Best Treadmill Training Tips

Training with a treadmill can be a great cardiovascular activity which can greatly enhance your health! One can become VERY fit by training with this type of training. I have trained with a Precor treadmill for the past 3 years at a gym I go to several times a week. In my opinion it is the best treadmill money can buy! I have used other treadmills and they felt unsteady and “cheap” at higher speeds. The best treadmill is one that feels rock solid. The Precors definitely fit the bill on this count!

The best treadmill training tips I have to offer depend upon the outcome you desire from your training. Let me first assume you want only to be in great shape and to improve your health. If staying super fit is your only goal, than a treadmill can be one of the best training tools money can buy. Not only is it it an excellent workout, but its running surface is slightly cushioned which is great on the joints. Although I think the best treadmill is a Precor, I am sure there are other fine ones out there. Be sure to read treadmill reviews on all the leading brands. If great health is your only objective than the best treadmill advice I have is to CRANK IT UP!! Of course, just like running outside, you do need to be smart and follow a schedule. Don’t OVER DUE IT and hurt yourself.

If you are into the sport of running, and not just the health aspects of it, then you need to think differently about treadmills and their benefit to you. The best treadmill training tips for runners (those who probably run in races competitively) are to use the treadmill only to supplement their outside training. If a runner is not careful, too much running on even the best treadmill will make him or her soft! I am sorry to tell all those diehard tread-millers out there, but running on a conveyor belt is NOT THE SAME as running outside. It is not even close!

Running is simply harder outside…even compared to the best treadmill. You can prove this to yourself and here is how. Get a good bicycle and make sure it is accurate on your bike by testing it outside over a two mile distance. Then hold it on the treadmill as you run the treadmill for two miles and compare the treadmill’s mileage reading to the bike’s. Nine times out of ten the treadmill will show a longer distance. I think the manufactures must do this on purpose to give people the false feeling of how good they are running! Even the best treadmill will usually result in a higher mileage reading. And I don’t just mean by a tenth of a mile; often the number will be off close to a quarter of a mile over a two mile distance!

If you are used to running on the “mill” all the time for an hour at a time does not mean you can hop out on the road at any given time and run for an hour. It is much harder on your body out there! OH! And don’t forget about the WIND RESISTANCE outside! Yes, it makes a huge difference. Even on a still day the wind is still “blowing” 5 ore 6 MPH against the runner as he or she runs through air! Even the best treadmill does not come with a built-in wind tunnel to simulate running outside!

In summary:
• My choice for the best treadmill is a Precor
• If all you want to do is stay in great health, a treadmill WILL do the trick!
• Remember that even the best treadmill is usually off with its mileage calibration.
• Serious runners should only use a treadmill in moderation.

Good Luck and HAPPY RUNNING!