Now listen, there are few things better than walking outside in nature. But, there are many unique benefits to taking your hike to the tread. Here are six of our favorite benefits of a treadmill hike.
1. You Control the Terrain.
With no rocks on which to twist an ankle and no mud to cake up your favorite walking shoes, a treadmill walk lets you control the terrain. And the temperature – so on those days when it is truly too hot or too cold, too rainy or too windy, a treadmill hike can be just the thing to keep your walking practice on track.
2. No Hills, No Problem
While I love to walk in the woods around my neighborhood, it is pretty flat where I live, and I sometimes miss the physical challenge that comes from walking up hills, which activates different muscles and challenges my body in different ways. The solution? Just crank up the incline on that treadmill.
3. I Can Hike in My Pajamas?
Around here, we talk a lot about the power of 10-minute walks. One study://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2788473 showed that more than 111,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year if we all walked just an extra 10 minutes each day. And a treadmill makes it easy to sneak in those extra 10-minute walks. Even when it's dark out. Even in your pajamas.
4. Baby Napping? Waiting for the Dishwasher Repair Guy? No Problem.
Sometimes, you just can’t leave the house. And during those times, your treadmill is your friend. Hop on while you wait, hop on while the baby sleeps, hop on while the pasta boils, hop on while you wait for the doctor’s office to call back.
5. Multi-Task Your Walk
We believe in the power of intentional walks. At 99 Walks, we encourage you to step away from your work, your responsibilities, your screens, your televisions, and your social media feeds to walk in nature. But sometimes you just can’t, and sometimes, you just don’t want to. So fire up that favorite show, treadmill hike during that conference call, or dictate that blog post while you happily hike on your treadmill.
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And if you are looking for a way to level up those treadmill hikes, we’ve got ya – add a Jetti Pack and see that intensity (and calorie burn) fire up.