A freestyle treadmill permits people to walk or run in the comfort of their own homes. Running on a freestyle treadmill provides a high intensity cardio workout, and benefits health. Walking on the treadmill can also burn calories to manage weight. However, freestyle treadmills have some drawbacks that may outweigh their potential benefits.
Price
It is costly to purchase a freestyle treadmill. A quality treadmill can cost $1,500 to $4,000 dollars as of July 1010, according to running expert Kevin Urban. Any necessary maintenance and repairs contribute to cost as well. Purchasing a treadmill from an online merchant incurs a shipping fee. While not a cost in dollars, you will have to spend time to assemble the treadmill once you get it home.
Inflexibility
Treadmill running can be boring compared to running outdoors. Running various routes provides variety and interest as well as a greater sense of relaxation. Running in new locales contributes to physical well-being more than running on a treadmill, as it takes you away from ringing phones and other household distractions.
Owning a treadmill also requires a spacious room because of the size of this machine. Kevin Urban explains that "even a foldaway machine will take up a lot of closet space."
Discomfort
Treadmill running provides a high-impact exercise, which can cause injuries. Using a treadmill increases probability of pain due to increased repetition according to Dr. Nicholas Sol. Dr. Sol explains that a person normally walks 90 to 120 steps per minute, a number that is increased significantly when a person uses a treadmill. Incline and interval training settings on treadmills add additional strain and the potential for injury. Treadmill running can cause conditions such as tendonitis, exacerbation of neuroma pain and hip pain.
Adaptability
Runners can develop poor habits while using freestyle treadmills. Treadmill use contributes to improper running technique when transitioning to outdoor running according to Kevin Urban. An upright, bouncy stride develops from lack of wind resistance and trying to avoid the treadmill's plastic covering with the front of the foot. Encountering uneven surfaces provide a challenge when running outside compared to treadmill running. Running over these surfaces improves the ability of the muscles to correct for terrain changes according to Rich Morris. Treadmills cannot mimic this critical function, which provides another problem. Lack of air resistance while running on a treadmill provides another issue. Air resistance provides an increased running workload between 2 to 10 percent depending on speed according to Morris.
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