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Is Walking on a Treadmill Bad for Your Knees?

Last updated on April 2nd, 2023 at 04:15 pm

Running or walking on the treadmill is a popular way to lose calories and tone muscles without a bad impact on your legs. Many people like walking or running indoors because outside activities have problems, including bad weather, dust on roads, dog running, etc. Is walking on a treadmill bad for your knees? This is the most common and frequent question I get from my common friends and relatives. In this blog article, I will discuss whether walking on a treadmill is bad for the knees or not. We are sure it will help you better learn about knee injuries during walking on the fitness equipment.

Is walking on a treadmill bad for your knees like elliptical?

The elliptical machine puts less pressure on your knees than the amount of pressure you put on your knees for jogging or running on a treadmill. But walking on a treadmill carries the same pressure as an elliptical machine, which is great for beginners.

Why is running on a treadmill regularly bad for you?

Many people don’t agree that a treadmill workout regularly is suitable for health and fitness. It’s a great edition for improving your muscle and cardiovascular health but unnecessary for a regular workout. Now, you can ask me why it is bad for regular exercise. The main reason is, it has some disadvantages of regular walking or running on the machine such as knees problems. Here are some disadvantages of walking on a treadmill.

It can Change the Body’s Normal Mechanism

You will be surprised after knowing how the machine can change the body! But it is true that when you walk or run at a running desk, your legs, knees and lower limbs can prepare your body for excessive walking or running. So, you probably understand how the machine changes your body.

The high impact energies moving through the body’s joints

Running on a treadmill is a high-impact workout in the gym, there is no doubt about it. A high-impact exercise also gives you a bad experience for your knees and joints. Sometimes it can lead to wear and tear on our joint’s cartilage. If you compare, other exercise equipment’s like elliptical machines and exercise bikes are very low-impact workout devices from treadmill machines. However, if you compare walking outside and inside, the results will not be acceptable. Walking outside is always acceptable.

The motivation factor is very low

Motivation is one of the best factors to reach your fitness goal quickly. But, the indoor activity where there is a lack of motivation can be said to be why there is no one here to encourage you. If you walk or run outside, many people encourage you for good results. The above reasons are the difficulties in walking or running on a treadmill.

What is the best exercise machine for bad knees?

Which one is the best workout machine for injured knees? This is a very common and tough question for me, but my answer is a recumbent exercise bike is the most suitable that allows losing weight through less impact. For less impact, it is the most popular gym device worldwide. However, many exercise bikes are available on the market, but a recumbent cycling bike is the best. Here are some exercise machines for bad knees.

Recumbent exercise bike

I believe that recumbent indoor cycling is very effective for recovery from bad knees. There are many reasons to have for recumbent is the first or most popular device the globally. It has a comfortable seat that gives you more comfort during a workout, and it requires less pressure while cycling. As an unnecessary pressure, it gives you a low impact that effectively reduces knees problems.  

Treadmill running machine

Another most common and effective gym device is a treadmill that is effective for muscle building and preventing injuries. Suppose you do exercise on treadmill regular basis then you will get muscular health and reduce many health diseases such a heart attack, Brest cancer, diabetes etc. Recently, these running desks have been working to reduce bad knees problems. So, it could be the part of your injuries recovery alternative experts.

Rowing machine

The rowing workout machine is another simple and effective device that can boost your total body fitness with less impact. Many people in the gym community refer to the rowing machine as the king fitness machine. A rower gym device can increase your cardio and muscle strength and give you many benefits for your body. So, we can say for sure that it is one of the best low-impact gym devices to treat knee injuries.

Elliptical trainer

The elliptical trainer is not only a stepper device, but it can give you multiple workout benefits such as climbing, hiking, walking and stepping workout. Do you know why this device can perform as a multiple gym device? We know that the gym requires various equipment’s such as dumbbells for muscle building, running machines for weight loss, etc. But everyone can not afford more gym equipment’s, so the manufacturers invented this machine so that all types of exercise can be done in one the machine.

Another alternative exercise for bad knee

If you don’t want to use the above-mentioned exercise machine, I have suitable alternatives such as swimming, walking outside, and power yoga. These activities can reduce bad knees problems and prevent many injuries. We hope all the above-mentioned workouts will help you to solve your knee problem.

How to use a treadmill with bad knees?

This is a very difficult decision when you have a knee injury and run on a new treadmill. According to Lynn Miller, running on uneven surfaces with a knee injury can multiply the risk. To put it bluntly, it is not advisable to run on any treadmill in case of injury or recovery. But if you want to run or walk, you need to choose the right treadmill best for bad knees. At the same time, you have to buy some more accessories like good quality shoes which are important for solving your problem.

If you are in confusion that, how I can buy a pair of good quality shoes, I can tell you to go to a nearby brand store, and then the salesman will help you get the right shoe for your problems.

When you do treadmill exercises, start very slowly. In the first case, warm up whole body for 5 to 10 minutes. From then, gradually increase your speed and keep exercising. Remember that if the unmatched speed does not adjust with your body, you can reduce the speed.

Summary

In the end, we are confident that walking on a treadmill is not bad for your knees, although it helps to recover your knee injuries problem gradually. So if you want to recovery from knees problems, you can exercise on the mentioned equipment. All the above equipment easily protects you from injuries and improves your muscle strength.