From
Manitoba to Maui and Seattle to St. Pete, more and more runners
are training on treadmills. And why not? There's simply no other
way to guarantee you get the workout you want in the conditions
you want at the time you want. Convenience-it's a major factor
in all our time-pressed lives. So major that surveys indicate
close to 40 million Americans run on treadmills. And according
to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, treadmills
have become the biggest-selling item in the home-fitness category-ahead
of bicycles, rowing machines, stairclimbers and cross-country
ski machines.
Recently
we asked ourselves and a group of Runner's World readers why
treadmill training has grown so popular. We got dozens of different
responses, but the following 12 were mentioned most often by
runners who have made the treadmill a regular and important
part of their running programs.
1. Comfort and safety. No extreme heat or cold. No rain, wind, snow or ice.
No darkness. No traffic. No mean dogs, wild animals or weirdos.
If you say treadmill training removes the spirit of adventure
that outdoor running provides, well, yes, it can. However, in
the name of safety and comfort, it often pays to heed the call
of the great indoors. Even in Canada's remote Yukon Territory,
where people have to be as hardy as the native northern vegetation
to survive, Cheryl Klippert runs on a treadmill. "I'm afraid
to venture too far on the roads because of bears, but I can
still enjoy the view by setting up my treadmill outdoors,"
says Klippert. Suburbia presents other safety issues. "When
snow piles up on the sides of streets after a snowfall, I don't
think it's fair for drivers to have to share the road with a
runner," says Greg Dunston of Rockville, Md. "I run
inside on my treadmill." Fact: With safety being an especially
big concern for women, it's not surprising that a survey conducted
by research firm American Sports Data found that more than 70
percent of new home-treadmill buyers in the United States are
female.
2. The best place to work on improved running form. Combine the steady roll of the treadmill
belt with the controlled indoor environment, and you've got
the perfect setting to work on your running form. By observing
her treadmill reflection in a mirror, Andrea Gardenhire of La
Mesa, Calif., has corrected flaws in her foot placement, arm
swing and breathing patterns. "The small adjustments I
make on the treadmill help me later on the road," she says.
Tip: If you've got access to a VCR, pop in a videotape from
the Boston Marathon or New York City Marathon, and emulate the
fluid running styles of the fast runners.
3. Guilt-free TV time. Okay, so you can't match the Kenyans. You can still
use the TV to improve your running. Pick whatever show you just
can't bear to miss-from a sports event to Oprah to Ally McBeal-and
let it transport you through a mindless training run. Remember:
Every workout is a good workout, even if it doesn't move you
any closer to the Olympics. Best of all, if you log 30 or 60
minutes of treadmill time, you don't have to feel guilty about
turning on the tube.
4. A smooth transition to running. Exercising on a treadmill may be the
easiest, most natural way to make the transition from walking
to running. Why? Because as you walk faster and faster (and
see the calorie-burning number increase on your display console),
you begin to realize that you'll burn even more calories if
you go faster. "I'd been a walker for years, and never
intended to become a runner," says Kathy Boyce. Then the
Elizabeth City, N.C., woman bought a treadmill and was up to
4 miles of running after three months on the treadmill. "Now
I can hardly break a sweat when I walk. It's not the same as
running."
5. A range
of customized workouts. Advanced treadmills come with built-in
training programs that, with the push of a few buttons, operate
on automatic pilot during a workout. Many "mills"
also come with additional computer capacity to allow you to
set up several customized workouts. "I think of my treadmill
not as a machine, but as a personal coach," says Paul Stofko
of Schereville, Ind. "By programming it, I force myself
to run a certain speed, time and distance, even when I don't
feel up to it." Tip: Have your treadmill dealer instruct
you and then thoroughly read your owner's manual before you
plunge into the fascinating but technical world of custom workouts.
6. Excellent heart-rate monitoring. Built-in heart-rate functions are
standard equipment on many high-quality home treadmills, and
they can make your training more scientific and more effective.
Particularly useful: a function by which the treadmill speeds
up or slows down in response to your heart rate. "With
the help of my pulse meter, I'm able to regulate my workouts
precisely," notes Eric Tobias of Warminster, Pa.
7. Top-notch injury prevention. Good treadmills provide a firm but
forgiving ride. That is, they're easier on the legs than concrete
and asphalt. Indeed, some makers of low-impact treadmills claim
a shock reduction of 40 percent compared to running on roads.
The treadmill belts themselves are more "giving" than
road surfaces, and the treadmill's underpinnings work effectively
to disperse shock waves, known as "ground reaction forces,"
that occur when your foot strikes a surface. "A low-impact
treadmill can actually absorb some of the ground reaction forces
that would otherwise be directed back into the body," says
Seattle-based exercise physiologist Marnie Snyder. More
>>
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