Running Outdoors or on a Treadmill?
Which is more productive and enjoyable, running indoors or outdoors? Sure, a treadmill is more convenient and it’s certainly nicer on a rainy morning, but is it any better or worse than simply hitting the bricks? The answer to this is fairly surprising.
No, running outdoors isn’t massively better for you than running inside on your treadmill. That said, there are small differences that you might want to keep in mind.
- Running in Nature Can Help Your Balance – when you run outdoors you’re going to encounter a lot of different terrain, which is going to mean that your body must make small adjustments as you move. You may have to jump over obstacles or run up and down hills or between trees. All of these little movements are working smaller muscle fibers used for balance that are rarely used.The other benefit of this uneven terrain is that you are generally going to burn more calories as you adjust your intensity to your environment.
- Getting Out of the House – it may seem silly to say, but one benefit of running outside is that it gets you out of the house. This won’t change you’re life drastically, but it’s a nice benefit. Running outdoors means that you can take a break and get away from the technology of the modern world for a while.
- More Vitamin D – when you run outside, you’re exposing yourself to the sun, which means you’re getting a nice healthy dose of vitamin D which can help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. A healthy dose of sunlight has also been shown to reduce depression and generally make you feel happier.
There are, I’m sure, some people reading this (no you of course) who are just bound and determined never to leave their treadmill behind.I can understand wanting to stay inside where it’s cool and you can see the TV, but you’re missing something wonderful by not being outdoors. I know no one wants to get outside when the weather is extreme, which is why I usually recommend having a treadmill for the rainy or cold days, but doing cardio outdoors when you can will take your overall fitness to a level you’ve never been before.
For more information on running for weight loss, I recommend taking a look at The Ultimate Guide for Running to Lose Weight from Home Fitness Challenge.
Filed Under: Cardio
