Its cold outside and those new Nike Frees you got for Christmas
are calling you out. Treadmill training is a great way to stay in shape
when you can't hit the road. The problem with the treadmill is that most
people are not sure how to use it properly...Today alone about a quarter of my
patients presented with injuries from not using a treadmill correctly.
The majority of people I talk to who run
on treadmills say that they have 3 main issues act up more than when they run
on turf: Knee pain, foot pain, and tight hamstrings/IT band. All can be
corrected and fixed with a few simple tweaks to your training.
My first question I always ask is
"how fast are you going and at what incline?" Invariably the answer
is always too fast and too flat. When you run outside, the ground remains
stationary relative to you running on it. When you are on a treadmill the
ground is moving relative to you trying to stay in the same place. When
you are going at a zero degree incline you usually don't get good hip
extension, causing you to neglect the main hip extender, glute max, and fire
the hamstrings more. Also, when you are going at a sprinters pace you
tend to shorten your stride to limit the wasted motion so you can move faster.
The result is hamstring and hip flexor tightness. If you have a tendency
to over pronate your foot or have weak glute meds, the IT band will join the
party.
Increasing the incline on a treadmill at
least 2 degrees allows the stride to widen and gets the whole kinetic chain
involved in the exercise. That's why walking at a high incline burns
roughly 4 times the amount of calories than running at 0 does. If you
also decrease the speed a little bit in order to focus on a good stride injury
can be reduced.
The right shoes can also make a big
difference. Many running stores are equipped with gait tracking equipment
like Dartfish, and you will more than likely have a test run on a treadmill.
Picking shoes that allow you the correct amount of pronation, cushion,
and heel strike can help a ton.
Finally, and probably most importantly,
make sure that you are moving correctly from the get go. Get adjusted by
a chiropractor who understands sports injury. Make sure not only the
spine is moving well but the ankles, knees, and shoulders too. Get some
muscle work done, I like ART the best but IASTM, massage, or rolling out any
tight spots are really important before putting rubber to the belt.
Happy trails!
Jason Durnas, DC, BS, ART
