No one is arguing that treadmill running and outdoor running are the same. From the surface type to the surrounding environment to the level of enthusiasm each typically elicits, there are a bunch of obvious differences.
But do these varying features also translate to form differences? In other words, when you move your workout indoors, should you also change how you run?
Here’s what run coaches advise their clients, plus common treadmill form mistakes to avoid.
Does your ideal running form change on a treadmill versus outdoors?
We’ll just cut to the chase: Whether you’re running on a treadmill or striding outdoors, your form should basically be the same, Kai Ng, a USATF- and RRCA-certified run coach in New Jersey and New York, tells Runner’s World. A big reason for this is continuity: “You don’t want to one day learn treadmill skills, and then the other day practice outdoor skills,” he says. “All that should be the same if you want to become a good runner.”
Keeping your form consistent also keeps things uncomplicated. Ng, who’s been coaching for nearly a decade, says a big learning over his career is running should be “really simple.” That’s because the more rules that exist, “the more complicated running becomes,” he explains. And when that’s the case, people are less likely to start running in the first place, or to improve their performance if they’re already involved, he says.
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Olympian John Henwood, a run and strength coach in New York City, tells Runner’s World he takes a similar stance. He doesn’t instruct his athletes to change their form when they hop on the treadmill. But, he adds, most people’s form naturally does shift, albeit in one really subtle way.
This form difference is thanks to the treadmill’s moving belt. When you run outside, you have to put more energy into propelling yourself forward because the ground is fixed and thus isn’t helping out on that front. This involves adopting a slight forward lean to better engage the muscles of your posterior chain, including your glutes, hamstrings, and calves, as these help power you forward.
On the treadmill, you don’t need as much assistance from these muscles, so you naturally adopt a more upright posture. These postural differences are “very slight,” Henwood says, adding that most people don’t have to think about them; their bodies just naturally adjust.
Related Story3 Common Treadmill Form Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Okay, so we’ve established that you should essentially have the same form whether you’re running on the treadmill or outdoors (aside from a slightly more upright posture on the treadmill, which you likely don’t need to consciously think about).
But beyond that, there are three common treadmill form mistakes people make that the coaches do advise trying to actively avoid.
1. Shortening your stride.
In Henwood’s experience, when people are new to the treadmill and thus scared of falling off it, they tend to run in a slightly crouched position, which shortens their stride. And that’s problematic because adopting too short of a stride can quash your forward momentum, as Runner’s World UK previously reported. Luckily, this one is easy to correct: Instead of hunching over, think about relaxing your upper body, opening your chest, and making yourself a little taller. With these cues, your stride will naturally open up, Henwood says.
Related Story2. Expending your energy going up instead of forward.
With running, the main objective is to move forward. And to do so, you have to push the ground backward, Ng says. But when you’re on a surface that’s already moving—i.e., the treadmill—this strategy can be forgotten. He finds that some runners—perhaps due to a fear of falling or unfamiliarity with the treadmill—tend to jump up on the machine instead of forward, which just isn’t efficient.
“Even though you’re running on the treadmill, don’t forget that in order for you to move forward, you have to kick back,” Ng says. Basically, avoid this mistake by focusing on pushing the belt behind you with every push-off.
3. Adopting too low a cadence.
Another form error that can creep in when folks are afraid of the treadmill is that they can sometimes inadvertently slow their cadence in an effort to get more airtime, Ng explains. That way, “the belt moves, and they’re getting this free distance,” Ng explains. But this is a no-no, as adopting too low a cadence—which Ng defines as 155 or fewer steps per minute—creates a lot of impact on your joints, which translates to increased injury risk.
Instead, the treadmill should be thought of as a great tool to increase your cadence. “The treadmill is actually one of the best places to practice cadence,” Ng says. And that’s because of its predictability: Unlike outdoor running, you won’t encounter unexpected obstacles, such as off-leash dogs, strollers, or groups walking six-wide on a path. Because of the limited distractions, all you have to do is set the treadmill to an easy-for-you pace and focus on maintaining a steady cadence. Ng doesn’t recommend a specific number of steps per minute to shoot for but instead says to think about kicking your foot back as soon as it touches the ground. “By doing so, most people will increase their cadence,” he says.
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Jenny is a Boulder, Colorado-based health and fitness journalist. She’s been freelancing for Runner’s World since 2015 and especially loves to write human interest profiles, in-depth service pieces and stories that explore the intersection of exercise and mental health. Her work has also been published by SELF, Men’s Journal, and Condé Nast Traveler, among other outlets. When she’s not running or writing, Jenny enjoys coaching youth swimming, rereading Harry Potter, and buying too many houseplants.