To all you fitness fanatics: a treadmill mat is a great short- and long-term investment that will save you a lot of stress, pain and money. You’re probably wondering, “How could a measly rubber mat be a worthwhile investment?” “why buy quality mats for treadmills when a simple cheap one will do?”Let’s walk through what exactly happens when you are operating your treadmill.
Whether you are walking, jogging or running on your treadmill, your body is subject to many forces and pressures. When you lift your leg and step forward, the force of your movement and your body weight is distributed throughout the anatomy of your leg. This force travels from the soles of your feet, to your ankle joints, through your leg to your knee, and finally, to your hips.
This repeated action means that there is the same repeated force pressuring your joints. Eventually, this pressure on your body will wear down the cartilage in your joints. Having worn-down cartilage (called osteoarthritis) does not allow your bones to safely glide over each other (Cited from: PubMed Health). Your bones harmfully rub against each other instead, which is extremely painful. Running on hard surfaces exaggerates the forces even more. Now this will happen over time, but why not fight this possibility as much as possible.
"We've evolved to run on compliant surfaces, not on asphalt or concrete," says Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Virginia (Fox News). "You run on something hard, your body has to work that much harder to help absorb those forces, and that can lead to stresses and strain, wear and tear, really throughout the whole body.”
Treadmills installed on hard surfaces like tile, stone or wood equate to running on a hard surface. Since hard surfaces do not absorb shock, the forces that your body exerts are distributed through the treadmill and your legs. To disperse more of the force and save your joints, simply install a treadmill mat. Yes an affordable rubber mat for treadmill workouts can lessen the hardness of the surface on which you tread. Treadmills do have sophisticated impact absorption mechanisms, but we bet that your floors do not!
Using a rubber mat for treadmill machinery means less stress and strain on your joints. Rubber is naturally spongy and will disperse some of the forces that normally would put pressure on your joints. The force is now distributed amongst two objects other than your body. This simple application of mats for treadmills can save you from a lot of pain and medical bills in the long-term.
A treadmill mat is a great investment that will protect your floor from damage and also reduce the vibrations that could possibly damage the mechanisms within the treadmill. You can avoid costly bills to repair your floor or treadmill. Yet, above all benefits, a rubber mat for treadmill machines offers, the greatest benefit is ensuring your own health and well-being; a benefit you cannot put a price on.