The treadmill is a common piece of cardio equipment that is found in most gyms. Treadmill training can supplement your regular training for an outdoor event. If you are simply seeking to add variety to your cardio routine, the treadmill is an effective tool to use to meet your fitness goals.
Consider goals
Determine what you are training for. For weight loss, the treadmill is a great choice. If you are training for military or police academies, you should avoid the treadmill. Running on the soft treadmill surface will increase your chance of injury after you begin running on hard ground at training camps. The same goes for long races like marathons. If you train exclusively on the treadmill until the day of the race, you are at a much higher risk of injuring yourself.
Warm Up
People often skip the warm up on the treadmill. This is a recipe for injury on the treadmill as much as it is outside. Make sure to start slowly and get a thorough warm up before increasing the intensity. Remember to cool down at the end of the workout to bring your heart rate gradually back to normal.
Vary your speeds
In a road race, you frequently vary your pace and change the demands on your body; on the treadmill you should do the same. Start with a warm up, and then vary your speed from a high paced jog to a sprint and an easier jog for the workout phase, finally, end with a cool-down period. Some machines have settings that do this for you or you can plan out your workout before you start. This method will go a long way toward combating boredom and increasing the challenge.
Use the incline
The incline feature allows you to simulate a hill that is as steep and as long as you desire. Setting the treadmill on a slight incline for the duration of your run can add intensity to your regular jog and simulate wind resistance. Using the incline for hill training is an effective way to build leg strength and also increase oxygen carrying capacity. Try hill repeats, intervals of jogging on incline with recovery periods of jogging on a flat surface.
Use as a supplement
Treadmill training is biomechanically different from outdoor running. The running surface is lower impact and bounces slightly, giving an advantage. Since you are not propelling yourself forward but instead moving to stay in place, the gait pattern is different. That means that if you are training for events where you will be running outside, treadmill training lacks the specificity you need. Instead, save the treadmill for when outdoor conditions are unpleasant enough that you would otherwise skip your workout.
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