Treadmills are bad

I started running in my early teens, preferably in the woods and as varying as possible. Becoming one with the forrest and the track I followed. So, not much of a wonder I hated the treadmill from the very start! It's like running slightly downhill, with nothing changing at all. And the feeling of it is crap too.

The modern, idioticly shortsighted man, tough, seems to love going to a gym and "run" on treadmills. Nobody who loves free running does that, but still, I'm surprised there is so little talk about the bad aspects of artificial training. Then again, considering that most stuff in a gym is just that - artificial training equipment - it's not a big surprise.

But finally I found some backup! In the swedish fitness magazine iForm, number 5/2011, there is a small article stating the following:

- On the ground the behind and the hamstrings pull the foot backwards, which is compensated by the treadmill.
- You take more and shorter steps on the treadmill, which leads to stiff muscles of the hip, a bad posture and a weak behind.

There are new theories on free running, where you run on the front of your feet, take shorter steps and sort of constantly fall forwards. This is how you run spontaneously in really tough terrain, if you think about it. This style of running should be done barefoot or at least with a very thin sole of the shoes. I believe in this style of running, and the next pair of running shoes will be adapted to this. I just mention this to point out that shorter steps in itself, is not a bad thing, but treadmills are.