Running is an intense cardiovascular workout that burns calories quickly, whether performed outdoors or indoors on a treadmill. Running outside isn't for everyone, though, and many people prefer to run indoors on a treadmill. Treadmill running has many benefits over outdoor running that can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Smooth Surface
A treadmill belt is nice and smooth, unlike sidewalks, trails or roads. The removal of bumps and debris to trip over reduces the likelihood of injuries, such as sprained ankles and cuts and scrapes from falling down. Injuries sideline runners, preventing them from burning the calories to shed weight. Avoiding injuries keeps you on your feet and running.
Less Impact
The deck of a treadmill has a little padding, unlike the roads and sidewalks outdoors. Some treadmills also feature shock absorption supports for the front two-thirds of the treadmill. These extra features reduce the impact of a runner's heel strike, lessening the joint and soft-tissue jarring that occurs when your foot hits the surface during running. Reducing the joint impact leads to less pain post-run, and the less pain you have, the more likely you are to come back to run the next day and burn more calories.
Workout Consistency
Since a treadmill is inside, you don't have to worry about the weather conditions outside. You can run on a treadmill every day. More workouts lead to more weight loss.
Control Over Terrain
Running up an incline burns more calories than running on flat ground. On a treadmill, you can alter your terrain with the touch of a button, raising your incline to burn more calories. If you want to run up a hill your entire workout, you have that option.
Heart Rate Control
Most treadmills have a heart rate monitor built into the machine. This makes it easy to stay in your target heart rate zone to lose weight. To burn calories mostly from fat, stay between 60 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. The higher your heart rate goes, the less calories from fat you burn, but you burn more calories overall. When you're on a treadmill, you can adjust your speed by small increments until you're in the zone you want.
Speed Consistency
For runners, consistency of speed on a treadmill can help establish a pace. Pace is important in runs and events to ensure that you don't go out too fast and burn out, or that you don't run too slow and not meet your potential. Getting your body used to a consistent pace will help you identify signs you're running at the correct speed on race day. On a treadmill, you can't just slow down without noticing, like you would running outside. You have to keep running at your pace to keep up with the treadmill.
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