Treadmills are a workout favorite in many home gyms—and for good reason. You can set the speed, incline, and time to fit your fitness level and schedule. Whether you crank up the tunes, catch up on calls, or Netflix to your heart’s content, you don’t have to base your walk or run around the weather. But if walking is your main event when it comes to exercise or increasing your speed and endurance, there are other productive ways to achieve your goal.
We spoke with Dr. Rob Letizia, PT, DPT, the owner of Spectrum Therapeutics of NJ — Physical Therapy, who shares five convenient home exercises that can help restore walking speed faster than treadmills. And your routine doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Consider alternating your home exercises with the treadmill for a solid variety.
“Walking speed drops with age mostly because of lost strength and power, not lost cardio capacity—so a treadmill, which just repeats the walking pattern, doesn’t address the real deficit,” explains Dr. Letizia. “[The exercises below] work faster than treadmill walking because they load the specific muscles and balance systems that limit speed, rather than just practicing the pattern at a slow pace.”
Sit-to-Stands
- Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Cross your arms over your chest so that your hands are resting on your shoulders.
- Lean slightly forward, press through your feet, and stand up tall.
- Use control to slowly sit back down.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps.
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Step-Ups
- Begin by standing tall, facing a low step.
- Place your left foot firmly onto the surface, keeping your core engaged and chest tall.
- Press through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you’re standing on the surface.
- Use control to lower back to the start position.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps.
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Heel Raises
- Begin standing tall, facing a counter with your hands lightly resting on the surface for support.
- Place your feet hip-width apart.
- Slowly rise onto the balls of your feet.
- Hold at the top for 1 second.
- Slowly lower back down.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps.
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Single-Leg Stance
- Stand tall on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart. Lightly place your hands on a sturdy counter for support, if necessary.
- Shift your body weight onto your left foot, lifting your right foot a few inches off the ground.
- Activate your core while keeping your shoulders stacked over your ribs and your hips level.
- Hold for the prescribed time.
- Repeat on the other side.
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Marching in Place
- Begin standing tall.
- Slowly lift one knee up to hip level.
- Alternate marching your knees up, keeping your ribs stacked and arms extended. Alternatively, hold onto a sturdy countertop for support.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps.
The post 5 Home Exercises That Restore Walking Speed Faster Than Treadmills After 70 appeared first on Eat This Not That.
