Running on treadmill vs. outside?

[JonTheBaller]

My friend said running on treadmill kinda sucks and running outdoors is a lot better. Is this true? How do the two compare?

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I ain't sayin' nothin'.

 

[JonTheBaller]

 

[bolido2000]

Depends on the suface and the quality of the air of where you are running.

 

[Turkish]

Originally posted by: johnnytightlips

well, u get more fresh air outside, also the track you are going to be running outside will have obstacles, right-left turns, you sometimes will have to slow down, or speed up, so it gives you a higher heartrate, which is a good thing. the only way i can run on a tradmill is when they have a tv infront of it, or i got something to read while running.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Outside by far, I can't stand treadmills.

 

[idNut]

I'd like a treadmill. I hate facing people.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Running on a treadmill is easier on your knees johnnytightlips, but not as fun interesting as Xiety posted IMO

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

i think treadmill is harder because you don't get momentum as you would running outside. plus treadmills are so boring!

 

[Imported]

Elliptical cross-trainers are where it's at..

 

[Chaotic42]

I'd rather use a tread mill, because it's really cold here for about 9 months out of the year.

 

[Salvador]

I do both. I use the treadmill when I don't feel like going out or when the weather is nasty. Running outdoors is more of a workout IMO for some reason. I don't know why. I have a harder time running 2 miles outside than on the treadmill. The treadmill is more monotonous unless you are listening to tunes or reading something because there is no change in scenery. OTOH.. The treadmill is nice because you don't have to worry about cars or anything bothering you while you're out running.

BTW.. I have a pretty decent treadmill. It's an Image 10.6QL that I picked up on a deal last Christmas at Sportmart through a friends and family deal. I think it was about $1,700 and I paid close to a grand for it. I don't know that I'd recommend any kind of treadmill under $1K.

Sal

 

[TwoMix]

U have to set the incline on a treadmill from 1-2% to be more realistic like outdoors.
Running outside is much better! There's no breeze inside and even if theres AC it still gets hot as heck.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: johnnytightlips
My friend said running on treadmill kinda sucks and running outdoors is a lot better. Is this true? How do the two compare?

Run inside because it is safer for everyone. Maniacs around where I live run in the street and are slow moving road hazzards. I almost hit some nut who was running in the road at 5:00 am. He was wearing dark clothes and I did not see him until I was right on top of him.

 

[Triumph]

Workouts need variety. Ask any athlete - the best way to get through a wall is to change your excercises. Adding sprints to your jog is a great way to increase your speed AND endurance. Going up and down hills, managing the terrain, etc, are other ways of doing this. Treadmills, you get stuck doing the same thing, and your body gets used to it. Newer treadmills have all the bells and whistles, but I don't think it's exactly the same. I haven't seen any treadmills where you can run downhill.

But the greatest benefit of running outside is this: you are forced to excercise. Say you go out running and you're a mile from home, and you don't feel like running anymore. Well too bad! What are you going to do, call someone to pick you up? No, you're stuck with excercising your way home! Can't do that on a treadmill - it's too easy to cheat and quit after that first mile.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: FrontlineWarrior
i think treadmill is harder because you don't get momentum as you would running outside. plus treadmills are so boring!

Just watch TV then

<---allergic to the outside except for Golf courses

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

on a treadmill, your farts stay with you.

 

[KokomoGST]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
on a treadmill, your farts stay with you.

That's why some newer treadmills have those builtin fans now...
My local gym has big giant fans too near the treadmills.

Plus the surface of a treadmill gives a little in comparison to a hard tarmac you'd run outside on generally. You could run on a rubberized track but going around in circles gets annoying really fast.

 

[Paulson]

I run on a tredmill just so I can get the stats and what not... otherwise I'd have no clue how far I ran and at what speed/difficulty I ran...

Plus I don't run as far outside because I don't know when my mile or whatever I'm running is up.

 

[ClueLis]

I use a treadmill for two reasons:

1)As an asthma sufferer, I have to really push myself to keep going (I'm trying to build endurence), and having the constant pace on the treadmill makes that easier.

2) I live on top of a really big hill, and while going down is easy, coming back up is a real pain.

 

[dfi]

I don't know if one is "better", but I think the treadmill is a lot easier. On a treadmill your job is to lift your legs in a running like motion so the belt can move beneath you. On the street you have to push forward with each step.

I just started doing interval sprints. Made the mistake of trying it uphill the first time.

dfi

 

[amnesiac]

I like treadmills.

1) You control the terrain
2) No stupid drivers to worry about running you over

3-99) If there's a chick with a really nice ass in front of you, you're guaranteed to keep that view as long as you keep running.

 

[Miramonti]

running on a treamill doesn't work the calves as well, since there's not as much strength needed to propel you forward...except if you always have it in an incline position I guess.

You don't inhale as much car exhaust tho, especially if you live in a big city.

Both are MUCH better than doing nothing.

 

[filmmaker]

I'm not a big fan of the treadmill because when you get off of it, you feel like you are floating compared to the grounded feeling you get when running outside. I tend to like to run towards a goal, not in place.

 

[CastorTr0y]

What about those things where you put your feet in them, and they like slide up and down, back and forth. Don't really know how to explain it. But, do you get just as good of a cardio exercise as a treadmill?