Jogging Outside Vs. Treadmill
I’ve always been a fan of jogging: it’s easy, it’s fun, it’s effective, it doesn’t cost anything-except for the equipment and a right pair of shoes- and you don’t have to go to a gym to do it.
What’s a better way to start the day than with 30 minutes of jogging in the park, enjoying the fresh air and working out at the same time?
We could say that jogging is a type of work out good not only for your body but also for you spirit.
Although I’ve always preferred jogging outside, enjoying the nature, during the cold season I go running at the gym, like most people do. I’ve heard a lot of rumors saying that running outside is better than on a treadmill, but no one could actually tell me why this is. So I decided to do a little research on my own. Here is what I came up with:
Energy expenditure
It might seem like doing the same amount of effort for many, but it actually isn’t. Running on a treadmill is easier than running outside. The explanation is simple: the treadmill belt helps you take off and propels you along while you run. When you run outside, you have to move your own feet without any help. Not to mention the wind resistance and the terrain, that isn’t always as smooth and without obstacles as the treadmill belt. All of these small differences might seem insignificant for many, but they do count when it comes to burning calories.
Injury risks
Some might argue that it’s easier to get injured when you run outside, which is partially true. As I said before, the terrain can be challenging, especially for a beginner: it can have many obstacles or inequalities; plus, the pavement can be hard on your joints.
However, running on a treadmill is no less. How many times haven’t you seen people falling off their treadmills at the gym? Once you’ve set your foot on a treadmill you have to go along with it, you don’t have control over you own feet like you do when you go running outside. From this point of view, both types of work-out have their disadvantages.
Nature and socializing
I guess it’s needless to say that running outside is much better from this point of view. Sure, you can enjoy your favorite show on TV while doing your work-out and you won’t catch a cold so easily during winter, but jogging has many other advantages: you get to change the scenery, enjoy the nature, breathe the fresh air in the morning and even socialize with other people.
Both types of work-out have their advantages and disadvantages so it doesn’t quite matter which one you choose. What’s important is that you do you try to make time for your work-out routine, at least 30 minutes per day.
RSS Trackback URL 6. August 2011 (14:48)
Filed under: Fitness by Alice in Dietland
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