Treadmills provide a variety of advantages over running outdoors or on other surfaces. Treadmills have capabilities and functions that allow you to obtain information about your running and modify aspects of your run at will. Treadmills may not always be the best option for training, but there are specific situations where treadmills have distinct advantages over normal running.
Knowing How Far You Run
Running on treadmills give you the distinct advantage of knowing exactly how far you run, as the treadmill itself can easily calculate the distance you've covered. This eliminates the need of mapping out your running routes or for wearing pedometers or GPA devices. This knowledge can be helpful when training for specific distances. Treadmills also give you the ability to directly control the speed of your run by changing the speed of the tread.
Biometrics And Health Concerns
Many treadmills have the capability to estimate valuable biometric information such as heart rate and calories burned, based on your level of activity. This information can be useful when pursuing a fitness routine that calls for a specific level of caloric burn, or to maintain your heart rate at a particular level during your run. Treadmills also offer adaptable and safer options for walking or running if your joints are particularly susceptible to high-impact exercise. This advantage comes from the fact that treadmills offer more consistent and softer surface material than most other running surfaces.
Incline Control
Treadmills also let you control the incline of the surface you are running on. This allows you to simulate hills and outdoors, and get the most out of your workout. Increasing this incline will activate more muscles in your legs and burn additional calories running on the treadmill than if you were to run the same amount of time and speed on a flat surface outdoors.
Inclement Weather
Perhaps the greatest advantage to running on a treadmill is the freedom to continue running when weather or temperature outdoors would cause you to hesitate. Whether its raining hard, snowing, windy or 110 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors, or even in outer space, treadmills give you the option of running inside in a controlled environment, letting you focus on your fitness rather than combating the elements.
References
- Journal of Applied Physiology: Biomechanics of overground vs. treadmill walking in healthy individuals; Song Joo Lee, Joseph Hidler; November 2007
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Energetics and Biomechanics of Inclined Treadmill Walking in Obese Adults; Kellie A Ehlen, Raoul F. Reiser II, Raymond C. Browning; July 2011
- NASA.gov: Biomechanical Analysis of Treadmill Exercise on the International Space Station; John De Witt, Ph.D.; June 2011
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