Do any of you use a treadmill for exercise? I'm 82, bilateral, & used to love walking on a treadmill. I am hesitant to replace the old treadmill but I am still trying to exercise with weights but it is very tiring & I don't always feel up to it. I am concerned that a treadmill might trigger vertigo. Your opinions please. Thanks.
Everyone is different, but I will offer you my experience. I am 83. I have right ear Meniere's and also leukemia. Other than that, I am perfectly healthy! I have my own treadmill that I keep in my home office. It keeps me from sitting too long, as I jump on the treadmill multiple times a day for about 10 minutes. I also have a routine for a 30-minute session and a 60-minute session daily. But here is my trick. I set the speed at the lowest setting and increase the elevation. After slowly increasing the level so as not to exceed my comfort zone, I am now at the highest elevation setting, but often settle for half of that depending on how I feel. This approach has its benefits. It offers a great cardiovascular and weight-bearing workout. The tread is so slow that should I get vertigo, I can quickly and easily pull the auto-shutoff cord and not get thrown off the tread. There is no necessity to run the tread at high velocity. As long as the tread is moving, you can walk, stroll, or run as fast as you like. Moving is, in my opinion, one cardinal rule for good general health. An alternative tool for moving is a stationary bike. I have a Schwinn Airdyne AD6. I love it and it is on sale through Schwinn now for about $700. The AD6 has handlebars that move forward and backward for a full-body cardio workout and can improve upper body strength. There are other good brands. I use both pieces of equipment because stationary bikes are not a weight-bearing form of exercise and treadmills are. My best to you.