The treadmill that has been workouts popularity again in recent years is running. You can practice this outdoors as on an athlete, but also in the gym on the treadmill. Whether you hate the outdoors or find it more comfortable to work out in a gym, the treadmill lets you simulate running. Of all cardio exercises, you burn the most calories when running, according to a study published in Sports and Exercise. And did you know that this device wasn’t even built for humans at first?
Running on the treadmill.
As you are used to with every workout, you should also warm up properly when running on the treadmill. Therefore, start slowly where you can give the muscles and the central nervous system the first 5 minutes to get used to the effort. Depending on your preferences, you can then increase the intensity by running faster or tilting the treadmill, or you can run a pre-developed training program. Choose a different schedule every 4 weeks, because your body can quickly get used to these programs.
If you have just started running, it is wise to do this twice a week. Do this with a minimum of 2 days rest between the training days. If you got through the first 2 weeks and you have no pain or complaints, you can increase the intensity. Every other week, start increasing the strength, in the form of tempo, by 10%. In the weeks in between, extend the length of your workout by 2 minutes.
The difference from running on the treadmill and outdoors
In addition to a varied environment, running on a treadmill in several areas is different from running in the open air. For both, it can be a load on your muscles, tendons, and knees, where the running belt is slightly milder due to the often better cushioning. But do not immediately go too fast and let your body get used to the treadmill.
Whether there is a difference between indoor or outdoor exercise was recently published in a study.
Furthermore, it is not mandatory to wear running shoes on a treadmill, but it is recommended. When you look at the cushioning of the treadmill, it is often a little less stressful than running on asphalt or other surfaces that you encounter outside. But often, this damping is not sufficient. You also want to take the step out once, and it is useful if your running shoes have been worn and walked in before.
Benefits of the treadmill
• Less stress on your knees, muscles, and tendons due to better cushioning
• No headwind or other obstacles
• Quite clear in terms of pace and program
• Often cooler because you are not bothered by the sun, and most treadmills have built-in cooling
• It does not rain the gym
• You can also exercise on a treadmill at home, in front of the TV
Interval training on the treadmill
- A common complaint about the gym treadmill is that it can be annoying. You can break this by making it an interval training. During an interval, you can train shorter and more intensively. For example, with a sprint interval:
- You do this by warming up and then walking for 5 minutes, which you alternate with 1 minute of sprinting. You do this for 15 minutes to half an hour. When your fitness improves, you can reduce the running lengths from 5 minutes to, for example, 3 minutes.
- Another variation that you can make is to vary the slope. Here too, you start with a short warm-up and walk at your own pace for 5 minutes. Then increase the incline and walk with the high incline for 5 minutes. You alternate this until you have 20 minutes or 30 minutes.
You can also combine the first and second interval workouts. So first sprint and then a ramp interval.
