Although I started to like running from the treadmill, ever since I reached five kilometers, I have always preferred road running. After all, the treadmill is really too boring. However, the treadmill is a very good home sports equipment. Whether it is used as a backup plan when you can't run on the road, or just take a walk and move your body at night, or as a warm-up before doing strength training at home, the treadmill still has many uses.
The biggest difference between the treadmill and road running (from the perspective of human movement) is that road running can exercise the entire lower limb muscles more completely because all muscles need to be used to make the body move forward rather than upward; the treadmill is basically a upward movement because of the conveyor belt, so it is not enough for the integrity of the entire lower limb. However, we can adjust the treadmill to maximize the simulation of road running.
- Incline
The treadmill has an incline setting. A common mistake is either no incline or a large incline (have you ever seen a friend who almost sets the treadmill to a 30-degree or 45-degree slope and then strides up while holding the handle? Maybe you are one of them). No incline is better than a large incline. You think you can consume more calories, but it's not the case, because holding the handle by hand will reduce calorie consumption by 20%.
To simulate road running, generally set the treadmill to a 1-3 degree tilt, so that more muscle strength of the back of the thighs and buttocks can be used. This slope is relatively similar to the state of muscle force during road running.
- Speed
Generally, ordinary practitioners set the treadmill to a uniform speed. The unreasonable thing here is that in actual road running, generally the first two kilometers are in the warm-up stage and the speed is relatively slow, and then gradually speeds up. Therefore, don't be lazy on the treadmill either. If an uncle runs on the treadmill, the general habit is to set a relatively slow speed first (but the frequency of the feet should not be slow, and develop the rhythm that can maintain 180 steps/minute no matter what speed), and every time you run one kilometer, increase the speed a little bit. This can be explored to find the suitable speed and adjustment interval for yourself; for example, generally set it at 8.5 for the first two kilometers, at 9 for the second two kilometers, and at 9.5 for the third two kilometers. Then depending on your own condition, if it's a little better, keep it or be slightly higher. If the condition is not good enough, keep it between 9 and 9.5. If you want to practice full-speed running, it will rise to 10 again. In general, the uncle's training goal is to run 9-10 kilometers within an hour, which is the average speed, but it is not a uniform speed run within an hour.
So, you can set the magnitude of the speed increase and the distance and time interval according to your own training goal/rhythm. Of course, you can also simulate tempo running and variable speed running, but try not to do sprint exercises. It is still a little dangerous to do sprint exercises on the treadmill, and if the feet can't keep up with the speed, it is easy to fall off.
- Running form
The conveyor belt of the treadmill is relatively softer than that of the road, which is a good thing, but it doesn't mean you can run with a big stride. Moreover, the running form on the treadmill should, in theory, be the same as that of road running. The bigger the stride, the greater the chance that your landing foot is in front of the hip, which will increase your ground contact time, which is not only inefficient and wastes energy, but also increases the impact on the knees. Therefore, even when running on the treadmill, you should try to maintain a small-step and high-frequency rhythm as much as possible, that is, the rhythm of your own road running.
Each landing foot should be kept directly below the hip. Many people are not used to being able to maintain a small-step and high-frequency running method at a slow speed, which requires practice to maintain the frequency by modifying your stride.
- Position
Being too close to the handrail and being too far from the handrail are both very dangerous. Being too close is easy to hit the hand or step on the starting edge of the conveyor belt, and being too far is easy to fall off and fall. So, running in the middle of the conveyor belt, about half to two-thirds of the arm's distance from the handrail is relatively safe.
It is also relatively easy to adjust the speed by raising your hand at this distance.
- Sight
There are two kinds of sight that are prone to occur on the treadmill. One is to look down at the instrument panel, and the other is to look up at the TV; looking down at the instrument panel is wrong and can easily lead to a hunchback and a sunken chest, which is a wrong posture; if the TV is installed too high, it is easy to look up too high, which is also a wrong posture. If it is a gym that understands sports, generally the decoration will install the TV at the angle where people on the treadmill can look straight ahead.
And many people like to put their mobile phones or tablets on the treadmill and watch while running. This is not a good habit, because at this time you are basically running with your head down, which is the same angle as looking at the instrument panel of the treadmill, so you will unconsciously lower your head and hunch your chest, and your shoulders will not push backward hard, and your back is easy to get tired, and at the same time your neck will also feel uncomfortable.
The sight should be kept horizontal, that is, the angle with the head facing straight forward. This is both safe and will not increase the burden on the back.
- Looking at the phone
Looking at the phone during exercise is a very, very bad thing. First, it is not focused and therefore cannot achieve the exercise effect and training goal. Second, it is not focused on your own rhythm and running form. In the long run, it will cause damage to the body. Third, breaking the phone is a small matter, and breaking yourself is a big deal.
So, not just on the treadmill, if possible, you'd better lock your phone in the locker during exercise, which can make you more focused on your exercise and your body posture.
- Warm-up and stretching
Running on the treadmill is actually the same as running on the road. You need to warm up before running and stretch after running. Especially after running is over, you should continue to walk slowly on the treadmill for five minutes to let your heart rate drop, and then start stretching.
Stretching immediately after running will cause a problem. That is, when running, the blood is concentrated in the legs and body. Stopping and stretching immediately, especially the bent-over posture, may aggravate the cerebral ischemia. From moving to still, you should give yourself five minutes of buffer, that is, walking. Even when running on the road, you should walk for five minutes after running is over before starting to stretch.
Well, for the above seven points, if you can all avoid and prevent them, the treadmill is also a good choice, just a little more monotonous than road running. Now, you can say that you know how to use the treadmill!
