🏃🏿♀️➡️ Why the Treadmill Deserves a Place in Your Training
I am a longtime treadmill hater. So much so that when training for the Daydreamer Trail Run last year I very stubbornly insisted that I wouldn’t do any indoor training because I hate it. Then I fell on ice hard enough to see stars (and leave quite the hematoma on my hip) two weeks out from the event. I was still able to compete, but it definitely knocked some sense into me.
A year later as I head into another winter of training, I have changed my tune—and have had a change of heart—about treadmill running. I’m still 100% all about sunshine and fresh air and outdoor runs, especially on my backyard trails. But I now recognize that not only can the treadmill be your best training partner when the weather turns foul (hello, ice covered Pennsylvania roads and trails) and daylight is short, but also there can be some real unique benefits for health and performance.
⏱️ Training Control & PrecisionInterval work is the cornerstone of a progressive training program. Doing intervals outdoors unless you’re on a track can be an imperfect process as you navigate intersections and undulating terrain.
On a treadmill you can dial in pace, incline, and duration with surgical precision—something even the best outdoor route can’t match. This makes treadmill sessions great for cadence drills, hill simulations, and progressive tempo runs where consistency matters.
Consistency is also the biggest predictor of long-term fitness gains. Treadmill training removes barriers like darkness, traffic, or icy roads, helping you stay on track year-round. As infuriating as it is, for many women, it can also offer a greater sense of safety and control than running outdoors in places or at times of day they don’t feel safe, which also supports consistency.
🦵🏾Joint & Muscle Friendly
Having just spent a week in Orlando for a conference where I opted to run outdoors every day, I can attest that treadmill running can be gentler on your muscles and joints than concrete paths (oof).
Most treadmills are designed with cushioned decks and shock-absorbing technology, which significantly reduces the impact forces on a runner's joints and tendons compared to running on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt. So it can be a good break for your body to do some of your training on a treadmill if you don’t have more forgiving surfaces readily available.
Because you can easily change the incline, a treadmill also lets you simulate running uphill, which requires less pounding on joints like the ankles and knees compared to flat running at the same speed, because the incline reduces the amount of impact force your body has to absorb (coulda definitely used that in Florida…).
💓 Cardiovascular & General Health Benefits
Running, even just 5 to 10 minutes a day and at moderate speeds (i.e., <6 mph), is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease. It’s super easy to just hop on a treadmill and run for 10 minutes, whether it’s your own personal machine or one at the gym you jump on before or after hitting the weights.
Some treadmills, like the new Wahoo KICKR Run* smart treadmill, also have a space to securely set up a laptop so you can easily set up a walking workstation.
For those of us who work long hours at a desk and struggle to reduce sitting time, that can be a huge benefit to our metabolic health.
*Speaking of the Wahoo KICKR Run, we’ve been banging out some runs on it for a month now and frankly love it. RunFree Mode lets you run naturally just the way you do outdoors, naturally changing pace and stride, without having to manually adjust anything. And right now Wahoo is running a massive sale of 25% off the KICKR Run. If you use the code FEISTY you’ll also get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN. Check it out here!
|
