7 Essential Treadmill Tips from a Physiotherapist

Products on this page contain affiliate links which means we may get paid a small commission on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the work we do. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. We only recommend products and services that we genuinely use and believe in.

Have you ever heard someone say: “Treadmill runs don’t count…”? What!?

I’m here to tell you, a run is a run whether it’s on the treadmill or outside.

Although I do prefer running outdoors, treadmills have their own set of advantages. For example, they can allow us to run when the weather conditions aren’t optimal or when our running environment isn’t safe.

In this article, I’ll give you some great tips for treadmill running so that you can make the most out of your next indoor workout. Let’s dive in!

1)    Safety Always Comes First

I’ve seen those “fail” videos of people flying off treadmills. They might seem funny to the viewers, but you can get seriously injured from a fall like that. I had a friend fly off a treadmill once and she ended up with bad burns on her arms and legs from friction with the belt. Ouch!

If you’re new to treadmill running or simply don’t feel confident, start by using the safety clip. That way, if you do have a fall or trip, the emergency stop will be activated.

My next tip is to always start by walking and then slowly ramp up the speed. Even though I’m used to running on treadmills, I still always walk first. This allows me to see how the belt feels under my feet. I’ve been on some treadmills in the gym where you’ll be a “buckle” or a “stop and go” motion, that could be a sign that it needs servicing and you should avoid running on it.

2)    Ensuring You Maintain Proper Running Form

Some runners will have slight changes in the way they run on the treadmill versus overground. For example, it was found a certain proportion of runners will change to a forefoot strike when on the treadmill (Willy et al., 2016).

However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it won’t happen to everyone. What’s important is that no matter what your running pattern is, you try to keep an overall good running form.

One common mistake that I see runners on treadmills making is holding onto the handrails. We want to avoid this because having the arm swing when running is essential to assist with propelling us forward.

The other tip for maintaining proper form is to look ahead as if you were running outside. I know it might be tempting to look down at your feet, but this will increase your risk of falling by bringing your center of gravity forward. By looking ahead, you’re making sure you keep a nice upright posture and avoid forward trunk leaning.

3)    Don’t forget to fuel and hydrate

This is my favorite thing about treadmills. Everything you bring is at arm’s length and you don’t have to carry anything on you.

When I run outside, I either have a running vest or a running belt and try to fit all the essentials on me.

On the treadmill, you still have those essentials, but they’re in the different holders on the treadmill. I sometimes like not having to carry anything on my body and just run free.

Even when it’s a treadmill run, we still need to fuel and hydrate, especially when we’re running anywhere above 40 minutes.

I’ve had clients tell me they felt silly taking gels on the treadmill for fear of what others might think. Would it feel silly if you were running outside? Well, it’s the same thing.

On a side note, my favorite gels will always be the Gu Energy Gels and my favorite flavor is the Tri-Berry. I have tried so many different brands during my marathon training and this is honestly the only brand that I can digest.

4)    No need to put a 1% incline

Now, let’s talk about this 1% incline business that people recommend to “mimic the outdoors”.

This advice comes from a study that dates to 1996 which is quite outdated at this point. Researchers had suggested that putting a 1% incline on the treadmill would make the energetic cost equal to overground running (Jones & Doust, 1996).

However, a more recent systematic review found that oxygen consumption was the same on a treadmill with 0% incline and overground running. There was a slight difference with speeds that were greater than 6 minutes per mile or 3 minutes 45 seconds per kilometer (Miller et al., 2019).

It’s safe to say most of us don’t run at that speed during our running training. So, unless you are training at a significantly higher speed or your goal is to mimic hills, there is no need to stress about the incline.

5)    Try to combat boredom

Why does it seem like running 5 minutes outside equates to running 1 hour on the treadmill? It’s one of life’s mysteries.

To combat boredom when running on a treadmill, headphones are a MUST. You can listen to music, a podcast, or an audiobook, for example.

Some gyms have TVs that you can connect to via Bluetooth so you can watch whatever they are playing as well.

6)    Build Your Mental Resilience

If you prefer running without headphones (props to you!) or forget to bring them one day, use this as an opportunity to build up your mental strength.

I always tell myself that my treadmill workouts are not only training my running body but that I’m also doing “reps” for my brain.

One way to do this is by practicing mindfulness and being fully present in the moment. Focus on your breath or how your body feels instead of wondering “When is this going to end?”.

If you’re interested in more mental tips to help you run longer, read this blog post on the subject: 7 Mental Tricks to Help You Run Longer.

7)    Manage Your Body Temperature

When we run outside, there is usually better ventilation which allows for better sweat evaporation (except when there’s a heat wave of course!).

Not all indoor spaces have proper ventilation with fans or air conditioning. Be prepared and make sure you bring a small portable fan and/or a towel to wipe your sweat. This will help you better regulate your body temperature so you can have a safer and more enjoyable run.

*****

There you have it, some tips for your next treadmill run!

When you come prepared for your treadmill run, you will see that it has the potential to be a lot more enjoyable.

And remember, a treadmill run still counts!

Happy running,

April

References:

Jones, A. M., & Doust, J. H. (1996). A 1% treadmill grade most accurately reflects the energetic cost of outdoor running. Journal of sports sciences, 14(4), 321–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640419608727717

Miller, J. R., Van Hooren, B., Bishop, C., Buckley, J. D., Willy, R. W., & Fuller, J. T. (2019). A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Crossover Studies Comparing Physiological, Perceptual and Performance Measures Between Treadmill and Overground Running. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 49(5), 763–782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01087-9

Willy, R. W., Halsey, L., Hayek, A., Johnson, H., & Willson, J. D. (2016). Patellofemoral Joint and Achilles Tendon Loads During Overground and Treadmill Running. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 46(8), 664–672. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2016.6494