The difference between running outdoors and on a treadmill
When you run outside, you expend more energy than you would on a treadmill, as your muscles get more activated outside due to lack of linear running patterns. Moreover, when running on a stiff surface like concrete, there is a heightened generation of ground reaction forces, which reinforces your bones more than a treadmill. Whereas the very design of treadmills ensures absorption of ground reaction forces, saving your joints from the impact associated with running.
Besides the covid-19 related restrictions to stay indoors, there are also weather and temperature related constraints that tilt the preference towards treadmills.
For instance, running in hot weather attracts the risk of dehydration or heat exhaustion. Additionally, treadmills help with controlling and tracking the pace and keeping it consistent.
That said,running outdoors means more calories burnt
Running outdoors helps burn more calories due wind resistance outside. Bone strength and mineral density also improves, as it’s a weight-bearing and high-impact exercise. Apart from physical benefits, outdoors provide a good amount of vitamin D and lets you inhale the fresh air, leading to a boost in energy and lower levels of stress and anger as compared to running on a treadmill.
Perceived exertion for both activities matter
Hence, whether running on a treadmill or outside, it’s important to maintain the same effort level. Effort is estimated not just by your heart rate, but also on a phenomenon known as ‘perceived exertion’, meaning how hard you consider an activity to be, irrespective of how your body responds to that activity.
Running indoors will be less hard than running outdoors on a rainy or cold day even if you burn more calories or have a faster heart rate. Whereas, on a sunny day, the act of running uphill may be perceived to be harder than running at the same incline and distance on a treadmill. Therefore, choose your place of workout as per your strength and endurance levels, workout preference and the weather conditions outside.
