21 Reasons the Treadmill Doesn’t Suck

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By Maria Hart

Treadmill Feature

Runners, why the treadmill hate? In a recent issue of Runner’s World, editors confessed they had to bribe people with swag like GPS watches to test top-of-the-line treadmills for an annual review. Polling their audience for treadmill nicknames got it no love, either. Readers dubbed it “better than nothing,” “that thing,” and “Satan’s conveyor belt.” Ouch!

Well, allow us to defend this underrated piece of machinery, because there are several science-backed reasons the ‘mill is the best place to run—especially when bouncing back from injury or avoiding one altogether.

For starters, the belt assists with leg turnover (a.k.a. how many strides you take per minute), making it the ultimate training ground for speed work. In fact, one study shows more leg turnover lessens the impact running has on your joints. And the base of a treadmill has more give compared to a sidewalk, meaning even less impact on your body: Outdoors, you’re literally pounding the pavement, which leads to a high injury rate (estimated at 66 percent annually).

The trusty treadmill is a safer spot to satisfy that need for speed. High-end models add even more shock-absorption, but the ultimate in low-impact running are anti-gravity treadmills. These don’t require blasting off to outer space, just a hop on the latest AlterG ‘mill. It’s the perfect training tool for injured athletes thanks to its ability to suspend your bodyweight and any impact on joints. Cutting-edge features on other models include sensors that count your stride or a heart rate cruise control that adjusts your speed and incline to keep your heart thumping at a certain number. All this is proof that treadmills continue to get tricked out with more and more awesomeness.

So that’s the scientific reason to hop on that rotating belt, but there are plenty of practical and emotional incentives too! Here are our top 21 reasons to race in place and give the treadmill some much-deserved love.

1. You can run rain or shine. Neither snow, rain, heat, nor a freaking tornado will keep you from getting your run on. Hit us with the worst, Mother Nature! We’ll still lace up our running shoes.

2. You won’t get run over by cars, bikes, or running clubs. Nothing like a swarm of runners in half-marathon T-shirts to throw you off your stride. But on the ‘mill, your only potential collision is with a soft gym towel dabbing your sweaty brow.

3. You can still race. Anyone’s monitor is fair game for a one-sided sprint to the finish. “You’re at a speed 7? Then I’m bumping it to an 8. Eat my dust, treadmill neighbor!” is not what you should say. But feel free to think it. And while you’re at it, go ahead and imagine the trophy, speech, and parade when you “win.”

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