Running Outside Vs. Treadmill

Running burns calories and promotes cardiovascular health, whether you run inside on a treadmill or outside on a track or alongside the road. Running outside and running indoors on a treadmill do, however, offer several differing advantages and disadvantages, including factors involving the difficulty of the exercise, the benefits provided, safety issues and the amount of control you have over variables in the experience.

Difficulty

Treadmill running can be somewhat easier than running outside as you don't confront resistance from wind on a treadmill as you do outside. When running outside, the wind has the effect of increasing the workload on your body. To simulate this effect on a treadmill, just incline the belt slightly. The treadmill's moving belt also facilitates easier running, as you don't have to exert the same amount of energy to propel your body forward as you do when running outside.

Proprioception

One of the benefits of running outside over uneven and changing terrain is that it helps develop proprioception, or your ability to sense your body's position and movement in relation to the space around you. Proprioception is helpful in developing balance and coordination and preventing falls. Running on a treadmill does not as effectively help develop proprioception because it isn't possible to change the terrain over which you're running.

Safety

Both treadmill running and running outside can have their own unique safety risks. On a treadmill, the moving belt can sometimes pull your feet back under you and throw you off balance. Outside you can trip over an obstacle on the surface in front of you. On a treadmill, however, you don't have to watch out for traffic like you do when running outside alongside a road. Of course you can avert that potential outdoor hazard by running along a track instead of the roadside. Still, there tend to be more variables of which to remain conscious when running outside, such as other people.

Controls

Indoor treadmills offer a more controlled environment for running. In inclement weather, this can make the difference between getting to run at all or not. By running in place you don't have to run back to your starting point as you do when running outside, which is particularly convenient if you tire yourself out too soon and need to quit earlier than planned. Running on a padded treadmill belt is generally a lower impact exercise than running outside and can be gentler on people who are overweight, have knee problems or are prone to injury.