Treadmill use advice

[D. Medvedev Fan]

If I want to start running on a treadmill at the gym, do you have any advice?

[TuckEverlasting]

Make sure you warm up and cool down properly - it'll help you avoid injuries and it'll make the actual workout easier. Make sure you drink plenty of water.

[D. Medvedev Fan]

Make sure you warm up and cool down properly - it'll help you avoid injuries
What is properly?

[TuckEverlasting]

Well, if you are really serious about it, I would recommend going to your local library (or maybe checking the internet, but be careful of 'quack' sites) and getting a book on exercising (that's what I've done before). A reliable book will be a lot more, well, reliable than I will be.

Basically, to warm up you should do some light exercise (walking or light jogging, then a bit faster and a bit faster but not yet at the pace that you will actually be exercising at) for about maybe 4-5 minutes. Also, make sure you stretch, but don't stretch your muscles cold or they might get injured and you won't get nearly the full benefit out of it. To cool down you basically do the same thing but in reverse - 5 minutes of lighter exercise, gradually slowing down, and then stretching.

A lot of people skip warming up and stretching, but it is very important to do. It's not a joke that it will help enormously in avoiding injuries and it will help you get a lot more out of your workout too.

As far as your actual exercise goes, are you new at it? If you are, I would recommend starting out very slow, and set goals for yourself. Don't just 'go until you're tired', but set goals for yourself each week or whatever.