Benefits Of Treadmill Exercise

Running on a treadmill is often a weather-related consolation prize to the avid runner, though one can try to remember the benefits of treadmill exercise. Along with protection from the elements, there are physical and mental benefits to treadmill running. With a look at the benefits of treadmill exercise, you'll be ready to hop on and crank the speed to eleven.

Break up the monotony. For every runner, there is a day where you feel like you just cannot get out of the house. Maybe you're just feeling yucky that day. If you have a treadmill in your home, it may be easier to jump on than to actually force yourself outside. As one of the biggest benefits to treadmill exercise, you can stay in, watch your favorite show and maintain your running momentum.

Need to stay close by. If you're the parent of a sick child or waiting for an expected phone call, it may be difficult to wiggle a long run into your schedule. One benefit of treadmill exercise, particularly if you've got a treadmill in your home, is the ability to continue to juggle your daily activities. Jump on the treadmill while the baby is sleeping, or keep the phone close by so you can answer it, take care of business and hop back on.

Boredom or loneliness. Many runners get bored of running alone. If you can take your running to a gym, it's easy to strike up a conversation nearby. Sometimes being near others that are tracking their running progress can help you in tracking yours. Making running buddies is an unsung benefit to treadmill exercise.

Monitoring an injury. After a fall, a sprain or a bout with sore hamstrings, many runners feel out of the game until they can get back to running at full speed. With some injuries, however, a doctor will recommend gentle exercise until the runner is a full capacity. The ability to run or walk on a treadmill after an injury adds an additional benefit to being able to easily control your speed, and help you keep track of your injury. It's easier to step off a treadmill and sit down when you're in pain than it is to walk home.

Keeping track of milestones. Though many runners wear a pedometer, it can be difficult to monitor speed, distance and other major milestones without occasionally jumping on the the treadmill. Newer runners or those that run in intervals can find it hard to know just how far and fast they're moving without the computer-aided counting systems that come as a benefit to treadmill exercise.