Another Way a Treadmill Can Make Running More Accessible

Another way a treadmill can make running more accessible? Say you’re training for a race in a different location—maybe the Boston Marathon, with its famous hills—but you live in the pancake-flat Plains. With a treadmill, you’d be able to use incline to practice the ascents and prepare your body for them (without having to, you know, hop a plane to Massachusetts.) In fact, treadmills like the NordicTrack, with its iFit programming, have certain races pre-programmed; if yours doesn’t, the RunBetter App guides you through when to adjust your incline manually for more than 50 different courses.

But You’re Not Imagining It: Treadmill Running Can Definitely Feel Harder

In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 34 studies published in the journal, Dr. Willy and his colleagues found no major physiological differences between running on the treadmill and what researchers call overground running at most speeds. (That holds true for motorized treadmills. Those you power on your own—like the Woodway Curve or the TrueForm Trainer—are more demanding, he says.)

But the data do show the rate of perceived exertion—how much effort it feels like you’re putting in to keep up the pace—is higher on the treadmill.

Why? For one thing, you’re lacking optical flow, or the experience of seeing your surroundings change as you speed by, he says. And, you won’t feel the air rushing past you, either. Because both of these provide information to your brain about how fast you’re moving, any pace feels like a bit more of a slog without them.

The fact that there’s no scenery to distract you also plays a role. That’s why many people turn to TV, podcasts, or even reading to make the miles pass more quickly, Brian Cleven, MS, ATC, an ACSM-certified clinical exercise physiologist at Bellin Health in Marinette, Wisconsin, tells SELF. (Dr. Willy can read journal articles during some of his easier treadmill runs.)

You might also find having the pace or time constantly in your face makes it all drag even more. After all, when you’re running outside, you can only steal occasional glances at your watch. In that case, Goodman recommends covering up the display with a towel. Go by heart rate or how hard you feel like you’re working rather than by minutes per mile or miles per hour, and use the buttons on the arms or side of the machine to control pace and incline.

Playing with the Incline or Other Settings Can Help, But You Don’t Need to in Order to Get a “Good” Workout

You might have heard that you need to bump up the incline to 1% to create similar conditions to outdoor running. But that’s based on old data, Dr. Willy says. The only time you might consider doing that is if you’re super speedy, going faster than that 7-minute mile (about 8.6 miles per hour, if that’s how your screen displays it). At that point, treadmill running does use a little less energy than running on the ground, and the slight incline offsets that shift, he says.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while treadmill running can feel harder than running outside, it can still be a great way to get a good workout. With the right settings and a little creativity, you can make the experience more enjoyable and challenging. Whether you’re training for a specific race or just looking for a convenient way to stay active, a treadmill can be a valuable tool in your fitness routine.

FAQs

* Can I use a treadmill to prepare for a race in a different location?
+ Yes, you can use the incline feature on your treadmill to practice the ascents and descents of a new terrain, making it easier to adapt when you get to the actual race.
* Is treadmill running harder than running outside?
+ Yes, research shows that the rate of perceived exertion is higher on a treadmill, likely due to the lack of visual cues and the feeling of being confined to a moving belt.
* Can I use a treadmill to get a good workout?
+ Yes, a treadmill can be a great way to get a good workout, whether you’re training for a specific event or just looking for a convenient way to stay active. Experiment with different settings and find what works best for you.