Why Can I Run on a Treadmill but Not Outside?

I have been going to the gym for a long time now. My main focus is generally on the treadmill. I spend a lot of time using it. And usually, my mile targets are met each day, and I tend to increase the mark from time to time.

Knowing that I can run on the treadmill for an extended amount of time and reach higher marks, I decided to run outside once. But I struggled a lot to complete a 1-mile mark.

Well, that is where I got into researching the topic of running on a treadmill vs. outside.

After spending countless hours reading facts, I learned about many factors that made me incapable of running outside for a long time. And those are things I will focus on in this article.

So, if you are facing the same issue, I would recommend reading through the entire article.

Is Running on a Treadmill Good for You?

When you learned that you could not run that much on the outside as you can on a treadmill, you might have wondered is running on a treadmill bad for you.

Well, the answer is pretty simple. No, running on a treadmill is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good thing. But how?

Different researches show that running on a treadmill is actually beneficial. Wondering what benefits do they offer? Well, they are as stated below:

Heart Benefits

Treadmills are beneficial and effective in terms of diagnosing heart diseases. It works wonders in terms of interpreting the issues of coronary artery blockages and other cardiac problems. Wondering how? Well, the heart will not show any symptoms until you put it through stress.

When you run on the treadmill, you put your heart through stress, which is why you can feel your heart pumping. And during these sessions, it is possible to address the underlying issues that might turn serious after a while.

For that reason, many of the hospitals will make the patients go through the treadmill test to figure out whether any cholesterol issues or heart blockages are occurring or not.

In addition to that, it is genuinely possible to determine the problem by yourself before taking a test. If you struggle a lot while taking an easy run on the treadmill, you need to get your heart checked as soon as possible.

That being said, the treadmill does not only help you address the heart issues, it also helps in terms of improving the condition.

The aerobic exercise that you will do on it will improve blood circulation. It will also work like a charm in terms of protecting the blood vessels from diseases and blockage.

Alongside that, you will lower the chances of cholesterol issues occurring by running on the treadmill regularly. The cholesterol level will be well under control.

Diabetics Benefits

Walking on a treadmill is good exercise. And when people exercise regularly, the chances of getting diagnosed with severe diabetic issues will be considerably low.

Also, the ones that already have these issues addressed can keep the diabetic level well under control by exercising on the treadmill.

By exercising for just 20 minutes, the liver will release all stored glucose to fuel the whole body. And when that happens regularly, the glucose level will be well under control. Eventually, the blood glucose level will drop substantially.

Keeping Body Fit

Besides just keeping the levels of diseases under control, exercising on the treadmill can help you stay fit.

You will work your heart and other parts of your body while running on one of these. And these workout sessions can help you obtain the shape that you were looking for.

Running Outside vs. Treadmill Weight Loss

As I have mentioned above, running on the treadmill is good for you. It brings a lot of benefits that will keep you fit and different diseases in check.

But does it help you lose weight? Or is it sub-par to running outside? Well, this segment will exactly focus on that issue.

Treadmill

While running on the treadmill, you can play with different settings. There are speed intervals and timings that you can adjust.

By adjusting them, it is very much possible to push your body to the absolute limit. And by forcing the body to the borderline regularly, the fat levels are going to go down substantially.

Then, there are incline levels. Now, what most do not know is what incline is equivalent to running outside.

Well, by inclining, you will be making the path steep. In other words, the scenario would be that you are running uphill.

While running on the inclined mode, you will burn a lot of calories at a rapid pace. And if you can run on inclined levels for an extended amount of time, it is possible to burn a lot of fat.

Running Outside

When it comes to running outside, it becomes pretty hard to find challenging paths. And not all of the tracks are straight, which means you cannot maintain a stable speed or higher speed all the time.

You would need to lower down the speed or come to a stop from time to time.

Now, coming to a stop or not maintaining the same speed for an extended amount of time is not a bad thing at all.

But by doing those, you can ensure that your body is pushed to the absolute limit. And that is not always possible while running outdoors.

In addition to that, you might not be able to find an uphill track to run on unless you are close to mountainous terrains.

And as I have mentioned above, running on inclined tracks allows your body to burn a lot of fat. So, the results that are obtained through running outdoors will be pretty slow.

Nonetheless, while running outside, you will be embracing nature, which is always a good thing. Also, you can meet new people or catch up with your friends and family when being outside. That will make you social as well.

Is It Better to Run on a Treadmill Or Outside

Now that you know both about running on a treadmill and outside, you might want to know which one is better. Well, it might sound disappointing, but there is no winner. It will depend on the scenario you have and other factors.

First of all, to run outdoors, you need a specific path for running. And that is not always available.

There might be no parks around you either. But for running on a treadmill, you only require a small space in the room and a power outlet. So, in this case, the winner would be the treadmill.

Secondly, while running outside, you get to enjoy nature. And if you can wake up early and go out running, your lungs will enjoy fresh and less polluted air as well. Here, the winner is going to be running outsides.

What Treadmill Incline Is Equivalent to Running Outside

Other than the treadmill incline, it is not possible to get access to inclined or uphill tracks that easily. But in most treadmills, you can incline the lane and push your body to the absolute limit by increasing the speed.

Nevertheless, after looking through the treadmill vs. outside running chart, I can undoubtedly say that it is genuinely possible to burn an equal amount of calories in both scenarios.

But you need to know a lot of things and know all about speed and what your body is capable of.

Why Can’t I run Outside When I Can Run on a Treadmill?

Let me now get to the topic that you are primarily here for, which is why you are incapable of running outside when you can efficiently run on the treadmill.

Well, there are a couple of reasons, and I am going to discuss all of them in this segment. So, keep on reading.

Pace

The main problem is the pace. While running on the treadmill, the speed does not just bump up suddenly. It goes up gradually. And our body can keep up with the gradual changes easily and finds it hard to adapt to sudden changes.

Usually, when we run outside, we tend to pick up the pace exceptionally fast. In some scenarios, the pick-up of the speed happens all of a sudden. And that drains a lot of energy.

This thing is prevalent in terms of stopping as well. When you are running outside, you stop at an instant.

But is that really the case for the treadmills? Not really! When you put it to a stop, it will slow its speed gradually. As a result, the stress exerted on the body will not be that much.

Constant Speed

While being on a treadmill, you set up a target and a speed. And the pace is generally constant all the time.

And running at a constant speed is much easier than running at different rates. For that reason, you find it easier to run on a treadmill, while running outside seems a lot hard.

Mind Set

Another thing that plays a vital role in terms of running on the treadmill is mindset. Most people are determined to complete a certain amount of running sessions no matter what happens.

And the possibility of competing in this targeted session remains high in terms of a treadmill.

But why? Well, while running on a treadmill, you face fewer obstacles; the path is basically straight. There is no turning around, nor do you have to worry about having to come to a complete stop.

On the other hand, while running outside, you can stumble upon people, have to change the direction, turn around, and come to a complete stop from time to time.

And these are the reasons why it becomes a bit difficult to complete the targeted time or session.

Effort

Many believe that running on a treadmill is more manageable than running outside because the treadmill is doing most of the work for you.

Well, it is true to some extent. If you hold on to the handles and let the treadmill push you backward, you will put considerably less effort into walking and running.

But the case is a lot different in terms of running outside. There are no handles that you can hold onto. And certainly, you will not find the path pushing you. So, it is comparatively hard to run outdoor.

That being said, if you run on the treadmill without holding the handle and propelling yourself properly, you are actually putting a good amount of effort into running. And that is when you will lose weight and burn calories at a higher amount.

How to Run Outside?

If you are planning to run outside instead of on a treadmill, I would recommend starting off with a high speed. Then, gradually maintain a constant pace and decrease it gradually. Do not ramp or slow down suddenly.

Additionally, pick a path that is straight and does not have that many turns. Also, after running on the straightforward terrain for a certain amount of time, choose an uphill path and run on it for a reasonable amount of time.

If you keep all of these factors in your mind, it will undoubtedly be possible to run outside efficiently and gain the result you are looking forward to.

Final Words

Overall, when it comes to running on a treadmill vs. outside, there is no clear winner. There are a lot of factors, which I have described above.

And I hope that all the things I have gone through in this article were helpful and you now know why you are incapable of running outside while you can certainly run on the treadmill.