By St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The treadmill offers a great workout for a great many people, but too many people are doing it all wrong, say experts in the field.

You may be making several mistakes on the treadmill that you aren’t even aware of.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” says Rick Morris, professional running coach and author of “Treadmill Training for Runners.” “I train other runners, and even I make mistakes on the treadmill.”

With that, here are the top five mistakes people make on the treadmill.

1. Hanging on: When you hold onto the rails, you are holding your weight up, and not using your legs to hold your weight up. If the workout is so tough you can’t do it without holding on, take it down a notch.

2. Not working hard enough: Jennifer Bradley, a trainer who teaches a treadmill class at the Workout Co. in St. Louis County, agrees. “The No. 1 thing I see is people not working at a good intensity. You need to go at a faster speed or a higher incline. I say if you can read on the treadmill, you can pick up the intensity.”

3. Stepping off the treadmill: Another common mistake is jumping off the treadmill belt and onto the sides to rest, towel off or get a drink of water. Stepping off can be bad for the joints and disrupts the natural flow of your workout. Plus, it’s often just an excuse to take a break; don’t get in that habit.

4. Not knowing your pace: Don’t be fooled into thinking that the 8-minute mile you are doing on the treadmill is the same as an 8-minute mile outside. In his book, For instance, a 10-minute mile on a treadmill is equivalent to a 10:43 mile of “free-range” or outdoor running. A 10-minute mile on the treadmill with a 1 percent incline translates to a 10:13 free-range mile, and a 10-minute mile with a 2 percent incline is a 9:46 mile.

5. Changing your stride: That moving belt can play tricks on your stride. Some people are afraid of falling off of the belt; they make up for it by running too close to the front of the treadmill, causing them to shorten their stride. Strive for a relaxed, normal stride, whether you are running or walking.