Is Treadmill Running easier than Road Running?

Yes, it is!  Is that why you prefer the treadmill?  It’s true that we can all get a great running workout on a treadmill, with all it’s mutiple settings for speed, intervals, hill training etc.  But treadmill running really can’t compare to the great outdoors.

How is Treadmill Running Easier?

“When you’re running on a treadmill, the conveyor belt does some of the work for you, but when you’re running outside, your body has to propel itself forward without any motorized help,” says Jason Karp, a professional running coach in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  There’s also more air resistance when you’re sweating outside, plus there’s usually a slight incline or decline. 

Some studies also indicate that treadmill running doesn’t burn as many calories as running outside. This could be due to the wind resistance that runner’s experience when running outdoors. Plus, as we mentioned above, the other factor could be the varying grades and inclines that we run on outside, which increases our heart rate and makes us work harder.

So, where running on a treadmill is alright for some of your running workouts, if you don’t get outside and pound the pavement (so to speak), you will find the next road race that you do harder than your treadmill running because you haven’t conditioned your body/muscles for roadrunning.  It’s a good idea to mix up your running venues and when you do run on the treadmill, keep the incline set at 1.0, this will simulate an outdoor environment.  Most importantly – keep running!

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