Trainer » benefits of running outdoors https://www.trainer.ae/articles Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:10:31 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.39 Comparing The Treadmill To The Real Deal Of The Road! https://www.trainer.ae/articles/comparing-the-treadmill-to-the-real-deal-of-the-road-467 https://www.trainer.ae/articles/comparing-the-treadmill-to-the-real-deal-of-the-road-467#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2015 10:00:12 +0000 http://www.trainer.ae/articles/?p=467 read more »]]>

While the debate about treadmill running versus road running started in the 1950s. Many runners view treadmill running like the plague, others enjoy its convenience and safety. Regardless of personal preference and scientific differences, both treadmill running and road running benefit runners and boost cardiovascular fitness.treadmill-running

Benefits of The Treadmill

When snow swallows your favorite running path or when a heat wave crashes in, the treadmill works as a great alternative by making weather conditions irrelevant. For injury-prone runners, the smooth surface and extra shock absorption significantly reduce pounding and stress on the joints. Treadmill running also teaches runners the value of consistent pacing and forces them to remain mentally sharp as they fight through muscle fatigue in order to maintain training speed.

Benefits of Road Running

If you plan on running a spring marathon or a fall cross-country race, you should run the majority of your miles outdoors. Road running compels you to adapt to shifting terrain, changing scenery, weather patterns and wind resistance.

Road running burns more calories and demands more energy from your leg muscles.

Wind Resistance

Running outside forces runners to contend with the wind and to expend more energy as a result. Wind resistance alone increases a runner’s workload 2 to 10 percent. Although indoor runners can compensate for wind resistance by setting the treadmill to a 1 percent incline, they cannot compensate for shifting terrain or changing scenery.

Road running causes runners to consume more oxygen, making outdoor running slightly more difficult than treadmill running.

Psychological Considerations

Some runners cannot tolerate running “in place” on a treadmill. They crave the psychological cues of progress: passing other runners, rolling over different surfaces and hitting specific landmarks. These runners generally embrace fighting through adverse weather conditions. Of course, some runners focus better on the treadmill and measure progress with every mile they click off; they enjoy the safety, convenience and mental challenge of treadmill running.

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