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treadmill, any good?

  • 28-09-2004 12:57am
    #1
    CyberGhost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,558 ✭✭✭


    hey!

    so I decided to get a treadmill for running, I was wondering if the experience the same as real running?

    I have never ran on a treadmill!


    btw, any suggestions on, where to get a good treadmill for a cheap price?


Comments

  • #2
    dave13
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 813 ✭✭✭dave13


    Treadmills are fine for running they can just get very boring. Either get some music or park it in front of the TV.You can simulate the feeling of running outside by putting the incline up to 1 or 2%.Test the treadmill before you buy it as a lot of cheap treadmills have no cushioning in them at all and you will end up
    with sore knees and shins.


  • #3
    Genghis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,102 ✭✭✭Genghis


    What do you want to get from your training. If it is simply to do a bit of light running (up to 4/5 miles) a few times a week, and if they suit your lifestyle / situation, then they could make sense.

    Treadmill running is different to outside running - moving surfaces, no winds (either to propel/impel you, but also to keep you cooler), less stimulation, poorer air circulation / oxygen, etc, and running by predetermined speed (i.e. you set a speed and have to keep up with it, outside your speed will be deteremined by a range of factors - fatigue, attitude, endurance, conditions, etc).

    Treadmill running is great for: getting a run in when it would otherwise be too dark / cold / dangerous to do so outside. They are also excellent for speedwork sessions where the ability to set speed accurately and measure session time is vital. While often boring, you can make a treadmill run more entertaining - run during a TV show for example, not only are you fitting a run in, you are doing it instead of sitting on a couch.

    However, if you take up running you may well find yourself wanting to do races, set PBs, etc, and in this situation you would be better outdoors.

    If you are buying a treadmill make sure it is:

    A good brand name
    Motorised
    Can handle speeds up to 20 kph (some only offer 14 to 16 kph as top speeds, you could grow out of that quickly)
    Subject to guarantee

    I think you will find that you can probably pick a treadmill up for about €500, but if you wanted anything approaching the quality of a treadmill in any gym, then you get in to the thousands.

    Finally, if I was you I would do a little searching in Buy and Sell, etc. I reckon there are many treadmills sitting idle in homes across the country, all bought with best intentions, ued intesely at the start, then hardly used at all, and now available for sale!


  • #4
    Khannie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    One feature that I find great about a treadmill in the gym in work here is the ability to set a heart rate, and the treadmill will alter the speed to keep your heart rate (more or less) constant. You also need a heart rate monitor for that.

    It allows me to very scientifically see that I'm getting fitter (I cover a greater distance for the same time period and heart rate).

    I haven't yet gotten to the point where I want a treadmill for the house, but if I ever do get one, I'll be sure that it has that feature.

    Oh, to answer your original question....I find running outdoors much more demanding than on the treadmill. I have asked others, and they find the contrary (cooling and air circulation being the big factors), so it could be down to personal choice or fitness level.


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