Treadmill vs. Road Running
Both road running and treadmill running have their perks -- while road running gets you out in nature with the sun on your face, treadmills offer a stable climate so you don't have to deal with pesky bugs or blistering heat. But before you choose one or the other, consider which running surface will make your workout as worthwhile as possible.
Running on the treadmill is slightly easier than running outside because you don’t have to overcome wind resistance. Moving through the air resistance increases your workload between 2 percent and 10 percent, depending on your speed, according to Running Planet. If you’re stuck indoors, you can compensate for the wind resistance by increasing the treadmill to an incline of 1 percent.
Running Surface Differences
When running outdoors, the terrain is always changing, whether it’s the surface or the incline. This teaches you the skill over proprioception, meaning your body intuitively feels the position of your body, including your feet and legs, at all times. When you become more proprioceptive, you can make split-second adjustments to keep your body balanced, stable and moving. This type of training isn’t available on the treadmill because you can’t make the surface uneven. However, you can add additional workouts on a wobble board, as well as make yourself aware of your position on the treadmill belt, your forward lean and the angle of your hips, ankles and feet.
Changes in Gait
A 2008 study from “Medical and Science in Sports and Exercise” found that a runner’s gait changes when running indoors versus outdoors. Because a treadmill belt pulls your feet back underneath your body, indoor runners use a shorter stride and increase the number of strides per minute. The body also might subconsciously decrease the forward lean due to an attempt to balance on the treadmill by keeping the feet in contact with the belt longer.
Running on a treadmill might become boring or monotonous because of the lack of changing scenery, although you can often position a TV in front of you or distract yourself with music. Additionally, because you can track the distance and speed on the treadmill, you could subconsciously begin to feel tired or like you’ve gone far enough.
Risk of Injury
A treadmill beats the outdoors in one area – lowering the risk of injury. Treadmill belts are padded, so they provide a softer landing surface. This is particularly important if you are very overweight or have knee or other joint problems.
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