Keep on running

Well after months and months of niggling injuries to my hips, knees and ankle I rejoined the gym. The main reason being that the treadmill is much more forgiving on your joints as they are designed to absorb shock.

Here is some good advice I read yesterday about training on treadmills. Some of the recommendations seem obvious to me - for instance warming your muscles up properly by walking or gentle jogging before turning up the speed.

But this was interesting :-"Treadmill runners tend not to vary their stride length or, indeed, the way their foot lands, as much as outdoor runners. Some studies suggest that treadmill users also run with less of a forward lean and tend to move in a “jumping up and down” motion. This uses up energy to the detriment of forward momentum. Putting your machine on a two per cent incline will help you counteract this problem, and will produce a motion that is similar to outdoor running."

I can confirm that this really works and makes for a more challenging workout!