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To make sure that you are getting the best possible workout on the treadmill, Dr Ross Tucker, Professor of Exercise Physiology and scientific consultant to Virgin Active Health Clubs, gives us advice on the benefits of treadmill training and tips to keep treading carefully.
Treadmills are just items of equipment
They are cold, inanimate objects that we use for our purposes! No different to cars in that regard. Or DIY equipment. And so just like any piece of equipment, provided the user applies himself properly, which means being competent and careful, the risk is trivially small. It’s only when attitudes are relaxed that things get risky.
Treadmills are just a means to an end
That “end” is cardiovascular fitness, which you can sub-divide into general health, fitness and performance. For health, we’re talking about the absolute mountain of evidence that shows that inactivity is dangerous. Far more dangerous than a treadmill. Let’s say there’s a one in 10,000 chance of getting injured on the treadmill. The health risk of being inactive is probably 1000-fold higher.
It’s just that we don’t see it as spectacularly – we’re talking here about diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity. So if all this evidence is saying that even 30-min a day of walking reduces these risks, then anything that enables it is beneficial. Treadmills do, because especially in South Africa (and particularly, dare I say, for women), where safety is a concern, they are exercise-enablers. Same goes for winter, or training in the dark.
For fitness and performance, the upside of treadmills is control
You control with absolute precision the distance, the pace and thus the training load. It’s not as easy outdoors. Part of this control means safety, because the surface is so predictable, and softer than running on concrete. That said, the highly repetitive nature of treadmills means that any small problem can be exaggerated excessively. For that reason, variety is important, but certainly treadmills can help manage the load.
Getting the maximum out of your workout
My advice for treadmill use is to plan interval type training on them. Some people enjoy the luxury of “switching off”, setting the treadmill to a certain speed and gradient and then just running. No thought, no stress. And that’s fine. But I’ve found, and certainly it fits the theory, that you can structure a workout really nicely on a treadmill, for amplified benefits.
For instance, you might warm up, and then nudge the gradient or speed up for two minutes, then bring it down for two minutes, and repeat that for twenty minutes. These two minute efforts can be at your 5km race pace or at a gradient of 5 to 7%, which will be very tough. This is a great higher-intensity session.
Obviously, you have to be a little careful here about the speed – this is an example of how common sense and competence come in, because running at faster speeds means more risk, and if you’re not comfortable or co-ordinated at those speeds, then you’re inviting risk. But if you manage it well, this is a great training session and it provides variety and quality
Tips for using treadmills
• Treadmills might have developed into high-tech high powered machines but it is the digital distractions such as cellphones and i-pods which makes it dangerous. So concentrate and don’t text, phone or change music while you’re moving Remember it’s equipment ‘in motion’ and getting distracted is likely to change your rhythm and balance.
• For beginners, use the arms to balance lightly until you get the hang of your pace and pattern of running and then you can start to swing your arms rhythmically to help with balance.
• When doing interval or high intensity training, it is important to get your balance right. Lightly hold onto the arms when you step between speeds Remember to be hydrated and to eat before exercising! A low blood sugar can lead to light-headedness.
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