RUNNING: Over-ground, Treadmill or Elliptical?
By Brianna Delaney
What to know about when and how different surfaces can aid your running journey.
Running is one of the most accessible and versatile forms of exercise available. It doesn’t matter how little time you have, where you live or whether you like to stay indoors or explore the outside, running is always an option. But choosing if your run should be on the pavement, treadmill or elliptical and knowing which one suits best, when or how to use them can be a little bit tricky and confusing. Each option has its own merit and can be used by beginners and experts alike. Here we talk about what makes each of them different to help you decide whether they are part of your run training or not.
Running itself is a great cardio workout and can provide variety into your week in a number of ways. One of the main reasons people choose to lace up is to head outside and enjoy some fresh air. Running outside provides huge benefits for mental health, increasing levels of endorphins and serotonin in your body improving mood and energy levels. However, taking it to the footpath over a machine requires a higher amount of energy usage and muscle activation to propel our bodies forward but also to account for the uncertainty of corners, uneven grounds, hills and curbs. It’s also really great for our bone health, as bones strengthen in response to load demands. The more we take up or increase our running, we are increasing the demand for a stable, strong foundation our muscles can act on. All types of run training can be done outside with some consideration to the weather conditions and surfaces, anyone can go as far as they like, as fast as they like and whenever it suits their schedule the best.
Getting into running however can be a challenge for a lot of people and treadmills can help to combat some of the pacing issues and many of the common injuries and hurdles that are faced. While running is great for our bone health, for some, the hard surfaces of tracks, trails and pavements can be too much load too quickly. Treadmills reduce the amount of ground reaction force experienced and reduce the chances of overuse injuries. They also have a lower wind resistance and the addition of a moving belt means a lower amount of energy is needed to propel our bodies. The controlled environments that treadmills provide are a great training tool for runners of all levels, controlling speed, incline and intervals. This can help learn pacing, improve speed and add tempo and threshold runs into a running program. With the added benefit of being inside, some are more likely to hold a more consistent routine when they don’t have to worry about rain or wind resistance. Be sure to get someone to run you through how to use the treadmill and all it’s functions on your first try, be safe and take it easy till you’re used to the feeling and function.
Treadmills can help us to learn pacing, improve speed and add tempo and threshold runs into a program
Ellipticals are much the same, providing a controlled environment that is especially great for recovery runs, due to the little to no impact forces applied to the body. They require even less energy than the treadmill as there is no eccentric muscle activation or push off phase of the stride. Ellipticals are great in helping with cross training and maintaining running fitness when managing and returning from injury. Specifically, ellipticals help to improve the strength of smaller stabilising muscles around the ankle and by utilising the upper body to provide resistance, better preparing a runner for the resistance experienced outside. Ellipticals can be great for those beginning their running journey, building up their cardio fitness or those looking to include a more active rest into their existing run program. Active recovery runs can help to speed the recovery phase by increasing blood flow with a low amount of physical load stress. Again much like the treadmill, ask questions and get an introduction on how to use the machine before jumping on for the first time.