Expert advice on treadmill running in the winter!
Inclement weather coming up? Word of caution before you hit the treadmill.
As winter approaches with unpredictable days of snow and ice, most of us head to the treadmill as a last resort to get some safe miles in. And I know a majority of us steer away from the "dreadmill" as much as possible because of the mundane running in place where the minutes feel like an eternity. But at the end of the day treadmill miles are better than no miles if being outside is not an option. But things to consider before hopping on the treadmill....you have to have strong calves with hearty Achilles tendons to withstand treadmill running.
As runners we should all have impeccable calf strength to sustain and endure the repetitive forces of everyday running. To put things in perspective, multiply your body weight by 6.5 to 8 times. This is the how much force your calf complex has to push with each step you take when running. And in order to run one mile, that is approximately 1,500 steps. That is 750 steps per foot. So that's 750 times your calf complex has to push for every one mile. You guys do the math. The calf has to work hella hard, especially as our mileage increases. But it is has to work even harder when you're on a treadmill.
Dr. Rich Willy, an internationally respected physical therapist and researcher with the Univ of Montana, published an article with the Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine in 2016. They did a study that looked at forces at the knee (patellofemoral joint) and Achilles tendon with running both on the treadmill vs. overground. They found that "no differences were observed in loading characteristics to the patellofemoral joint between running mediums; however, treadmill running resulted in greater Achilles tendon loading compared with overground running." And "treadmill running resulted in 12.5% greater peak Achilles tendon force (p<.001), 15.6% greater loading rate of Achilles tendon force (p<.001), and 14.2% greater estimated cumulative Achilles tendon force per 1 km of continuous running (p<.001) compared with overground running." In other words, the calf has to work harder because of the joint angle from the treadmill belt pulling your ankle back at terminal stance.
Most of us runners unfortunately have some calf weakness. To test your calf strength, can you do 25 consecutive calf raises to equal height while standing on a ledge or a step? And if so, can you do 25 consecutive calf raises to a metronome set to 30 beats per minute? Fantastic if you can! But for most of us it is very fatiguing and cannot achieve equal, maximum height with each calf raise. And weak calves mean can mean decreased integrity of the Achilles tendon which compromises its durability we need in order to run a ton of miles and/or a lot of hills.
As a physical therapist I see a lot of Achilles tendon injuries during the winter months for runners that primarily run overground, but switch to the treadmill and do a hard speed workout or a long run on the rare occasion. This doesn't mean the treadmill is bad. It just means that we need to better prepare our calves/Achilles to withstand these forces and decrease future injury risk. How do we do this? Calf raises. And lots of them. Try doing one-legged calf raises 15 reps, 3 sets, and do them 2-3 times per week. It doesn't take long. It is easy. You should get a nice muscle burn in the calves. And if this becomes easy, then transition to doing this off a ledge or step. If that gets easy, then add some weight by holding a dumbbell. DISCLAIMER: if you have a history of calf or Achilles tendon injuries, or are currently injured, I recommend you follow up with a physician, nurse practitioner, chiropractor and/or physical therapist before commencing on these exercises.
*Thank you to Vanda Wilder for writing this article. Vanda is a physical therapist with SSM Health. She does amazing work for many of our athletes and will be able to assist you too! Please feel free to reach out directly to her at work by emailing vwilder@ssm-select.com or calling 314.994.1367*
