4 Most Common Treadmill Injuries and How to Prevent Them

A Treadmill is a perfect option when the weather is terrible, or you’re stuck at home with kids. Thus, a treadmill is an excellent way to exercise, especially for those who cannot readily get outside to walk or run.

However, Running on a treadmill is not the same as running on the street or road, and those who don’t understand the distinctions and make sure they’re safe might damage themselves. 

Experts have noticed that people who use the treadmill as their primary training ground have specific injury patterns. So if you use a treadmill as part of your training routine, follow these tips to maintain a healthy body and keep your mind cheerful.

4 Most Common Treadmill Injuries and Prevention Tips

Foot Injuries

The overuse of your foot muscles causes the majority of treadmill-related foot injuries. Plantar fasciitis, for example, is a frequent foot injury among treadmill users, particularly runners.

Intermetatarsal Neuroma: This is more likely in those who wear ill-fitting shoes or shoes with boxed-in toes. Many strain their calf muscles on the incline or, worse, don’t warm up adequately before using the treadmill.

Prevention 

• Although good stability running shoes might be costly, they are an essential investment for training workouts. Your feet and ankles will be supported in the correct shoes, making it much easier to run with good form.
• If you’re running on a treadmill, make sure your stride is rapid and short. Exercisers should raise their feet to reduce the impact power carried to the legs by the treadmill’s moving belt.
• Don’t run barefoot on your treadmill. The tread belt of a treadmill moves, making it hard to maintain balance without shoes. So if your feet sweat, your tread belt will quickly become slippery. And therefore don’t expect that running in your socks will help. You’re going to fall off your treadmill.
• Before going on the treadmill, please take a quick look down to make sure your laces aren’t loose and are securely fastened so they don’t come undone throughout your exercise.
• The treadmill’s inclination can also be a source of irritation. When you run up an incline, your foot has to adapt, modifying how your weight is distributed over your soles. The ligaments, bones, and other structures in the foot might be strained due to this change in weight distribution. Try to reduce the inclination to a more consistent level.

Knee injuries 

You may develop knee issues if you run on a treadmill with poor posture or abnormal gait patterns. Knee problems can result from putting too much strain on the knee. In addition, some people run in a hyperextended position. Twisted knees, sprained knees, and other injuries can result.

Prevention 

• Plancher Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine’s Dr. Kevin Plancher offers, “Important information on how to effectively avoid knee damage by focusing on a 3 percent inclination level.” Although many treadmills include inclination levels ranging from 0.5 to 12 percent, not all have all of the levels in between. 
• Don’t overextend/hyperextend your knees.
• Treadmills might lose part of their shock-absorbing qualities through time and use. Try out a few different treadmills to find one that has a smoother landing. To minimize the stress on your joints, use a well-maintained treadmill.
• Leaning forward might put additional load on your knees. Instead, lengthen your spine, elevate your chest slightly, bring your abdominal muscles in to cushion your lower back, and pull your shoulder blades down.

Hip injuries 

Most hip injuries, like those in the feet and knees, are caused by overuse. Treadmill users are more likely to get a hip labrum rupture. When the hip muscles are overworked, stiffness, pain, and tendinitis develop. In addition, overuse of hip flexor muscles might cause them to become strained.

You put yourself at risk of hip flexor strains if you run a lot, for extended periods, at a rapid speed, and don’t get enough rest.

Prevention 

• Please pay attention to your pain levels and deal with them as soon as possible. Stretch before and after exercise. During exercise, pause to stretch if required or take a complete rest.
• Before going on treadmill walks, do a warm-up and a pre-workout stretching. While walking on the treadmill, this helps avoid recurrence of a hip injury. To keep your healthy leg from falling to hip stiffness, stretch and strengthen both legs.
• On the treadmill, you push off against a backward-moving surface. As a result, you experience more hip joint extension since there is less resistance to your push-off. This might increase if you’re running faster or pushing yourself hard when you begin running on the treadmill at a slower pace and shorter stride length.

Falls 

Many people don’t realize they’re not walking on solid ground. The treadmill does not cease running just because you stop exercising. It can cause significant harm in certain circumstances.

Prevention 

• Suppose you are working out in a team. It is not a good idea to interact with your companion. Because when you turn your head to face your friend while running, it may disrupt your running and lead to injury.
• Another possibility of injury is wall-mounted TV displays, which can divert your attention away from your workout and provoke a tilting of the head, which can lead to a fall in some cases.

Additional tips 

• When one side of your body is stiffer than the other, the force of walking or running is not adequately distributed across your joints, which can lead to problems over time. Before you begin, warm up with stretches and range of motion exercises.
• Any exerciser who has an injury while walking or running while using a treadmill should consult their doctor.
• To avoid overuse injuries, vary your speed, duration, and inclination degrees frequently.
• While running, keep an eye on your posture.
• Maintaining your stability and balance while moving might make it difficult to look down at your feet, so keep your head up.

Still, The Treadmill is Best Option for Excercise at home

Heart strength, weight loss, and improved endurance are just a few of the numerous health advantages. Walking or running on a treadmill is a great way to get some exercise without putting as much stress on your body as walking or jogging. People with heart disease or hypertension can use treadmills to monitor their heart rate and blood pressure. This record guides them in determining how much exercise they can endure and when they should stop.

Regular exercise is vital in regulating insulin levels in type 2 diabetes, and a treadmill is an excellent technique to encourage patients to exercise regularly. In people who are not insulin-dependent, a combination of diet and exercise is the most effective strategy to manage diabetic symptoms.

Overall, exercising regularly is a smart strategy to maintain the body in excellent form while minimizing illness chances. Treadmills, in short, are the most delicate exercise equipment for those who are just starting their fitness journey since they are simple to use and impose less stress on the body than other sorts of training.

A treadmill is entirely safe when used correctly. It has several benefits, however some drawbacks as well, such as the risk of injury. Because many people engage in risky behaviors while using it that result in injuries.

Conclusion:

The treadmill is the best option to exercise while staying at home. It is entirely safe when used correctly. However, certain risks of injuries are associated with inappropriate use. 

In this article, I have discussed the most common treadmill injuries and how to prevent them. I hope this will help you achieve your exercise goals without hurting yourself. Cheers!