As the mornings get darker and the nights draw in, many of us might be taking at least some of our run sessions indoors. But what are the benefits of running on the treadmill, and is there a case to be made for hitting the treadmill belt instead of the tarmac/trails all year round – not just during the winter?
We take a look at the key benefits of indoor running, and how running on the treadmill could help to make you a stronger, faster and more skilful runner.
Safety and consistency – the benefits of treadmill running during the winter months
One of the major benefits of running on the treadmill is the ability to stay consistent with your training, regardless of what the weather is doing outside. If you live somewhere with limited pavements/sidewalks and not a lot of street lighting, heading out after dark or before sunrise can feel pretty unsafe. So if sticking to daylight hours for your run sessions isn’t an option, having access to a treadmill gives you the freedom to run at a time that suits you without having to worry about your safety.
Incorporating treadmill running into your routine can also make it easier for you to stay consistent in your training. Depending on where you live, it’s feasible that sometimes the weather can be so bad that running outdoors simply isn’t sensible. And let’s face it, sometimes even if the weather isn’t that bad outside, finding motivation to go and battle the elements can be tricky. Having access to a treadmill gives you one less excuse to skip that run session.
How running on the treadmill could make you a better runner – year-round benefits of indoor running beyond hiding from the winter weather
So, other than spending a bit less time drying out your running shoes on the radiator and not having to replace your head torch batteries quite so often. Why else should you consider running on the treadmill?
Work on your weaknesses and fine tune technique
While many hate the fact that running on the treadmill means you don’t have any of the distractions of running outdoors. That distraction-free running can actually be a bit of a super power if you put it to good use. Treadmill running, especially if you set up a mirror in front of your treadmill, gives you the opportunity to really fine tune your running technique and work on specific skills that will make you a faster, stronger and more efficient runner.
Use your treadmill runs to take note of your running form – are you keeping your shoulders relaxed and your core engaged? Are you driving forward with the knee and getting good propulsion with every foot strike? While everyone’s biomechanics are different, meaning the best run form for you will be just that – personal to you. We can all fall into bad habits that at best waste energy, and at worst put us at risk of injury.
Running on the treadmill is also a great way to work on things like increasing your cadence to improve your stride efficiency. Doing specific pace work, and even hill work using the incline function. Smart treadmills like the Wahoo KICKR RUN can even give you useful data like your vertical oscillation, ground contact time and cadence so you know exactly what you need to work on and you can see how any changes you make impact your run form.
Compared to running outdoors, where you’ll focus mainly on where you’re going and taking in the scenery. Running on the treadmill gives you the opportunity to really focus on all the finer details of your running form and technique that will help you to make improvements.
Boost your fitness by working at specific intensities
Treadmill running gives you far greater control over your pace and environment. So it’s an ideal way to do your interval run workouts and tempo sessions, with confidence that you’re working at the right intensity. Where changes in gradients, head winds and having to dodge traffic/other people out in the real world might see you going too hard or too easy. On the treadmill, you can set a specific pace – and stick to it. This will help you to get the maximum training effect out of the session, because you can make sure you’re running at the right intensity to stimulate the appropriate energy systems. More control equals less risk of going too hard/too easy and ‘wasting’ those miles.
It’s also worth noting that your treadmill runs don’t just have to be for the high intensity and tempo work. Treadmill running is also a useful tool if you’re someone who struggles to actually go easy on your easy/Zone 2 runs. Set the treadmill at your Zone 2 pace – and keep it there. Using a smart treadmill that connects with platforms such as Zwift, like the new Wahoo Kickr Run Treadmill, can be a great way to give yourself something other than the pace number to look at so you’re not tempted to speed up.
Treadmill running can be a useful tool for heat training
Whether it’s late season races like the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona and Noosa Tri. Or early season events like the Singapore T100. If you’ve got a hot weather race booked that takes place when it’s unlikely to be warm at home while you’re training. Doing some of your run sessions on the treadmill is a good way to get some of that vital heat preparation training ticked off. If you’ve got a treadmill at home, you can create warm conditions to run in. And even if you’re running on the treadmill at your local gym, doing things like not switching on the built-in fan and wearing extra layers will make it easier to trigger the body’s heat adaptations compared to running outdoors when it’s cold out.
Test out new kit and nutrition risk-free
Let’s face it. If you get a new pair of running shorts or decide to test out a new brand of energy gel. There’s always a risk your run might take a disastrous turn if the shorts chafe in places they really shouldn’t (if you know, you know) or your digestive system decides it’s not a fan of the energy gel you just sucked down.
Using the treadmill can be a great way to test out new kit, running shoes or nutrition products with less risk. If the kit doesn’t fit, or the shoes don’t feel right. You can just quickly swap them for your old faithfuls and hop back on. And if the nutrition you’re testing out threatens to bring about some untimely gastric fireworks – at least you’re not miles away from home.
A strong benefit of treadmill running is that if something doesn’t feel right – kit, nutrition or even a bit of niggly muscle pain that gets worse the second you hit your stride. You can just stop right away before you suffer any longer term consequences.
Treadmill running can be fun… with the right technology
We get it, your typical indoor running machines have earned themselves the ‘dreadmill’ nickname for a reason. And if you’re just getting on the treadmill, running without structure and staring at a brick wall/your own reflection the entire time. That’s going to be pretty boring. But these days, there’s technology out there which makes treadmill running not just bearable – but actually really fun.
Newer treadmills on the market are now compatible with indoor training apps such as Zwift, making it easier to follow structured workouts and engage with immersive graphics. And the new treadmill from Wahoo, the Wahoo KICKR RUN smart treadmill, has essentially done for running what they did for indoor cycling. Introduced technology which gives a dynamic experience akin to running outdoors. The new Wahoo treadmill can use incline and lateral tilt to emulate the changing gradients and surfaces you’d find outdoors. You can load your workouts into the Wahoo app so it automatically adjusts the speed and gradient. Or you can enjoy the RunFree mode which adjusts the belt speed to match your pace, without needing any interaction. That makes doing Fartlek training or other interval work easier than ever.
FAQs
Some people find running on a treadmill easier, because they can eliminate hills and tough weather conditions. However others find it harder, because the set pace offers no let-up compared to the ups and downs of running outdoors. In reality, running on the treadmill can be as hard or as easy as you want to make it!
Running on a treadmill can make you faster because it’s easier to train consistently during bad weather, you can get really specific with your training sessions such as intervals and speed work, and you can use your time on the treadmill to work on your form and cadence. All of which can help you to become a faster runner.
Running outside will help you to get used to running in a range of conditions, managing different terrain and has the added benefits of being out in nature and topping up your vitamin d levels. But running on the treadmill can be more beneficial when it comes to completing run workouts where you want to be specific and controlled with your pace. Ultimately, a combination of outdoor and indoor running as part of your training schedule will help you to make improvements in your running.
The Strava mobile app can’t record treadmill runs. However you can use the Strava Apple watch app, or a smart watch from sports wearable companies such as Wahoo to record your treadmill runs and upload them to Strava. Another option is to fit an after market pace sensor to your treadmill that can connect with apps like Zwift to record and upload your indoor runs. Or you could get a smart treadmill like the Wahoo KICKR RUN which connects directly with a range of training apps to record your pace, distance and other metrics such as cadence
