Treadmill and outside running

luvmybeebees
luvmybeebees Posts: 681 Member
edited October 4 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,

So, I have been doing my walking/running on a treadmill for almost 2 months. Sometimes I just walk, sometimes I do a random program, but most of the time I try to do run/walk intervals.

Yesterday, I decided to take it outside. I did intervals for 2.5 miles, and felt like I did okay...BUT today my legs are SO sore! They don't get sore on the treadmill.

Can anyone tell me why? It's not like I haven't been doing the same stuff on the treadmill...just curious :)

Thanks!

Replies

  • helma123
    helma123 Posts: 79 Member
    I have read that running on the treadmill is not the same effort as running outside. You probably just worked those muscles harder than you're used to.
  • Athena413
    Athena413 Posts: 1,709 Member
    Different surface forces you to use different muscles. On the treadmill, you're propelled by the the belt. On the street your propelled by you. It's tougher to get yourself going on the street because you don't have mechanical help.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
    The treadmill acts as a shock absorber. Plus you were forced to actually propel yourself forward against the outside elements. Last, if your terrain was anything short of perfectly flat, you had to use supportive muscles to compensate for terrain variations. Oh, and the treadmill should always be set to 1-2% just to mimic flat outdoor running. :smile:

    Good for you for taking it outside!
  • KimertRuns13_1
    KimertRuns13_1 Posts: 702 Member
    Use an incline on the treadmill and it will seem a little more like you are running outside.
  • thefishers4
    thefishers4 Posts: 165 Member
    I agree with others. It has to do with the fact that treadmills have tension for your feet and that it is totally different experience. I know that when I did a mile today on my treadmill I wasn't as tired as say a mile walking from my house to my parents on a gravel road.
  • joannaram
    joannaram Posts: 2
    It's a different world when you compare running on a treadmill to running outside. I prefer to run outside, cause i can see the distance i have covered and you can explore different trails. Plus running outside, especially if you are running on the beach can also be as a form of meditation. You can also set a goal, when i feel like giving up i tell myself to keep going until i get to a certain destination without stopping to walk. Once i reach that goal i get more pumped and continue to jog past it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Treadmill assist your run and absorb shock. The road doesn't. That's why I smirk inside when a person who runs on a treadmill says that they could do the same workout on the road with no problems.
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