend doing this type of activity in combination with other exercises - this way the result will be much more pronounced. Yes, you really don't need a machine to run in place, but without a great mood, strong motivation and unwavering determination, you won't succeed in the GTO tests. Sport should become a part of your life - start small and you
Running in place and jumping
In addition to the elements discussed above, we recommend adding plyometric loads to your running training. For example, jumping rope can replace a warm-up or increase calorie expenditure by doing two 10-minute approaches before and after running. By the way, when using a jump rope, an athlete spends the same amount of calories as during classic jogging (about 500 kcal/hour).
Jumping elements can also be included in the lesson itself. We have already said that jumping helps to diversify the monotonous rhythm of training. In addition, using plyometric exercises, the athlete improves the development of the lower body. For example, jumping out of a lunge with a split leg loads not only the large muscles of the legs, but also the small muscles responsible for stabilization.
Which is better: running in place or treadmill?
A treadmill is definitely better, as it has many advantages:
- When moving on the simulator, the athlete takes full running steps, which increases the beneficial effect on the body.
- The track has the option of changing the load, which is necessary for gradual progression.
- The cardio machine is equipped with additional functions that allow you to monitor the results and condition of the athlete: measuring the distance traveled, calories burned, pulse, etc.
- A variety of exercises are performed on the electronic track that work the leg muscles well.
- Variable load and the ability to run fully contribute to the rapid loss of excess weight.
Yes, the electronic track is an expensive projectile. If purchasing such a machine is not practical, then running in place will help reduce body fat and improve the appearance of your legs. Although this will take more time.