While running on a high-quality treadmill can mimic traversing the ground over the great outdoors, there are differences between treadmill and ground running that can affect your exercise and calories burned. If you are accustomed to running outdoors, you may be used to looking down more, to look for terrain changes and prevent tripping. In treadmill running, however, looking down can increase dizziness and potentially lead to a fall. To become a treadmill runner, you must practice proper form and push yourself once you have become accustomed to the treadmill’s movements. Check with your physician, however, before beginning an exercise program, to ensure you are healthy enough to begin.

Step 1

Before beginning, inspect your treadmill to familiarize yourself with important buttons on the device. From “stop” buttons that can quickly turn off the treadmill’s belt to others you can press to increase or decrease your treadmill’s speed, familiarity can help you find them with ease during a running session.

Step 2

Warm up for five to 10 minutes by walking at a slower pace -- around 3 to 4 mph, recommends “Fitness” magazine. This allows your body to become accustomed to the treadmill and increases your heart and breathing rates for the exercise ahead.

Step 3

Practice proper posture by keeping your head up, looking at something at eye level in front of you and imagining you are cycling your legs through the treadmill movement. The ball of your foot should strike the treadmill belt first, rolling through the motion and keeping your knees slightly bent. Your arms should be at 90-degree angles, with your shoulders relaxed and palms facing inward.

Step 4

Listen to the sounds of your feet hitting the treadmill. Loud, striking or thudding sounds can indicate you are hitting the treadmill too hard. As you run, focus on slightly pointing your toes and moving through the ball of your foot to reduce noise and impact on your joints.

Step 5

Run slightly faster on a treadmill than you would in the great outdoors. When you are running outside, factors such as wind resistance affect your pace. Also, the treadmill belt can make running slightly easier because it is pulling your feet backward, according to “Fitness” magazine. You may find you are able to bump your speed up a couple of tenths to accommodate changes in using a treadmill versus running outdoors.

Step 6

Work up to a pace of 6 mph or faster when running on the treadmill. A pace between 4 and 6 mph is technically considered jogging, and tends to be less biomechanically efficient than walking at a slower pace, such as 4 mph, according to Mike Antoniades, a speed, conditioning and rehabilitation coach interviewed on BBC Sport.

Step 7

Practice adjusting your treadmill’s incline to increase the challenge to your lower body. “Fitness” magazine recommends inclines ranging from 1.0 up to 7.0. Try varying the incline each one to two minutes you are on your treadmill for a leg-boosting workout.

Step 8

Cool down after you have run your desired duration by decreasing your treadmill belt’s speed. Cooling down reduces your heart rate at a slower pace to ensure your blood pressure does not drop too quickly. Taper your pace off for three to five minutes before exiting the treadmill.

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