Why You Should STOP Running on a Treadmill!

[doubtfuljeffery]

Imagine you and you’re friend commit a crime in the Victorian era and they make you watch your friend get beheaded, being afraid for your life then they bring you to a fucking treadmill and force you to exercise.

[brutalseed]

I ran on a treadmill all winter and reduced my mile time from around 8 minutes to around 6 minutes. I reduced my 5k from around 30 minutes to 23 and change. I still have a long way to go and I do run outside when I can, but treadmills work too and are far better than nothing at all. For 6-8 mph runs they will work just fine.

[s.c.ravencroft]

I put the treadmill at the highest incline setting and run as fast as possible just to feel something

[johnmcho]

Treadmills combined with track work can help you run even splits. That sense of timing is forced on you on a treadmill but is hard to keep track of on ground. Use 'em both!

[thomasroth]

I don't know why people belive this.
If a force pushes an object in one direction (the treadmill on the body), an equal and opposing force (muscles + joint angles) has to push in the opposite direction for the object to not be in motion.

U are definetly pushing forward if u are not moving while the treadmill is running.

Don't be sacred of a treadmill, ask Jacob Ingebrigtsen.

[IdFightMyDad]

No, it didn't make me a worse runner. It was my only option in the winter in the snow belt. It was a lot better than the alternative of not running.

[baconking]

treadmills have suspension which can help with preventing knee pain. They cushion. They arent terrible for you. Decent to burn a few hundred calories on for sure.

[crasshag]

Caretaker to elderly gentleman who was wheelchair bound for many years, who taught himself to walk again. He also has dementia, but he is still brilliant …plus he had two grandmal seizures today, the second one where he hit his head on a sharp corner and passed out. Has a knot on the back of his skull and is in a lot of pain. He just got off a 10 minutes walk on his home TREADMILL.

[TheSAD]

I only ever run on a treadmill with a slight incline. Running at 0 always hurt my shins and I realized at 1, 2, or 3 incline the pain went away. That's cool to see!

[ChristHasRisen]

I love running on a treadmill... Outside it's easier to give up, on the treadmill I can convince myself another 100, 500 yards. I love the intensity it brings to my runs and I get insane cardio. My 10k times for outside is not as good as on treadmill. Treadmill has helped me get fitter faster. It has helped me shed over 5kgs in a month. Outside I was finding it difficult to break the plateau... I incline just one click and I feel my shin splints are gone now too. Thank God.

[SNEAK]

Sports and exercise physiologist here. This is a false and pervasive myth. Many scientific studies have been done on this and have conclusively proven that biomechanical firing patterns do not change during treadmill running. Both firing patterns and force is generated identically whether on the treadmill or not. It's very simple physics and the belt moving rather that you does not make a difference.

The 1% incline is also only used to stimulate air resistance.

[benanastasoff]

It’s a necessity for some when weather does not cooperate. In many winter climates, it is not possible to go outside to run. Where I live, it is so hot outside during the summer that it is dangerous to go outside if the sun is out, so a treadmill is a must have. Plus, I’ve found the treadmill is a good way to supplement easy mileage for doubles

[Dianawales]

Glad they mentioned the incline at the end! Pretty much solves all the issues

[chusett]

Personally, I prefer running outdoors. The stimulation, fresh air, scenery all help me run better. On a treadmill, I pretty much stare into the mirror indefinitely, and it gets to be pretty lame after awhile. That said, I dont think the treadmill is ineffective or "bad". I have less knee pain and aches running on a treadmill the past few months compared to the concrete outside. My mile time came down from a 10:15 1.5 mile to a 9:27 1.5 mile. And if its hot outside like a summer day, Id much prefer to be inside in the AC.

[nightmagister]

Treadmills are great to increase consistency and stability. I started running outside during the pandemic and my speed was all over the place, after going back to the gym and training regularly on a treadmill my pace is extremelly consistent throughout a 15-20km run (10 second difference at most per km).

[sam.houseworth]

Tell me you never took a science course beyond 8th grade without telling me you never took a science course beyond 8th grade.

[RachelWrites]

Listen, I hate running on the treadmill but it definitely benefits my running when I can’t run outside. People act like treadmill running isn’t running, but it is.

[martinXY]

Put it on a high incline. Hill running is the best for burning off what's left after strength training. It's for the cardiovascular system, not running training.

[anishdommeti]

I actually improved my running by running treadmill everyday for past 2 months to get warmup my body for gym and lifting weights. At starting I used to take 11-12 mins to run a kilometer. And now I can run a kilometer in 4:30 mins. Ig that's some improvement

[codyb]

I run 10k steps everyday and I can say with confidence that treadmills are the devil. You can't accurately replicate the acceleration a deceleration of hit and I often lose balance if I'm trying to go fast on a treadmill. I just jog/run bike paths and local easy hikes