treadmill vs walking or running on a road

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  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I remember my first few long runs I would always get a strong urge to go at some point during the run. I can't imagine how it would have been if those runs were outside...

    Plan your routes accordingly. Every route I have that is longer than 2 miles goes past a public toilet (fast food, gas station, public park) or is in a State park where the toilets might not be as frequent but there are plenty of trees.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    I prefer running outside in all whether conditions, but treadmills are good for some things like watching television or recording videos https://youtu.be/YLtM3lo5Ea0
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
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    Outdoors. I find that running on a treadmill is just so mind numbingly boring even with music or watching tv that I can't do it. I run outdoors year round in all weather.
  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
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    It depends upon air quality, weather, traffic on planned route, time of day. I personally prefer a treadmill because I can micromanage the speed and slope. I also get asthma running in the cold. When I am in a safe area with low pollution levels running outdoors is lovely, but I don't really have that in my suburban area. Traffic, ozone, pollution and lack of decent trails keep me indoors. I read while I run, or listen to music, and the different programs on the treadmill keep me interested. Having said this, I should also say I run only one time a week, for only 30 to 45 minutes at a time to mix it up with my other activities, so it's not as boring as it could be. There are also scenic DVDs made especially for treadmill users, to keep it interesting.

    Why don't you mix it up if you have both options available? There are good arguments for either, depending upon your circumstances.
  • baciodolce18
    baciodolce18 Posts: 113 Member
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    If you just want some cardio- do the one that you like most. I've always been an outdoor runner (when I was running) but for some reason this go around the treadmill is doing it for me. I'm trying to transition to outside more as I'd like to do a race in the fall but it is harder to run outside. Even on a flat area. But I like playing with the clock on the treadmill and playing with speed and pushing myself to make it to X time before a sip of water. It really really helps pass the time. But outside can be pretty (it is in rural NJ at least). It all depends on you and your goals and interests.

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