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5 Common Mistakes Beginners Make on the Treadmill

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June 25, 2025
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5 Common Mistakes Beginners Make on the Treadmill

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Welcome to the world of treadmill training! Whether you’re new to fitness or simply new to exercising indoors, the treadmill can be an incredible tool for improving cardiovascular health, building endurance, and achieving your fitness goals. Its convenience and accessibility make it a popular choice for millions. However, like any piece of exercise equipment, the treadmill comes with its own set of nuances. For beginners, it’s all too easy to fall into common pitfalls that can hinder progress, reduce effectiveness, and even lead to injury.

At TreadmillReviews.net, we believe in empowering you with the knowledge to make your fitness journey successful and sustainable. That’s why we’ve delved into peer-reviewed research and expert recommendations to identify the top five mistakes beginners often make on a treadmill. More importantly, we’ll provide actionable strategies to correct these errors, ensuring your indoor workouts are as safe and effective as possible. If you happen to be shopping for a new treadmill, check out our buyer’s guide here. It’s jam-packed with information. 

Let’s lace up and dive in!

NordicTrack Commercial 2450 Off Machine Console Use

Just about every fitness app you find for a treadmill workout will offer warm-ups and cool-downs, with videos and instructions. Photo by: Oleksandr Kosheliev / TreadmilReviews.net

Mistake 1: Skipping the Warm-Up and Cool-Down

The allure of just hopping on and getting straight to it is strong, especially when you’re pressed for time or eager to start. However, neglecting the crucial phases of warm-up and cool-down is one of the most common and detrimental mistakes beginners make.

Why It’s a Mistake: The Science Behind Preparation and Recovery

The warm-up is your body’s gentle invitation to exercise. It’s a physiological signal that tells your cardiovascular system and muscles to prepare for increased demands. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a good warm-up gradually increases heart rate and blood flow, ensuring your muscles are well-supplied with oxygen. This prepares your circulatory and respiratory systems, minimizing stress on your heart as you transition to higher intensities. Beyond cardiovascular preparation, a warm-up also increases muscle temperature, which improves flexibility and efficiency, and is critical for injury prevention. Dynamic movements during this phase, such as a slow walk or light jog on the treadmill itself, prime your muscles for the specific movements of your workout. The College of Health and Human Sciences at Colorado State University further emphasizes that a proper warm-up increases circulation and oxygen delivery to working muscles and even provides a cognitive benefit by mentally preparing you for the exercise ahead.

Conversely, the cool-down is equally vital. After a workout, your heart rate is elevated, blood vessels are dilated, and muscles have accumulated metabolic byproducts. Stopping abruptly can lead to blood pooling in the lower extremities, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, and an excessive drop in blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic highlights that cooling down allows your heart rate and blood pressure to slowly recover to pre-exercise levels. While the exact impact on muscle soreness is still being researched, the physiological benefits of a gradual transition back to a resting state are well-established.

How to Fix It:

  • Warm-Up: Dedicate 5-10 minutes to light activity. For treadmill users, this means starting with a slow walk, gradually increasing speed to a brisk walk or light jog that mimics your intended workout pace. Focus on dynamic movements that engage large muscle groups.
  • Cool-Down: After your main workout, reduce your speed to a slow walk for 5-10 minutes. This allows your heart rate to gradually return to normal. Follow this with some light static stretching, holding each stretch for 10-30 seconds while your muscles are still warm.
NordicTrack X32i at 40% Incline

When using the incline on a treadmill, try to avoid clutching the handrails. Photo by: Oleksandr Kosheliev / TreadmilReviews.net

Mistake 2: Clutching the Handrails

Walk into almost any gym, and you’ll see beginners, and even some experienced users, gripping the treadmill handrails for dear life. While it might feel safer or easier, holding onto the handrails is a significant mistake that undermines the effectiveness of your workout and can even be counterproductive.

Why It’s a Mistake: Biomechanical Disruption and Reduced Efficacy

Holding the handrails fundamentally alters your natural gait pattern. Research indicates that using handrails during treadmill walking can reduce cortical activation associated with the task, meaning your brain isn’t working as hard to maintain balance and coordinate movement. This artificial support system prevents your body from engaging the necessary core and postural muscles responsible for balance and stability. Essentially, you’re offloading work that your body should be doing.

When you hold on, you’re effectively reducing your body weight, which in turn reduces the caloric expenditure of your workout. Verywell Fit explains that gripping the handrails doesn’t build balance, reduces the effects of incline, and decreases the number of calories burned. Furthermore, this habit can lead to poor posture and body alignment, creating an unnatural forward lean or hunched position that can strain your neck, shoulders, and back over time. A study published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering found that holding handrails during treadmill walking reduces locomotor learning in able-bodied persons, suggesting that this balance support hinders the natural adaptation of stepping patterns. This means your body isn’t learning to stabilize itself as effectively as it would if you were walking or running freely.

While handrails are important for safety, like getting on and off, or quickly steadying yourself if you stumble, they are not meant for continuous support during your workout.

How to Fix It:

  • Slow Down: If you find yourself gripping the rails, the speed or incline is likely too high for your current fitness level. Reduce the speed to a pace where you can comfortably walk or run without holding on.
  • Focus on Form: Maintain an upright posture, shoulders relaxed and pulled back, and a slight lean forward from the ankles, not the waist. Your arms should swing naturally at your sides, similar to how they would if you were walking or running outdoors.
  • Gradual Weaning: If you’re highly dependent, try intermittently releasing one hand, then both for short periods. Gradually increase the duration you can go hands-free.
  • Use Safety Features: Always know where the emergency stop button is and use the safety clip provided with most treadmills. This provides a genuine safety net without encouraging bad habits.

Don’t let cramps slow down your run. Photo by Brian Boyce

Mistake 3: Doing Too Much Too Soon (Intensity and Duration)

The enthusiasm of a new fitness routine can be a double-edged sword. Beginners often make the mistake of pushing too hard, too fast, whether it’s by attempting high speeds, steep inclines, or excessively long durations. This “more is better” mentality, while well-intentioned, frequently leads to burnout, injury, and discouragement.

Why It’s a Mistake: Overtraining and Injury Risk

The human body adapts to stress, but it needs time to do so. When exercise volume or intensity increases too rapidly without adequate recovery, it can lead to overtraining syndrome. Runner’s World highlights that overtraining can manifest in a wide range of seemingly unrelated indicators, from lack of energy and stiff muscles to elevated resting heart rate and sleep disturbances. While severe overtraining is more common in elite athletes, beginners are highly susceptible to acute overreaching and overuse injuries.

A study investigating the physiological and psychological effects of exhaustive treadmill exercise in an animal model reinforces that an imbalance between exercise and recovery can impair health and performance. For beginners, this imbalance can lead to:

  • Overuse Injuries: Repetitive stress on joints, tendons, and muscles that haven’t had time to adapt. Common treadmill-related overuse injuries include shin splints, runner’s knee, and Achilles tendinitis.
  • Burnout: Physical and mental fatigue that makes continuing with exercise difficult, leading to a loss of motivation.
  • Decreased Performance: Paradoxically, overdoing it can lead to a plateau or even a decline in fitness as your body struggles to recover and adapt.

Progress needs to be gradual and consistent, not necessarily rapid and intense.

How to Fix It:

  • Start Slow, Progress Gradually: The principle of progressive overload is fundamental. Begin with a comfortable pace and duration (e.g., 20-30 minutes of brisk walking).
  • The 10% Rule (General Guideline): Do not increase your weekly mileage, speed, or incline by more than 10% from the previous week. This allows your body to adapt safely. For example, if you walked 30 minutes this week, try 33 minutes next week.
  • Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to signals of fatigue, pain, or unusual soreness. Rest days are not a sign of weakness; they are essential for recovery and muscle repair.
  • Vary Workouts: Incorporate different types of treadmill workouts (e.g., steady-state, short intervals) and cross-training (e.g., strength training, yoga) to work different muscle groups and reduce repetitive stress.
TreadmillReviews.net Editor Using Horizon 7.0 AT Treadmill

Maintaining proper posture and form is essential when using a treadmill. Olexandr Kosheliev / TreadmilReviews.net

Mistake 4: Neglecting Proper Posture and Form

While the treadmill’s moving belt might seem to dictate your stride, maintaining proper posture and form is crucial for efficiency, injury prevention, and maximizing your workout benefits. Many beginners adopt awkward stances, resulting in inefficient movement patterns.

Why It’s a Mistake: Biomechanical Stress and Inefficiency

Poor posture on a treadmill can include:

  • Looking Down: Staring at your feet or the console can strain your neck and upper back and throws off your natural head and spinal alignment. It also impacts your balance, pushing your center of gravity forward.
  • Overstriding: Taking excessively long steps, often with your foot landing in front of your body with a locked knee. This creates significant braking forces, putting undue stress on your knees, hips, and shins.
  • Shuffling or Short Strides: The opposite of overstriding, this can be inefficient and doesn’t fully engage your leg muscles.
  • Rounded Shoulders/Hunching: This restricts breathing and can lead to upper body tension.

While treadmill running and overground running have similar biomechanics, subtle differences exist. For instance, some research suggests treadmill walking can lead to shorter stride lengths and higher cadences compared to overground walking. Poor form can exacerbate these differences in an unfavorable way. Landing heavily on your heels, for example, increases impact forces that travel up your kinetic chain, potentially contributing to common running injuries. Maintaining a correct form distributes impact forces more effectively and engages the appropriate muscles.

How to Fix It:

  • Eyes Forward: Look straight ahead, about 10-20 feet in front of you, not down at your feet. Keep your chin parallel to the ground.
  • Upright Posture: Imagine a string pulling you up from the crown of your head. Keep your shoulders relaxed, back, and down (away from your ears). Engage your core subtly to support your spine.
  • Midfoot Strike: Aim to land lightly on your midfoot, directly under your hips, rather than heavily on your heel or toes. This promotes a more natural and efficient stride, reducing impact.
  • Arm Swing: Allow your arms to swing naturally at your sides, bent at approximately a 90-degree angle. They should swing forward and backward, not across your body. This helps with balance and propulsion.
  • Shorten Your Stride, Increase Cadence: Instead of long, powerful strides, aim for shorter, quicker steps. A higher cadence – steps per minute – can reduce impact forces and improve running economy. Many treadmills and fitness trackers can help you monitor your cadence.

Maintaining proper hydration is essential while using a treadmill. Photo by Shutterstock

Mistake 5: Neglecting Hydration and Proper Fueling

You might think that because you’re exercising indoors, perhaps in an air-conditioned environment, hydration and nutrition aren’t as critical as they would be for an outdoor run. This is a dangerous misconception. Beginners often underestimate their fluid and energy needs, leading to suboptimal performance and potential health issues.

Why It’s a Mistake: Impact on Performance and Health

Dehydration can significantly impair exercise performance. Research from the ACE Scientific Advisory Panel highlights that exercise performance begins to decline once water loss exceeds just 2% of an individual’s body mass. Symptoms can range from thirst and fatigue to headaches and muscle cramping. Beyond physical impairments, dehydration also affects cognitive function, including reaction time, task performance, and mood. Your heart rate will also increase as your body tries to compensate for reduced blood volume, making the workout feel much harder than it is.

Fueling is equally important. Your body needs energy to perform, primarily from carbohydrates, especially for moderate to high-intensity exercise. Skipping meals or inadequate caloric intake before or after a workout can lead to:

  • Low Energy: Feeling sluggish and unable to maintain intensity.
  • Poor Recovery: Muscles need nutrients to repair and rebuild after exercise.
  • “Hitting the Wall”: Depleting your glycogen stores, leading to extreme fatigue and inability to continue.

While the exact nutritional strategies can vary based on workout intensity and duration, studies on specific treadmill workouts like the 12-3-30 demonstrate how substrate utilization can differ based on incline and speed, affecting fat vs. carbohydrate burning, the fundamental need for adequate macro and micronutrients remains.

How to Fix It:

  • Hydrate Before, During, and After:
    • Before: Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially in the hours leading up to your workout.
    • During: Sip water regularly throughout your treadmill session. For workouts longer than 45-60 minutes or if you’re a heavy sweater, consider a sports drink with electrolytes to replenish lost minerals. Aim for 6-12 ounces every 15-20 minutes for adults.
    • After: Continue to hydrate to replace fluids lost through sweat.
  • Fuel Appropriately:
    • Before: Have a light snack rich in carbohydrates 30-60 minutes before your workout (e.g., a banana, toast, small energy bar).
    • After: Within 30-60 minutes post-workout, consume a meal or snack containing both carbohydrates and protein to aid in muscle recovery and glycogen replenishment.
  • Listen to Your Thirst: While formal guidelines exist, your body’s thirst mechanism is a good indicator. If you’re thirsty, drink! Monitor your urine color; pale yellow is a sign of good hydration.

Conclusion: Your Path to Treadmill Success

The treadmill is an incredibly versatile and effective fitness tool, but like any journey, the path to mastering it requires attention to detail. By consciously avoiding these five common beginner mistakes – skipping warm-ups and cool-downs, gripping the handrails, pushing too hard too soon, neglecting proper form, and underestimating hydration and fueling – you’ll not only enhance your performance and reduce your risk of injury but also build a more sustainable and enjoyable exercise habit.

Remember, fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time, listen to your body, and don’t be afraid to adjust your approach based on what feels right for you. Armed with this knowledge, you’re now better equipped to stride confidently towards your fitness goals on the treadmill. Happy training!

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