7/29/2019 Tips for Treadmill Running

1/2

Running & JoggingHealth

Share

By Christine Luff, About.com Guide

Tips for Treadmill RunningKeep it safe and fun when running inside

Updated June 27, 2012

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by ourMedical Review Board

There are lots ofbenefits to treadmill running, and it's a great alternative for runners when weather or safety issues make it impossible to run

outside. Follow these tips to make your treadmill running more effective, enjoyable, and safe.

Use a slight incline.

Set the treadmill inclination to 1% to 2% . Since there's no wind resistanc e indoors, a gentle uphill better simulates outdoor running. Of course,

if you're just getting s tarted with running, it's fine to leave the incline at 0% until you build up your fitness .

Don't make it too steep.

A t the same time, don't set the inc line too steep (more than 7% ) -- this may lead to A chilles tendon or calf injuries. Als o, don't run at an

incline ofmore than 2% for your entire run.

Don't hold onto the handrail or console.Some peopl e as sume that they need to hol d onto the handrails when walking or running on a treadmill. T he handrails are only there to hel p you

sa fely get onto and off of the treadmill. When running on the treadmill, practic e proper upper body form by keeping your arms at a 9 0 degree

angle, just as you would if you were running outside.

Make sure you warm up.

Run or walk at a s low, eas y pace for 5-1 0 minutes . It's t empting to just jump on the treadmill and s tart your workout, but you should allow time

for a warm up.

Don't f orget your cool down.

It' s al s o eas y to hop off the treadmill when your workout is done and your heart rate is ele vated. Spend 5 minutes doing a s low jog or walk at

the end of your run and allow your heart rate to go be low 100 bpm before you get off. C ooling down will help prevent dizzines s o r the feeling that

you're s till moving when you step off the treadmill.

Don't lean forward.

Make sure to keep your body upright. It's not neces sary to le an forward becaus e the treadmill pulls your feet backward. You need to pull your

feet from the belt before they are driven away by the belt.

Pay attention to your stride.

Keep your s tride quick and s hort to help minimize the impact transferred to your legs. T ry to maintain a mid-foot strike to make s ure you're not

heel striking and sending shoc k to your knees. Y ou may need to exaggerate the heel lift because the lac k of forward momentum means your

feet won't be moving in a c ircula r path.

Work on improving your stride count.

The more steps you take per minute, the more efficiently you'll run. Elite runners run about 1 80 steps per minute. Determine your s tride count

by counting how often one foot hits the belt in a minute and then doubl ing that number. T ry to improve your s tride count during your run by

focusing on taking shorter, quicker s trides and keeping your feet clos e to the belt. This exercis e will help you deal with boredom on the

treadmill and ev en improve your outdoor running.

Listen to music.

A lthough using headphones while running outside is not safe, listening to music on the treadmill c an 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 chec king the cloc k to s eehow much more you have to go.

More: Beat Boredom on the T readmill

Visualize a route.

A nother trick to pas s the time on a treadmill is to vi sual ize an outdoor route that you frequently drive or run. P ic ture yourself running along and

imagine the buildings and other landmarks you'd pas s along the way. C hange the incline s etting at the time you'd be heading up a hill.

Don't forget t o hydrate.

You can lose even more water running on a treadmill then you would if you were running outside, since there's little air resistance to help to

keep you cool. Keep a bottle of water within easy reach.

More: Running and Hydration

Don't look down.

I know it's hard not to continuall y look to s ee how much time or distanc e you have left, but if you're looki ng down, your running form will s uffer.

Enter email address

Free Running & Jogging Newsletter!

Discuss in my forum

Sign Up

7/29/2019 Tips for Treadmill Running

2/2

Dont stare at your feet either. You're likely to run hunched over, which c ould lead to back and neck pain. Looking straight ahead is the safest

way to run, whether you're on the treadmill o r running outside.

Related Searches Treadmill Safety Is sues Inclination Runners Weather Risk