There are lots of benefits to treadmill running and it's a great alternative for runners when unfavorable weather or safety issues make it impossible to run outside. Follow these tips to make your treadmill running more effective enjoyable and safe. Run or walk at a slow easy pace for five to 10 minutes. It's tempting to just jump on a treadmill and start your workout. But you should allow time for a warm up. Set the treadmill inclination to 1 percent or 2 percent since there's no wind resistance indoors a gentle uphill better simulates outdoor running. Of course, if you're just getting started with running it's fine to leave the incline at 0 percent until you build up your fitness and increase your comfort level on the treadmill. At the same time don't incline to more than 7 percent. This may lead to Achilles tendon or calf injuries. Also, don't run at an incline of more than 2 percent for your entire run.
Make sure you're mixing up steep inclines with some flat running. Some people assume that they need to hold onto the handrails when walking or running on a treadmill. The handrails are only there to help you safely get onto and off of the treadmill. When running on a treadmill. Practice proper technique by keeping your arms at a 90-degree angle just as you would if you were running outside.
Spend 5 minutes doing a slow jog or walk at the end of your run and allow your heart rate to go below 100 before you get off. Cooling down will help prevent dizziness or the feeling that you're still moving when you step off the treadmill. Make sure to keep your body upright. It's not necessary to lean forward because the treadmill pulls your feet backward. You need to pull your feet from the belt before they are driven away by the belt. If you lean forward too much you may end up with neck and back pain. Keep your stride caught in short to help minimize the impact transferred to your legs. Try to maintain a midfoot strike to make sure you're not striking and sending the shock to your knees. You may need to exaggerate the heel lift because the lack of forward momentum means your feet won't be moving in a circular path. The more steps you take per minute the more efficiently you'll run.
Elite runners run about 180 steps per minute so determine your stride count by counting how often one-foot hits the belt in a minute and then doubling the number. Try to improve your stride count during your run by focusing on taking shorter quicker strides and keeping your feet close to the belt. This exercise will help you deal with boredom on the treadmill and even improve your outdoor running. Although using headphones while running outside is not safe. Listening to music on the treadmill can be a great way to combat boredom and run longer choose motivating songs and create a playlist for your workout. It will help prevent you from continually checking the clock.
You can lose even more water running on a treadmill than you would if you were running outside. Keep a bottle of water within easy reach.
Another trick to pass the time on a treadmill is to visualize an outdoor route that you frequently drive or run. Picture yourself running along and imagine the buildings and other landmarks you'd pass along the way. Change the incline setting. At the time you would be heading up a hill. I know it's hard not to continually look to see how much time or distance you have left but if you're looking down, you're running form will suffer. Don't stare at your feet either. You're likely to run hunched over which could lead to back and neck pain. Looking straight ahead is the safest way to run. Whether you're on the treadmill or running outside.
