I don't understand gym workout vs rl running

r0gu3

I don't get it. Doing 45mins of cross country training on elliptical at highest resistance has me sweating bullets but I can push through relatively easy. 20mins of actual running sandy trails in my backyard has me winded but barely sweating and struggling to keep going. I don't understand which is right

Cherimoose

Sweating is done to cool the body. The air rushing past you outside helps cool the body naturally, so less sweating is needed. Makes sense? Perceived exertion is a better gauge of workouts than sweat.

middlehaitch

You are comparing apples and oranges.
The only similarity is you are doing a mainly lower body exercise.
There is probably more humidity in the gym, hence more sweat.
Running through sand engages a lot more muscle than an elliptical. This requires a greater oxygen uptake.

Neither is right, they are just different.

Cheers, h.

ClubSilencio

Running is high impact, whereas an elliptical machine is no impact.

r0gu3

Thanks all!
I've stopped and started so many times I just want to make sure I'm doing it right

ElizabethOakes2

This is why, if you're a runner or walker, it's important to alternate being on the treadmill with being on natural ground. Natural ground, sandy conditions, wet conditions, mud, elevation changes, etc, all engage different muscles to help you maintain your balance and move you forward, while a machine like a treadmill or elliptical trains the same muscles in the same way every time. I can walk ten-twelve miles at my fasted pace on a treadmill, but I'm still at 6 miles of trail-walking in the real world. (7 miles is next week's goal.)