Running can help you maintain your body weight better, get more endurance and reduce body fat. For a healthy lifestyle, many people rely on regular, fast outdoor running but others prefer the treadmill as an ideal device for cardio. If you are new to it we have some useful treadmill running tips for beginners.
For most runners treadmill workout is full of boredom and want to be outdoors. But for beginners, it is a suitable option to get into proper running form.
On the other hand, if you think of the dark winter evenings, which so often mean fog, cold, wind, rain and uneven, slippery surfaces, running on a reliably rolling conveyor belt in pleasant temperatures and in the security of a well-lit basement or studio can be quite pleasing.
To know more about benefits and treadmill running tips for beginners make sure to read till the end.
Benefits of Treadmill Workout
A treadmill run has many benefits ranging from a healthy heart to weight loss, lower risk of injury, stress relief, and mental health. Most beginners might feel the urge to outdoor running, but a treadmill is a better option.
Beginners can do interval training at slow speeds on a treadmill and achieve proper running form within a short period of time. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some benefits of a treadmill run.
Control Over the Machine
The best part of a treadmill workout is that you completely control it. You can select the mode of workout as normal or intense depending on your fitness level. In addition, you have control over the speed, incline, warm-up, and more.
You can also customize the workout routine to your liking so that treadmill can be an excellent choice for beginners than outdoor running.
Reduced Impact
Outdoor running comes at a price for your legs. The uneven surface where you run can give your foot a beating. The hard surface combined with dirt, potholes, gravel, and bumps can affect ankles, knees, and lower back. At the same time, the treadmill provides a smooth and even surface to run on without giving you sore feet. In addition, some modern treadmills have shock absorbers that further reduce the impact on your joints.
Weight Loss
Treadmills are a great way to reduce body weight quickly and in a short period of time. Running on a treadmill can burn many calories and even more with high intensity workouts. Therefore, it is actually more helpful in weight loss than other exercises. To know more about how to use the treadmill effectively for weight loss, keep on reading.
Muscle Building
Running requires a lot of muscles and is suitable for building your stamina, but there is more to it than that. For example, the muscles inside your legs are further buildup with running. You can even build up your arm muscles as they are swung around when running faster. So indeed treadmill is helpful in muscle buildup.
Joint Flexibility
Joint flexibility is vital for walking, running, and other daily tasks. Treadmill workout on a routine basis can combat conditions such as arthritis and degenerative bone disease, limiting flexibility and movements.
Safe and Convenient
Running on the treadmill is safer than outdoor running. There is no risk of running into any accidents and unfavorable conditions. Not only that, it gives you all the privacy you need, especially for introverts. Treadmills are very convenient because you don’t have to go anywhere far to carry on your running routine. If you happen to own a treadmill, then it’s icing on the cake, and you can hop onto it whenever you like.
Incline Running Made Easy
The best part about running on a treadmill is that its incline can be adjusted. By adjusting the incline height, you can mimic running uphill. This is an advantage for those who live in flat areas and want to train for running uphill.
Workout in any Weather Conditions
Outdoor running in winter, rain and other unpleasant weather conditions is nearly impossible. A treadmill is a solution to that, and you can carry on your workout plan. No matter how unpleasant and harsh weather conditions are, you can stay fit and healthy just with your treadmill.
How to Use a Treadmill
Before getting on to the treadmill running tips for beginners, it’s better to know how to use it. To begin your treadmill workout, you need to wear a pair of best running shoes for beginner runners and comfortable clothes. Also, grab a water bottle a towel, and listen to some music to keep you motivated if you like it.
Treadmills have a variety of features, but the speed and incline features are common to all. The treadmill speed for beginners should be 4 to 5 miles per hour, mimicking a light jog.
At the same time, you can adjust the incline angle to simulate running on flat ground or going uphill.
After getting familiar with features and settings, it’s time to start running. It would be best to run on the treadmill the same way as outdoor running.
You should keep your back straight and keep your hands off the sidebars so your arms move in a normal running rhythm. You should notice any tension and stress points in your body while running and don’t overdo it, which would drain the energy from you.
Treadmill Running Tips For Beginners
As a beginner, you should take the treadmill workout slow and steady. You should set the workout routine to 2-3 days per week before getting into proper running form. Let’s take a look at some of the helpful running tips and treadmill workouts for beginners to lose weight.
Start With a Warmup
For beginners, it’s best to remember that a simple warmup exercise is absolutely important before hitting the treadmill. A warmup raises your heart rate, delivers oxygen to your muscles, and raises your core body temperature. In addition, you can do simple aerobics or do running stretches for beginners to prepare your body for a treadmill run.
Get To Know Your Treadmill
Getting familiar with the functionalities and different settings on a treadmill that you plan to workout on is a must. This will maximize your workout and will require less time to adjust your personal workout settings like speed, incline, and more. If you are at the gym, then ask your trainer to give you a walkthrough of the treadmill functions.
Most treadmills have a heart rate monitor, a calorie burn calculator, a speedometer, and preset workout intervals. You can also use some of the best free running apps for beginners to customize your treadmill workout according to your plan.
Do Not Hold The Handrails
Handrails on a treadmill are just there for you to get on and off safely. Unfortunately, some beginners make the mistake of holding the handrails of a treadmill when running which is absolutely unnecessary and cause some severe problems.
By holding the treadmill handrails, your running posture is disturbed. Instead of maintaining a straight posture, you tend to hunch over, which causes neck, shoulder, and back pain. You might think that holding the handrails will make you run faster and train harder, but instead, you are taking the load off and making it easier for yourself. If you are afraid of falling over or off balance, reduce your speed and decrease the incline.
Set The Incline
For beginners, it is fine to set the incline on a treadmill to zero until the proper running form is achieved. Then, as there is no wind resistance indoors, the angle can be set to 1 or 2 degrees to simulate a gentle uphill run.
But it doesn’t mean you should keep the incline at zero all the time. When the treadmill incline is set to zero, it stimulates running slightly downhill, and that means you aren’t training hard enough. Instead, you should gradually increase your speed and incline to build up your stamina, increase your muscle strength, and lose weight.
Avoid a Steep Incline
A treadmill run on a zero incline is not ideal but in the same way, running on a steep incline for longer is not advisable either. Some runners might believe they are training harder by setting the steeper angle, which could lead to injuries. Your back, hips, and ankles are strained and injured by doing this. Instead, take the approach of steeper incline intervals of 5 minutes. This way, your running will be much safer, and building your stamina will become easier.
Avoid Leaning Forward
A treadmill workout requires maintaining a proper posture. You should avoid leaning forward and keep your back straight. As the belt moves in the opposite direction of your running, it constantly pulls your feet backwards. Leaning forwards not only neck and back pain, but you might lose your balance altogether.
Running With Proper Stride
Treadmill run requires running the same way as outdoor running. You should avoid short strides and run as naturally as possible. If you feel your running stride is off-balance, then slow down and try to achieve your average running pace in intervals. Similarly, overstriding or landing your heel first with your foot far ahead of your body is also not helpful. The treadmill is moving you in a forward direction; overstriding transfers the impact through your leg. So it would help if you keep your feet under your body while running.
Avoid Stepping On, and Off While Treadmill is Running
The major cause of treadmill related injuries is that people step on or off while the belt is moving. If you need to step off, make sure to slow down the speed and reduce the incline. Once your pace slows down, carefully step off. It would be best to do the same when getting on the treadmill and gradually increase your pace, or otherwise, you’ll be thrown backwards by the running treadmill. Also, make sure to have everything close by, such as a water bottle, towel, headphones and your smartphone.
Low-Intensity Steady State(LISS)
A low-intensity steady-state or “LISS” is a form of cardio exercise done at a low intensity for a longer period of time. So the 30-minute beginner treadmill workout is the best way to start their fitness journey. To achieve a fitness level steadily, the goal is to do a 30 minute to an hour treadmill workout with roughly 60 per cent of your heart rate effort. To achieve your LISS heart rate, you should adjust the treadmill speed at 3-4 miles per hour and run for 30 minutes to an hour.
The Interval Training
The classic high-intensity interval training or HIIT is a treadmill workout that involves intense exercise and rest. This form of exercise is ideal for treadmill workouts for beginners because many calories are burnt in a short period. After interval training, your body comes to its resting state by metabolizing fats for energy.
The interval training format includes short periods of excretion to kick your heart rate and rest periods to recover the body to its resting state. The beginners treadmill workout intervals should be between running and walking. Following is a list of steps to achieve interval training.
- Warm-up with a 5-10 minutes walk at 3mph.
- Now start jogging at 4mph for 3 minutes.
- Then slow down to walking speed at 3mph for 2 minutes and take deep breaths to complete the first interval.
- Now increase your running speed to 5mph for 4 minutes; if it is exhausting, slow down your pace.
- Complete your second interval slowdown to 3mph for three minutes to recover your breath.
- In the last interval, speed up to 6mph and continue for 3 minutes to burn the remaining energy. You can adjust the speed according to your pace.
- Now slowly return to a slow walking pace to recover your breathing and heart rate to cool down your body and end your interval training workout.
Cool Down
After you complete your treadmill, run slow down to a walk and try to decrease your heart rate. Then dismount from the treadmill and do some post-run stretches, which are essential to relax your muscles. In addition, it will help if you stay adequately hydrated throughout the exercise and afterwards.
Conclusion
Running on a treadmill has many benefits because it is safe and convenient. However, it is equally important to know about treadmill running tips for beginners to achieve a proper running form as a new runner. Once you develop your stamina and make a workout routine, you can increase your pace and become a pro-level runner sooner than you expect. So keep running and stay healthy.
