The Problem with Treadmills: Sagittalism

Thursday: Fitness Don’ts (Treadmills)

The Problem with Treadmills: Sagittalism – https://www.flexibilityrx.com/?p=2598

While some people use treadmills due to weather conditions or for convenience – they should be a last resort. Showing up, putting in work – that’s what counts – first and foremost. Any movement or mindful consistent practice has benefits. I remember reading, “One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way” where they discuss goal setting and how just standing on a treadmill for a couple of minutes a day (instead of a 30-minute commitment) can create momentum.

The CrossFit Journal article, “Consistency Before Intensity” has long been forgotten with the public perception of the CrossFit games. Back in 2008 when I was reading the CrossFit Journal from front to back what struck me was the emphasis on community, consistency, technique, and the motivational rewards of having a TRIBE (as Seth Godin referenced CF in his book Tribes).

Unfortunately, there is non-united pseudo tribe of individuals that head to the gym before or after work to use treadmills. Kudos to them, BUT a daily run around the block can confer more benefits than 30-minutes on the treadmill. However, SHOWING UP (as I learned from Luke Kayyem) is the most important part of integrity – success or defeat pending. There are a lot of ‘Functional Fitness’ people that criticize treadmills for a variety of reasons. I am not disagreeing with them – there is no doubt that running and running outside in nature is far superior.

However, what can I tell a patient of mine who has chronic low back pain to do for fitness when their very attempt at getting in shape was inspired by running on a treadmill? Do I even know why treadmills are so inferior – and can I affectively supplement their running on a treadmill with meaningful exercises to combat the altered biomechanics that occur?

It’s so easy to say – “Do this not that”, but do I even know why I am defending or promoting a certain thought process? BTW: This post is focused on conventional treadmills not TrueFormRunner treadmills and other variations.

See this post on the seated hip shift assessment to enhance your movement in the frontal plane.

Mike ‘TNT’ Cantrell of the Postural Restoration Institute has this to say about how treadmills rob us of frontal plane movement. This is especially important due to the over-reliance on sagittal plane movements that create an Extension Compression Stabilizing Strategy that keeps the hip flexors, calves, and low back ON and unable to INHIBIT.

One of the main problems with treadmills is that there is no active shifting from side to side in the frontal plane. The adductor muscle group of the inner thigh adducts or pulls our center of gravity from side to side. The lack of adductor recruitment turns the exercise into a sagittal plane focused exercise which can then promote overextension of the low back and overreliance of sagittal plane muscles that often don’t inhibit.

“Here’s the issue. What is the number one muscle of propulsion during gait that gets me over to this leg? The adductor magnus. So literally we grab the ground and pull our center of gravity over our leg with an adductor magnus. You hear about sprinters getting a groin pull – what they are pulling is the proximal attachment site of the adductor magnus.

When I am on a treadmill the ground is given to me so I never engage my adductor on either leg. This creates continuous flexion without true extension of my hip (which is really true ribcage flexion/doming of the diaphragm).

I need to grab the ground and pull myself over the ground which is creating a glute/adductor activation with hamstring. If I don’t have that and I do that on a treadmill I won’t have that. That creates trouble. Treadmills have a great place but between the two – real ground is always better.” – Mike TNT Cantrell

The adductor magnus image is from John Hull Grundy whose work Thomas Myers introduced me to.

– Kevin J. Kula, “The Flexibility Coach”

Resources

Mike Cantrell of the Postural Restoration Institute explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnZlKiwUOPw

https://www.amazon.com/Small-Step-Change-Your-Life/dp/076118032X

http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/34_05_Consistency_Intensity.pdf