How to Properly Use Common Fitness Equipment in Communities

For the convenience of daily exercise, fitness equipment is now installed in residential areas. These fitness devices are diverse and common, including walking machines, Tai Chi push-pull devices, and waist twisters. You may play with them every day, but do you truly know how to use them correctly and efficiently? Let’s find out together.
Walking Machine


The walking machine is one of the most common and familiar fitness equipment, and it is also the most popular among community fitness devices. It can improve the flexibility of knee and ankle joints and enhance the muscle strength of the lower limbs. Correct usage method: Hold the horizontal bar with both hands first, step on the left and right pedals with both feet respectively, keep your head up and chest out, look straight ahead, stand upright with your back, and naturally alternate your legs like walking, swinging them back and forth at a uniform speed.


Start with a small swing amplitude and gradually increase it. The exercise can be performed for 5-10 minutes each time, repeated 2-3 times. Warm reminder: Hold the handrails tightly before exercising to avoid falling; do not swing too much to avoid injury; wait for the pedals to stop before stepping off the equipment after the exercise.



Tai Chi Push-Pull Device


The Tai Chi push-pull device mainly consists of two active discs on the left and right, primarily for stretching shoulder muscles and ligaments, which can help to stretch shoulder muscles and enhance the mobility of shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and other parts, as well as the coordination of the cerebellum. Correct usage method: Stand with your legs in a horse stance, slightly squat down, hold the wheel handles with the tiger mouth part of both hands, and turn in the same or opposite direction.


Clockwise and counterclockwise alternating movements can effectively improve the exerciser’s coordination, and controlling the breathing frequency during exercise can effectively improve lung capacity. It is recommended to perform 20-30 circles per set, 1-2 sets each time. Warm reminder: Turn the disc at a uniform and slow speed during the exercise, do not exert too much force; do not put all your body weight on your hands to prevent slipping and falling during the rotation; those who are not tall enough for the equipment are not suitable for using this equipment.



Abdominal Board


The abdominal board, also known as the sit-up board, is one of the common fitness devices in communities. Using the abdominal board correctly can not only strengthen your abdominal muscle strength but also alleviate back fascial strain, especially effective for office workers who sit in front of computers for a long time. Correct usage method: Place your ankles on the fixed bar at the front end, lie on the abdominal board, put your hands beside your head, do not completely adhere your back to the board, keep your shoulder blades off the surface, and always keep your waist in contact.


Exhale when lifting up and inhale when lowering down, perform 8-15 repetitions per set, 2-4 sets each time. Warm reminder: People with severe lumbar spine pain should use it cautiously; it is not recommended to exercise within 1 hour after eating.



Three-Position Waist Twister


The three-position waist twister is also a common fitness device in communities, and it is very popular among the public.
It mainly exercises the waist and hips, and enhances the strength and flexibility of the waist and back muscles. This equipment has a good relaxing effect on shoulder and back pain and stiff neck caused by long-term desk work.


Correct usage method: Stand on the waist twister, with feet about shoulder-width apart, hold the handrails with both hands, and lean the upper body slightly forward to maintain stability. Contract the waist and abdominal muscles, and rotate the lower limbs left and right through the counterforce generated by fixing the upper body with both hands. When twisting the waist, the upper body should be straight, the lower abdomen should be tightened as much as possible, and both legs can be upright or slightly bent. 3 to 4 sets each time, 10 to 20 times per set. After about 10 days of exercise, the amplitude can be appropriately increased.


Warm reminder: Do not exercise with too large an amplitude. Stop immediately if dizziness occurs. People with lumbar diseases such as lumbar disc herniation cannot use it during the onset period.


Horizontal bar rack. The predecessor of the horizontal bar rack was invented by a Swedish teacher who had suffered from arthritis for a long time in the 19th century. At that time, he wanted to relieve the pain caused by arthritis through these crossbars. Later, it was found that it was also very helpful in rehabilitation training, muscle exercise, and flexibility improvement training.


Correct usage method: When using the horizontal bar rack, we can do different actions according to different exercise needs. For example, choose the crossbar according to your height, suspend your body off the ground, and lean against the crossbar and tighten your abdomen. In addition, ladder climbing exercises and bouncing leg presses can also be completed with this equipment.


Back extension device. This equipment can not only exercise waist strength but also stretch back muscles and relieve back pressure caused by sitting for a long time. It is especially suitable for students and office workers who often sit for a long time.


Correct usage method: The exerciser faces away from the exerciser, holds the handrails on both sides tightly with both hands, straightens both legs, sits on the inclined surface of the exerciser, leans back, and makes the waist lean on the cylindrical curved surface and fully stretch into a bridge shape. Hold for 3-5 seconds at the maximum position.


Warm reminder: People with spinal diseases and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are not suitable for practice; when doing straightening exercises, the movements should not be too fast.


Of course, in addition to the several introduced above, there are actually many kinds of fitness equipment, such as the commonly seen horizontal bar, parallel bars, and climbing frames. Each fitness equipment has different effects. Therefore, when using these fitness equipment, you may combine different types of equipment for combined exercise to “enhance” our exercise effect!


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top