How to Get the Most Out of Your Treadmill Workout
Running outdoors in the fresh open air is one of the best ways to stay in shape. Sometimes, it is not always possible to run outside, though. Treadmills are an excellent replacement, and they have improved over the years!
To get the most out of your treadmill workouts, be sure to follow the tips below.
Check all Your Options
Treadmills come with several programs that can have you running through hills or across city streets. Most even have a map feature that shows you the terrain you are crossing. When you run outside, you naturally come across terrain changes. Therefore, treadmills need to offer the same challenges. Each program varies in intensity and duration. If you opt-out for one, you might miss out on a more efficient and realistic workout. You can even create your own program, choosing the duration, speed, and incline as you wish.
Strengthen your hips
Running outside strengthens your hips more than using a treadmill. In fact, you are forced to push off the ground to propel yourself in a forward direction when you run outside. Which strengthens your hip muscles and joints. A common way to increase hip use on a treadmill is to choose a low setting and force the tread backward, but this can damage the motor. If using a treadmill, keep your hips strengthened by also doing hip-strengthening exercises. Recommended hip-strengthening training is dead-lifts, lunges, squats, or bridging.
Expect some changes
When you run regularly with a treadmill, you can alter the way you run naturally. Your stride length can change as your overall speed and cadence. The physiological changes are natural when you are not running on the ground. But they are typically unimportant. Unless this causes foot pain. Using a treadmill can also cause stiffness in the front of your leg because it works harder than your calves. On a treadmill, you are forced to lift your leg, which extends your knee. Therefore, the front leg muscles work harder. And the moving surface below your feet allows you to not use your hamstrings and glutes as much. Furthermore, due to this uneven muscle use, it is crucial to stretch your quads and hip flexors before running on a treadmill.
Replace worn shoes
The amount of tread on your shoes is crucial, no matter where you are running. You should be replacing your shoes every 200 to 500 miles, and this includes miles logged on a treadmill. Keep track of your daily runs so you can gauge when you need to replace your shoes. Worn out shoes will cause your foot to move differently, which can place unnecessary strain on knees, hips, and your back. You don’t always need the most expensive or trendiest show either. Find a pair that is comfortable and supportive, so you can run without risking severe damage.
Try cross-training
Running on a treadmill can get boring, even if you have a screen that simulates different outdoor scenes to run through. To prevent things from getting too cumbersome, however, try some cross-training and switch out your runs every now and then for cycling, swimming, stair-stepping, or an elliptical. Switching up your activity is the best way to prevent injuries that can occur as a result of overuse. Placing stress repeatedly on the same muscles and parts of the body can cause damage over time and increase your risk for stress fractures.
If you are experiencing foot problems, call us at 888-409-8006 for a foot specialist near you!