Zero-impact running

The 20,000 sq ft Fitness First club, located on the fifth floor in Delhi’s Select Citywalk Mall, is buzzing with activity, which is a bit odd because it is 11 in the morning on a Friday — a working day for most people. One can feel the energy on the floor, which has people young and old using treadmills, cross-trainers and cycling machines as well as doing weight training.

Fitness First launched the Zero Runner earlier this month. For those who love running and exercising, the machine, in many ways, is an improvement over the treadmill — though it resembles a cross-trainer. The machine is called the Zero Runner because there is effectively zero impact on the body while using it. Moreover, the Zero Runner lets you take longer strides with no impact on the body, something one cannot say about the treadmill. Another key difference and advantage of the Zero Runner over the treadmill is that it has no motor and belt — the user ends up becoming the engine. The machine can absorb up to a maximum of 400 pounds (181.4 kg), a factor that may give it an edge over more conventional machines.

One of the benefits of this visit was that I would get to try the Zero Runner — it was an opportunity to get a first-hand feel of the machine and see if it was as effective as described. Luckily, being a frequent user of the treadmill and the cross-trainer, I might have been well-placed to make the distinction. The Zero Runner is not so striking when one sees it first. It’s a fairly regular-looking machine like most others one would find at a gym. I got to use the machine for just five minutes, but in that time, I could see why it is rated so highly — it is indeed quite an innovation to now have a machine that allows you to set your own speeds and take strides that are as long as you want. Though I do enjoy the experience of using a treadmill and cross-trainer, it can’t go unnoticed that whatever you are achieving on them is motor-assisted and by manually setting speeds. And yes, there was really no pain after using the Zero Runner.

The Zero Runner

The Zero Runner was introduced in 2014 during the Boston Marathon, though the first prototype came out about 10 years ago. This is the first occasion that the machine has come to a country other than the US. It has high-profile athletes endorsing it, including Paula Radcliffe, the world-record holder in women’s marathon, and Haile Gebreselassie, two-time Olympic gold medallist in the 10,000m.

“In the fitness industry, there is constant research and development. Post the treadmill, the next thing that came was the elliptical runner. Zero Runner, in a way, is the next generation of the treadmill,” says Vikram Bhatia, managing director, Fitness First.

Rick Muhr, who has been a running coach for 20 years and trains runners for the Boston Marathon, visited the Fitness First club in India for the launch. According to Muhr, Zero Runner is the most innovative tool he has ever seen. It has the ability to activate the posterior chain, which includes the lower back, glutes and hamstring muscles. Muhr says running on a treadmill can weaken the glutes, while the Zero Runner, because it allows one to take longer strides, leaves the body with zero harmful impact.

The treadmill has been the most popular machine for those who want to train to run. But the Zero Runner does what a treadmill cannot. “I am all for treadmills, they are wonderful, but over a period of time they go on to alter one’s running gait. That’s why the Zero Runner becomes such an important tool, because everything depends on the user rather than the machine,” says Muhr. The Zero Runner allows one to have a very efficient workout in a short span of time, according to Muhr.

Bhatia and Muhr are both enthused by the Zero Runner and are hopeful that it is a small step towards improving the running culture in India. While it has so far only been introduced at the club in Saket, Bhatia says it will be introduced in all Fitness First clubs across India over the next few months.