To improve your treadmill workouts, there are a few form corrections which most people need to make. These running form corrections should not be hard to implement, and they will make a huge difference in how your treadmill workouts feel.
Ensure You Have The Correct Foot Strike
Your foot placement can make or break your treadmill runs, sometimes literally. Improper foot placements, whether due to:
- Overpronation
- Oversupination
- Over-extension
Can be highly damaging to your joints. One of our treadmill testers suffered from dual sprains and stress fractures in her feet due to poor foot striking techniques while running outside. Other runners report issues with IT bands, joint tenderness, and shin splints. Correcting these striking issues is fairly straightforward.
Do ensure that your foot lands under your knee. It sounds simple, and it technically is easy. However, running is repetitive, and it can be easy to fall into bad foot striking habits if you aren’t paying attention. Some things you can do to make sure you are placing your feet correctly are:
- Workout on an incline, as it forces your brain to be more engaged in where your feet go.
- Set your speed a bit slower than normal so you can re-train your legs on how your feet should be placed.
- Replace your shoes if they have become worn. Our feet wear patterns into the cushioning of the shoes, which can make it difficult to change our regular foot striking pattern. New shoes can help break the cycle and let you start fresh.
Check How Your Core Is Performing
Less experienced runners focus primarily on their lower body performance. But the whole body needs to be in good working order to make the most of your treadmill workouts.
When addressing your core, it plays a vital role in how much airflow you receive as well as impacting your balance. In many instances when a runner stumbles while working, they will find they have subconsciously bent forward, throwing off their center of gravity. If you struggle with poor posture during your treadmill runs, then you should try our form correction advice.
Do strengthen your core for better posture while running. Now, you don’t need to do a million crunches unless you really feel like it. Instead, you should try to include these more effective core strengthening moves to your running schedule. This inclusion doesn’t need to take more than 10 minutes out of your workout plan, and it can help you remember to tense your core and straighten up.
Assess Your Arm and Hand Positions
Along with having poor posture, many runners have a tendency to crunch their arms up into 45-degree angles and allow their arms to swing beyond the center line of their chests. Not only does this restrict airflow but it also causes for more tension to develop in your arms and shoulders.
Do make sure that you allow your arms to drop for improved airflow. To help you to remember to keep your arms below a 90-degree angle, occasionally drop your arms and shake them loose. This move will help you to relieve any built-up tension and remind you of how you should be holding your arms. Also, keep your hands relaxed and open to avoid building up tension in your arms.
If you do all these things and still find you aren’t receiving the best results from your treadmill workouts, it may be time to look for a new treadmill. Check out one of our favorites, the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 or any of the other treadmills we have reviewed on this site.