Jogging on the treadmill doesn’t have to mean training stagnation if you keep a few things in mind.
The wet and cold, dark season is forcing many runners to the gym, after all, the successful runs planned for 2020 will start on time: jogging on the treadmill does not mean that the training will stop. You can also push your pace here.
We have a few tips on how to make running training highly efficient indoors.
If it is early or continuously dark, the running track is a single muddy slide and muscles, and ligaments do not get warm in this weather, the treadmill is the better option for the usual jogging unit.
After all, marathon runners or triathletes cannot afford a more extended training break because of winter.
(Re) beginners also benefit indoors: the treadmill protects the ligaments, tendons, and joints from the hard frozen ground outside.
So that your training doesn’t lose its appeal and you continue to improve, here are six last treadmill tips:
Treat yourself to a training booster before getting on the treadmill.
Anyone who has always wondered why a gym needs not only a shake bar but also an integrated cafeteria may consider the next visit whether they go to the changing rooms without a stopover: caffeine is a great training booster.
A cup of coffee half an hour before training minimizes the level of exertion you feel – and you have more stamina and strength. Also, you are more focused, which in turn reduces the risk of injury.
The third argument for the little caffeine: caffeine is also said to boost fat metabolism – if you omit the sugar.
However, if there is too much coffee a day, there will be a habituation effect at some point, so that the booster no longer works.
More than three cups a day are also no longer healthy.
Strength training should not be missing – and comes before running practice.
Many runners underestimate the relevance of strength training for their goals: Targeted muscle training eliminates one-sided loads, minimizes the risk of injury, strengthens and ensures more mobility and a more efficient running style, and thus more speed.
If you run in the gym in winter anyway, you can combine both: warm-up briefly, then add up to 45 minutes of strength training and then add a little running session and final stretch.
When you start strength training, the muscles are even more powerful. This makes muscle training more productive, and the risk of injury reduced.
The energy comes directly from the glycogen storage, so the carbohydrates are burned first. Anyone who still jogs afterward eliminates the fat reserves.
Higher, faster, further: Set the correct incline.
You should always set a small incline on the treadmill, i.e., 1 to 1.5 percent, because one shouldn’t forget that we also have air resistance outside and small bumps that have to be simulated indoors.
Also, running out is a bit more strenuous because you have to push yourself forward while I practically only lift my feet on the treadmill.
If you want to increase your endurance or burn more calories, you should go higher: How about a few mountain sprints on the treadmill?
Interval training or tabata also works on the treadmill.
Routine kills the training effects: So make your running sessions as varied as possible, instead of trotting for minutes on end.
Interval newbies can run five to ten intervals of 200 meters each and trot quickly after every 200-meter sprint for 30 to 60 seconds.
Advanced runners, for example, run eight times 800 meters.
Or you can try the Tabata method: sprint for 20 seconds, as quickly as possible, then trot for ten seconds.
The whole process is repeated eight times – and you can still benefit from the afterburn effect 24 hours later.
Practical: The integrated stopwatch on the treadmill console replaces a Tabata app in this case.
However, you have to increase your pace in good time during the ten-second walk break to be able to accelerate again for a full 20 seconds afterward.
Here are three apps that you can use to track your interval distances and see your pace progress:
- ” Runkeeper ” measures meters, pace, calorie consumption, and more, free of charge for iOS and Android.
- ” Sportractive “: With the free app for Android, you can configure your training goals with time, distance, energy consumption, and interval specifications.
- ” Runtastic “: With the popular running app, you can record workouts in real-time with the GPS tracker and track your progress. The basic version is free for Android and iOS.
Let yourself go
Anyone who has ever contested a fun run knows how much fellow athletes can pull or push you: That’s why you usually do better in a competitive situation than in training.
This effect also affects a running group: So look for a running partner for the gym. The pace is irrelevant because you can still trot and talk side by side: giving up before the other throttles the speed is not an option.
If the right training partner is still missing, check out the app for sports fans: ” Buddy” is available free of charge for iOS and Android.
Here you can define sports and fitness goals and receive suitable sports partners near you via GPS. You can use them to chat and make training appointments.
The app also notifies you of upcoming running events.
Let yourself be animated.
Discover the possibilities of the cloud-based digital platform in your gym.
Many cardio machines already have their apps: Users can use the free Technogym app to track individual training plans, document their training, feed them into other fitness apps, evaluate them on their smartphones or take part in life challenges.
For example, you can challenge other runners and take part in races in real-time – in a virtual Olympic competition venue or on well-known marathon routes such as New York or Rome.
The right app for Life Fitness devices works similarly: the “LFConnect” app enables Apple and Android devices to interact with compatible treadmills and strength training devices from Life Fitness.
The app logs your training history provides motivation and incentive and serves as a display during training on cardio machines.
Also, the training equipment in modern fitness studios is becoming more and more multimedia.
It may give them another chance if you are not yet registered: So you can surf the Internet while running, connect your smartphone or a stick, and watch a favorite series on the big screens.
With the GymEntry app, you don’t even have to sign a contract, but can buy single tickets for selected studios in your city.
More running tips for the second half of the year
If you like to run and can switch off wonderfully, don’t be put off by the weather.
Find the next half marathon, triathlon, or ten-kilometer run in your city, for example, via runner and register directly – this is hugely motivating to stay in training.
Anyway, sporting events are back in fashion. If the sun does come out and it should go out again, you will find out what to consider when running in winter.