NRC Newsletter

Tips for the Treadmill

Love it or hate it, winter is the season that many runners take a deep sigh, push the power button and start cranking out miles on the treadmill. Here are a few tips for treadmill both newbs and veterans to keep it fresh, safe, and interesting until more hospitable weather invites us back outside.

Use Care: It seems obvious, but if you have ever seen anyone go down while running on a treadmill, you know it’s something you want to avoid. Pay attention to what you are doing. Until you get accustomed to the feel of the treadmill, don’t look around too much or get distracted. If you need to remove a shirt, get a drink, fix your hair, or change your music, stop first. Your pace might suffer, but you will save your body … and your pride.

Don’t Hold On: Run in the most natural way you can, if you have to hold on to the handrails to keep up with the pace you have set on your treadmill, slow down until you are comfortable letting go. Build speed gradually. Holding on can make you run unnaturally and lead to injury.

Step off Carefully: Again, obvious, but make sure the treadmill has completely stopped before you get off, and don’t be surprised if the ground feels like it’s “moving” for a second or two once you step off. Always use caution.

Don't Necessarily Believe What You Read: For most treadmills, the calorie counter an estimation and doesn’t take into account individual variables like gender, weight, heart rate etc. It’s OK to use it as a general guide, but don’t swear by it.

Run With Heart: Try wearing a heart rate monitor. The information about effort and calories will be specific to you and therefore, much more accurate. Don’t be surprised if you feel like you are working harder at the on the treadmill than you do at the same pace on the road. Some studies have shown that this can happen. Paces can also vary between treadmills, so for the most accurate information, listen to your heart.

Mix it Up: The treadmill is a great tool for speed and hill work. By increasing and decreasing speed or incline in intervals, you can get faster, stronger and more fit, and the workout will be infinitely more interesting.

Commit to your Workout: Create a workout before you hit the treadmill, either on paper or in your head, and stick to it. If you are doing 10 x 1 minute intervals at a 7-minute mile pace, for example, do them. All of them. Don’t sell yourself short because you are bored. If you need ideas for workouts, you can do an easy Internet search and find treadmill workouts for runners of all levels.

Cover It Up: Watching the miles click by, one-tenth at a time, can be excruciating, even for the fastest runner. If you are doing longer intervals or a tempo run, cover up the screen on your treadmill with a towel to save yourself some agony.

Create Incentives: Tell yourself, “If I do every interval in this section of the workout, I can have a drink.” … or change the song, or whatever it takes to keep you progressing through your workout. Or plan to run during a favorite TV show and make your harder intervals coincide with commercials. If you’re a sports fan and need to run longer, watch a football game and use the game clock as your timer. Fifteen minutes on the game clock will get you a lot more than 15 minutes of running. You'll find yourself rooting for a lot of runs up the middle and no penalties.

Music: Music is one of the greatest motivators. Make playlists of your favorite songs to run to, and let it play. You may choose different songs that you like for speed work or hills or tempo runs.

Don't Neglect the Cool Down: Make sure you spend several minutes jogging or walking to cool down. You may consider walking backward on the treadmill (very carefully – hold on for this part) at a slow, 1.5 mph pace, just to move your legs in a different way for a minute or two. And always stretch after a run.

Get Outside: Try to get outside for a run every once in awhile as weather permits, if not for your sanity, then for your fitness. When you are running outside, your muscles need to work differently to propel you forward and stabilize your joints.

But if you have to spent many weeks on the treadmill and are ready to move outside, do it gradually. Transitioning too quickly can lead to injury. Don’t push the pace either. Gradually increase your speed over time. If you are training for an outdoor road race, getting outside is especially important. The treadmill can’t mimic the hardness of the road and therefore the pounding your legs will take. Nor can it mimic weather wind and the general unexpected issues that might arise from running outside.

The article was compiled from a variety of running sources, as well as NRC staff experience.