In order to better keep healthy and achieve various fitness goals, people are constantly exploring different ways of exercise, and I believe you are no exception. But when it comes to simple and effective exercise ways, running always stands out with its benefits. We all know that running is good for us. It improves our feeling and appearance, makes our hearts stronger and our minds clearer. What's more, it can also make our muscles stronger and helps us maintain a slim figure. However, its benefits go far beyond the obvious scope. In fact, there is no system in the body that can't benefit from running. From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, running will give you a full-body exercise and improve all aspects of your health.
Running is a great form of exercise, and you can choose to run on a treadmill or run outdoors to enjoy all the benefits of running. But all along, there is a question that has caused many different opinions among runners, that is, is it better to run on the running exercise machine or outdoors? Although there is a great debate about this question, in the final analysis, there is no absolutely right or absolutely wrong answer to the debate about whether it is better to run on the running exercise machine or outdoors. Actually, they have their own pros and cons. In the following article, I will introduce you the pros and cons of running on the running exercise machine and running outdoors respectively, hoping to help you determine which method is more suitable for you.
Pros of running on a running exercise machine
1. Not limited by weather or temperature
Running in bad weather is always uncomfortable. Whether it is due to strong wind, heavy rain or hail, there are many weather factors that will cause you to give up outdoor training, which will easily make your running lose motivation. In addition, running in hot weather is at risk of dehydration or heatstroke, while running in cold weather is at risk of slipping. But running on the electric treadmill at home or in the gym, you can avoid bad weather and uncomfortable temperatures. You will be in a climate-controlled environment and will not be affected by any outdoor bad weather and temperature.
2. Has less influence on joints
Although regular running will inevitably have some impact on the joints, especially the knees, running on the running machine has less influence on your joints than outdoor running, because it usually has a shock absorption effect and can provide a safe cushion for your back, joints, knees, ankles and muscles. In addition, some researchers have found that running on the running exercise machine usually has a shorter stride length and a higher overall stride length compared with outdoor running. This can further prove that it can reduce the influence on joints such as knees, ankles and hips.
3. Make your running more fun
When running outdoors, you may only run in a monotonous form. Over time, you may get bored. But if you run on the running exercise machine, your running will become more fun. So do you know how to make your exercise on a treadmill more fun? Generally speaking, a running exercise machine will be equipped with a mobile phone stand and a built-in Bluetooth speaker, which means that you can watch your favorite videos or listen to your favorite music while running on it. This can make your running more fun. In addition, some running exercise machines have adjustable slopes, and you can adjust their slopes to experience the fun of slope running.
Cons of running on a running exercise machine
Although running on an electric treadmill has many pros, it also has some cons. First of all, if you use the running exercise machine improperly, you will probably get injured during running on it. Secondly, because running on the running exercise machine can’t make you turn, it limits your ability to improve your lateral agility.
Pros of outdoor running
1. You can enjoy nature and breathe fresh air
Some studies have shown that running outdoors can make you feel happier, because you can enjoy nature, breathe fresh air and bathe in warm sunshine, which can help you relieve stress and anxiety. Besides, running outdoors is also good for your health, because running outdoors can give you a certain dose of vitamin D every day.
2. Make your running more challenging
Compared with running on the running exercise machine, running outdoors can make your running more challenging. This is not only in terms of speed, but also in terms of strength, coordination, technique and endurance. For example, if you live near hills or mountains, running routes with inclines, declines and switchbacks will challenge your legs more. In addition, although most running exercise machines have slope function, they are limited compared with your experience of running outdoors.
Cons of outdoor running
1. Limited by weather conditions
When there is bad weather outdoors, such as heavy rain, snow or hail, you can't run outdoors. It can be said that the biggest con of outdoor running is that it is limited by the weather conditions, which will make you lose a lot of running opportunities.
2. It may be dangerous and there is a risk of injury
During the whole process of outdoor running, you may encounter different and uneven terrain, which may increase your risk of injury. In addition, when you are running outdoors, you may encounter some dangers, such as falling, hitting cars or pedestrians.
In this article, I introduced the pros and cons of running on a treadmill and running outdoors. Running anywhere is a good choice. I hope you can benefit from running.
