Why is running outside better then running the treadmill?

Running in one spot is not as challenging (nor fulfilling) enuf to your body. Running outdoors is tougher, the hills are realistic and plus added challenges of trails or just facing the unknown streets you haven't travelled yet always provides that excitment for me.

Being stationary on a treadmill is good for caloric and fat loss but the best cardio workout is running outdoors.

A common myth is that running on a treadmill is better for your knees. This actually depends on the type of treadmill and its level of cushioning. Sometimes, you might be better off running on concrete than some treadmills.

As for why running outside is considered better might be due to the fact that it is more often then not, a harder workout. Firstly, a treadmill would have to have an incline setting of 1 in order to cancel the effect of the belt pushing you forward. Secondly, outside you will encounter wind resistance and exposure to the elements, which helps to burn more calories.

This is not to discount the benefits of the treadmill. In winter, it is usually safer, since there is no ice on a treadmill. Also, if you live in a flat area, you can simulate hills, which is a great plus to the treadmill.

Personally, I would recommend running outside because you get to experience trails or navigating around town. I can vividly remember many fun and memorable runs outside, but none on the treadmill.

There were some decent answers, but let me fill you in.

1. When you run on a treadmill, the machine is sliding the 'ground' underneath you. You can cheat by picking your legs up and down. You don't get the actual exercise from real running since you're not driving your body forward. It's fewer calories burned and less training for your lungs, heart, and muscles.

2. You get one single, solid, flat route to run. Running in the real world helps you build stabilizer muscle strength and improves your joints with dealing with terrain features like cracks, curbs, rocks, etc. Real-world running provides changes in the surface so you don't get repetitive injuries from running on a flat surface all the time.

3. Outside is more engaging. If you run out 2 miles, you HAVE to go two miles to come back. You can't just cheat, stop the treadmill, hop off, and be done.

Running on the treadmill is different than running outside. When you're running outdoors, you have to work against the wind sometimes and there is change in terrain. Running on a treadmill is just as good for you, because you're still working your heart and exercising regardless. Come spring, you might want to start alternating between running indoors and outdoors, seeing as you need to become accustomed to running in an outside environment for track.

1. Outside is less boring. You can explore your neighborhood, enjoy the countryside, and breathe fresh air.

2. Treadmill running often requires different form, you have to adjust your stride to run on the machine.

3. Treadmills are often a harder surface than asphalt or the road shoulder (although newer ones are much better than older ones).

4. Running outside, you are a part of the running community. You pass another runner and you wave at each other. You learn the little details that make each run complete - a dog will bark at me as I pass this fence, Mr. Johnson backs out of the driveway at 6:56 every morning, etc. On the treadmill, its just you and the machine, plodding along in place while you listen to an Ipod or watch TV.

The problem with a treadmill in the gym is that I usually end up next to some moron on a cell phone or some sweating grunting pig who hasn't showered for the past six weeks. As soon as it's a little warmer, outside I'll be.

I think just because it is less boring and more motivating in the long run. Treadmill running is actually easier on your body. I also find it "harder" to run on the treadmill, as I force myself to go at a faster pace. However, for long runs and variety, outside wins. Not to mention, signing up for road races makes it fun.

It is only simply better for your feet and legs to get accostumed to a different floor because they get a better training perspective. On the treadmill, it' only all too smooth and straight and the only thing you can change are the uphills. Outside you get to challenge your legs a little more and gets them conditioned sooner. Running on grass even helps to train your breathing a bit more since its a rougher floor. Running outside has alot of benefits.

Even for the asthmatics, it helps sometimes to stay inside on the cold days because it is easier to get an asthma attack when the lungs hit the cold air. But then during the warmer seasons, its better for the lungs to get used to the outside once again.

You can adjust your speed more easily and its better for the type of terrain that (some) runners run on depending on if you do track or cross country. Plus a watch is way better to time yourself than the clocks on the treadmills. :)

not only are treadmills boring, but they are also harder on your legs than running outside. this is because on a treadmill all of your force is directed straight down whereas when you are out side the force is dispersed through the action of propelling you forward and so the stress on your bones and joints is less