Making time for outdoor training sessions with less daylight (and cold, wintery conditions) can be tricky. The treadmill is a good alternative. Sure, treadmill running is certainly not everyone’s favourite thing to do, but in this guide, we share with you some essential treadmill running tips so you can enjoy an effective, safe and productive workout, whatever the weather.
HIT THE TREADMILL
Treadmill running might look easy, but the first couple of times you step on a treadmill can be quite treacherous if you don’t follow a few basic safety tips. When running on a treadmill, you should run in the same way as you would outside, that is, by using your natural gait and maintaining nice long strides. If you’re struggling to find a comfortable running form, just take some of the pace off the treadmill until you get it right. You can then increase the pace gradually. Once you get going, you should follow these simple steps:
- Don’t look down – The temptation is to constantly look down at your feet to check you’re running in the centre of the treadmill. All that’s likely to do is impact your form and potentially cause back and neck pain. Instead, run tall, look ahead and keep your body nice and straight.
- Don’t lean forward – As your feet are being pulled backwards, there is a tendency to lean forward to compensate. Leaning forward too much could cause neck and back pain and reduce the efficiency of your run. While you run, check that your shoulders are directly above your hips and pull in your abs to keep your posture in check.
- Don’t hold onto the handrails – Initially, you might think about holding onto the handrails for extra stability. However, all you’re doing by holding the handrails is lightening your load and making life easier on yourself. Instead, act if the handrails aren’t even there. If you feel you need to hold them for stability, it means you’re either going too fast or running at too great an incline.
- Don’t step on the treadmill when it’s moving – Stepping on and off the treadmill when it’s moving is one of the biggest causes of treadmill injuries, so make sure you have everything you need (a towel, hydration, headphones, etc.) before you start your run.
Learn more about how to run on the treadmill, here.
Then, also incorporate some cross-training:
The most significant benefit of cross-training for runners is injury risk reduction. The primary causes of injury for runners include muscular imbalances, biomechanical irregularities, and overuse/overtraining. Biomechanical irregularities are quirks in your running form—overpronation, supination, uneven hips, and similar issues—that make you a bit more prone to injury.
Cross-training offers help for all of those issues. By moving your body in a different motion than running, you can strengthen your muscles and smooth out imbalances. By reducing the number of miles you run, you reduce the overall impact on your muscles, joints, and bones.
Cross-training can build aerobic fitness.
New runners will benefit from regular cross-training. Your muscles, joints, ligaments, and bones can take up to six months to adapt to the impact of running, so you do not want to increase your mileage too quickly. Cross-training on your non-running days can help build aerobic fitness and strengthen your body for the specific demands of running.
Cross-training can help maintain fitness when you’re injured.
If you get injured and are unable to run for a few weeks, cross-training provides an alternative to stay fit as you rehabilitate your injury. Cross-training can maintain and even improve your level of fitness during your time off.
What type of cross-training you do when injured is based on the nature of your injury. Injuries such as stress fractures will limit the type of activities you can do, while you may have more options for injuries such as sprains, strains, and tendonitis. Be sure to speak to your physical therapist or doctor about which types of cross-training you can safely do as you recover from your injury.
Indoor Cross-Training Options
Swimming: Swimming may not be highly specific to the neuromuscular patterns of running, but it will give you a challenging cardiovascular workout and strengthen your upper body (which many runners neglect). Since you are in the water, swimming has no impact on your joints and is therefore often one of the best options for injured runners. You may need to take special precautions around kicking with some lower leg injuries, but using a prop like a buoy can help you problem-solve. You may need access to a pool, but swimming will always provide an effective cardio workout without as much wear and tear.
Aqua jogging: For runners who aren’t strong enough swimmers to achieve an aerobic lengthy workout without needing breaks, or those who want to mimic the motion of running more closely, aqua jogging is one of the best forms of cross-training. Using a belt and sometimes a tether, your heart rate can get up as you visualize running form for an hour or more.
Elliptical: The elliptical mimics the movement of running without the impact, which makes it one of the best forms of indoor cross-training for runners. A study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluded that oxygen consumption is the same on the treadmill and the elliptical when exercising at the same level of perceived exertion. Many running workouts such as intervals can be done on the elliptical, meaning you can still get your speed work in even when you’re not running.
Indoor cycling: Learn more about the benefits of indoor cycling here.
Indoor rowing: Do this workout on the ergo trainer.
