Chances are if you are reading this blog, you incorporate running into your cardio routine.Running is the most common and by far the most popular form of general cardiovascular exercise. However,in overcrowded urban areas, many people have substituted outside free or track running with running indoors on a treadmill. Both have their ups and downs, but which one is for you?
Don't know? That's okay. We've broken it down for you.
Treadmill
The Good: Treadmills have much better padding than concrete or asphalt. Any type of running related injury, such as shin splints, is extremely unlikely with a treadmill. A run on a treadmill will likely not leave your knees killing you the next day. Since treadmills have fully adjustable speed and incline, you have many, many options. With a treadmill, you also never have to worry about the weather preventing you from running.
The Bad: Unless you go to a gym, treadmills are expensive to buy and maintain. Treadmills don’t have the psychological benefits of free running outside. Users have reported that treadmill running can be monotonous as well. Lack of exposure to outside running can actually weaken tendons and joints from under-stress, making them more prone to injury should you transition to outside running. Long term treadmill use can actually affect proper running stance, as decreased wind resistance causes treadmill runners to stop leaning forward, and causes an overly bouncy form.
Outside Running
The Good: Outside running is a great way to get outside and get some fresh air. Outside free running is a great stress reliever, and has shown to have numerous psychological benefits. While for some it might be bad, the added stress on the legs in outside running helps condition them, so you can become a better overall runner. If you are training for a race or a marathon, outside running simulates those conditions far more effectively than a treadmill. Also, a treadmill only simulates real running, whereas actually running gives you the full health benefits
The Bad: Injuries, Injuries, and Injuries! Outside running, especially for beginners carries a much higher risk for injury than a treadmill. Especially if you are running on terrain with changing slopes, uphill and downhill, you have a higher risk of developing shin splints or joint pains. Also, running outside under the sun or in hot weather, especially for beginners, leaves you more prone to sunburn or heatstroke unless you take proper precautions to stay covered and hydrated.
What does it come down to? Personal preference.
Consider the benefits and risks of both the track and treadmill and identify your needs: Are you training for a marathon? Or maybe you just want to work out? Do you have financial limitations?
Wanna know more? Read more!
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/treadincline.htm
http://www.treadmill-online.com/home/treadmill-guides/facts/treadmills-advantages-and-disadvantages.htm
http://running.about.com/od/treadmillrunning/f/treadmillrun.htm
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