Four Reasons To Hop On The Treadmill This Fall

It's exhilarating traversing the open roads with the sun on your face and the wind at your back. But the weather can hamper outdoor runs. There are more than a few reasons why the treadmill is a great alternative.

1. Treadmills Are Easy on Your Joints

One pitfall of running outdoors is the many rough surfaces that harshly impact your muscles, joints and bones. Pounding on pathways made of concrete and asphalt can do damage after time. Thankfully, most good treadmills don’t have this problem. For instance, all Life Fitness treadmills are equipped with the FlexDeck Shock Absorption System, which provides cushioning for the impact of each stride. This can reduce stress on the joints by as much as 30%.

2. Treadmills Have Countless Fitness and Entertainment Features 

Running outside can provide beautiful and dramatic vistas, but depending on location, it can also force you to look at uninspiring suburban strip malls and vast stretches of unchanging asphalt. Treadmills, however, possess an array of entertaining diversions that invigorate your mind while making time go much faster. For example, Life Fitness Discover SE3 HD consoles offer TV, internet, a variety of games and virtual courses, and compatibility with popular entertainment and fitness apps. Keep in mind that even the most basic treadmill can have plenty of entertainment options if it's placed in a room with a TV.

3. Treadmills Operate in Perfect Running Conditions

As the seasons change, treadmills thankfully stay the same – they’re convenient, and not subject to cold winds, intermittent rains and slippery surfaces. Put simply, treadmills offer you the most reliable terrain in the the best conditions. Exercise without worry is the best exercise of all. And the sure footing of a treadmill belt takes your mind of off your footfalls.

4. Treadmills Can Mimic Outdoor Resistance

One assumed disadvantage of treadmills is in that they can’t compensate for the environmental challenges of running outside – wind resistance, changes in gradation and the lack of a self-propelling surface. Fortunately, the solution is as easy as clicking a button. Adjusting the treadmill incline by just 1 percent can up the intensity and create a similar experience to running on a flat surface outdoors.