Running outside is more enjoyable, less stressful, and less costly..
Treadmill running is easier, less impactful, and more expensive.
– It burns more calories – You will work more muscles – It prepares you for races – It's an exploration opportunity – You will exercise longer
- Running outside is more fun. - Trail variations provide essential track running resistance training. - Even on the same route, the incline and decline are different.
Using a smartwatch provides far more data than running on a treadmill. HRV measures a runner's heart rate fluctuation. You can track your progress.
Running outside in today's traffic isn't even advised. The main concern when running outside is dog fear.
You can just get dressed and go. You can run whenever. No interruptions, distractions, and better weather control.
Good treadmills have a 15% to 40% incline. This much incline is rarely possible when running outside. It burns 3-4 times more calories than flat running.
Treadmills help with injury recovery. While running outside is riskier, the treadmill's controlled speeds and incline can be beneficial.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission claims that treadmills cause the most injuries. Injury rates range from 2.5 to 33 per 1000 hours of running.
The treadmill uses your quads more because the mat moves towards you, whereas outdoor running uses your hamstrings.
It matters more that we run than where we run. Both have benefits and drawbacks, but they cannot be substituted. For training purposes, both are rather complementory to each other.