When it comes to a good workout session these days, a treadmill is often touted as the number one choice. This is particularly true for those who live in the city, with a regular nine to five job. Having a treadmill at home has made fitness a lot more accessible and easy. Even for those who go to the gym, a treadmill is the go-to option for a great cardio session. And a good reason for this is that it is a lot more convenient that heading outdoors for a run. But like everything in life, a treadmill to has its own pros and cons. The idea is to understand what best way to use this power-packed equipment to suit your needs in the best way, so let’s get started.
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Running On Treadmill
Let’s first look at how running or walking on a treadmill works to your advantage.
- Treadmills Are Great For Your Joints
While running is one of the best exercises out there, it can also cause a lot of uneasiness and pain for your joints. This is because, when you run outdoors, your body comes in contact with different surfaces such as concrete, rocks, pebbles, sand, and more. All of this can cause a huge impact on your joints. To counter this, the best option is to run on a treadmill. A treadmill can lower the impact on your joints and help you enjoy a good and effective workout at ease. It is also the best choice for someone who is recovering from a injury, given how easy it is on your joints
2. You’re Not Missing Out On A High Intensity Run
Most people are under the misconception that a run outdoors helps log more miles than running on a treadmills. Often, people think that running on a treadmill is a lot more easy and ineffective as opposed to running outside. However, this is far from the truth. When you set your treadmill to an incline of one and above, you should easily be able to cover the miles with as much intensity as you would, if you were running outdoors. Also, these days, with the advancement in technology, fitness providers offer the best versions to reap maximum benefit out of your workout.
3. Workout Whenever You Want
The thing about having a treadmill at home or even heading to the gym to workout on a treadmill is that, it can be done in your own terms. You can decide to hop onto the treadmill soon after your work calls, or right before you get started for the days. Similarly, rain or shine won’t stop you when you have a good treadmill at your disposal.
While the benefits are plenty, there are a few disadvantages as well. But not to worry, because while stating the disadvantages, we’ve also mentioned how to combat these with a few hacks.
- Not All Muscles Are Targeted
While working out on a treadmill is most definitely a full body workout, it so happens that sometimes, not all your muscles are fully targeted. For example, the chances are that you take longer strides when running outdoors – this undoubtedly works on your hamstrings. With a treadmill however, chances are that you take shorter strides. But to counter this, you can always use a good strength and training workout that targets these muscles as well, so you have nothing to worry about
2. It Might Get Boring
When running outdoors, the scene can change almost everyday. You always encounter something new, and it’s never boring. However, a treadmill is technically a stationary object, so the view is most likely always the same. To help with this, you can always position your treadmill in a different place, especially if it is a home use treadmill. What you can also do, if it gets too boring, is to position it in front of your TV.
3. You Miss Out On Uneven Terrain
A treadmill sure does a great job at mimicking an outdoor run, but when it comes to terrains, you do not have a choice. When running outdoors, even if you think you are running on a flat surface, the truth is that there is a some shift in the terrain. This uneven nature of an outdoor terrain forces your muscles to work a lot more, thereby facilitating balance and better momentum.
We’ve listed the ups and downs of running on the treadmill, and by now, you should know that although it does have a few drawbacks, it is undoubtedly one of the best fitness equiment out there. Take a look at Sparnod’s range of treadmills today!