The Difference Between Outdoor and Treadmill Running?

Answer 1

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Running is considered to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight, burn calories, improve heart health and overall wellness. However, there are some people who argue that certain kinds of running can be more effective than others. That is, that treadmill running is simply not as effective as running outdoors. While the same muscles are used running in both locations, it is true that running outdoors adds new elements to the workout such as wind resistance, cold or hot temperatures and even random inclines and declines in the form of hills. However, on many proform treadmills you can adjust the settings to recreate a more strenuous route that makes it comparable to running outdoors. Here are some of the major differences between outdoor running and running on a Proform treadmill.

Inclines and Declines

While running on a treadmill, many people run with the incline set to zero in order to keep the run easier. However, this flat surface is rarely found in real life running routes unless on a circular track. To better prepare your legs and cardiovascular system for outdoor running, it is recommended that treadmill runners raise the incline to at least one percent for all their runs. In addition, it might be a good idea to include some hill training, where the incline is raised and then lowered to recreate the natural hills on a running route.

Temperature Fluctuations

Running outside means that athletes are subject to the changes in weather throughout the year, from the heat of the summer to the bitter cold, wind and snow of winter. Many gym treadmill runners, however, experience the same temperature for each and every workout. This is not typically a problem unless you are training for a specific race. In that case, you may want to train in the same temperatures as you expect on race day.

Wind Resistance

To make up for the fact that there is no wind resistance on a treadmill, increase your speed by roughly ten seconds per mile to mimic the slight extra effort that is necessary to keep the pace while outside.