Treadmill Or Not

[bcalvanese]

I know a lot of folks use treadmills but I just cant for some reason.

The time goes by soooooooo slooooooooow. A minute seems like an hour.

It feels funny to my legs. Like I'm just keeping up wityh a belt instead of moving my body accross the ground.

It feels too easy. My Sister can run 3 miles on her treadmill yet cannot even run a quarter mile on the actaul ground.

I much prefer jogging/power walking outside in the local parks. I see many other people to say hi to. I can look see nature and get some fresh air. And I am actaully moving my body along the ground and adjustin to irregularities of the ground with each step.

Blazing heat or freezing cold does not bother me either. I stay hydrated and dress accordingly.

I would like to know what other people prefer, and why they prefer one over the other.

[WendyB]

I love Nature. I love walking outside. Had A dreadmill and got rid if it. Put me outside and im there everyday. Put me on a dreadmill and well.............Put a coat on it to make  it look usefull

[USAF-Larry]

I still use the treadmill when I have to, but I'm with you @WendyB, about walking in nature. I like to walk different areas, to see different things, as often as I can. Sometimes it is just a walk down the country road, sometimes it is a walk on a hilly route, and sometimes it is a walk through a nature preserve or park. One of my passions is nature photography, so often I take the camera on walks just to see what unique nature photos I can capture.

But, there are times, when the weather is so misearble that the treadmill is the better option.  And, there have been times when I've looked at my tracker in the evening and discovered I've only done 2.78 miles that day - to the treadmill to get the rest of the 5 miles for that day... 

[Knight92]

tread mills when too hot / cold to go outside.  Running for me is so much better outside and however odd, more rewarding vs doing a hamster run.

[FitBeforeFifty]

There is no such thing as "too hot to run outside." Now too cold, maybe. Of course I'm from Texas, so the heat I can handle and luckily it's also never been to cold to run here.

[WendyB]

No such thing as cold either. Im out there at 25 degrees. Just need to bundle up

[shipo]

Agreed; our local running club has a "More miles than degrees" board (no cheating and using Celcius).  The question always comes up, "Well, what if I go for a 10-mile run when it is -10°F outside?"  🙂

[A_Lurker]

@WendyB - average morning temps here hover around 8F.  Afternoon average is 23F, but I'm often not home until dark.  We average around 85 days when it snows and 117 inches of snow.  I don't always feel safe turning the corner in my car (ie. can't see) with the plowed snow.  As we have no sidewalks in my immediate area I'll be using my treadmill this winter if I need to.  Assuming the weightloss continues I will likely need to.

[WendyB]

Don't get me wrong. It is fine to use the treadmill. I just choose not too.

I'm lucky as I don't get snow. If I did I would be on the treadmill. As I hate snow ☺

[A_Lurker]

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@WendyB wrote:
As I hate snow ☺

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Me too, and I moved into a snow belt for work.  The winter is one of the few negatives of the town.  For the first time in over 30 years of working I'm 5 mins away from work.  I'm thinking by next spring I can join some of my coworkers who walk to work.

[x_Toots_x]

I don't drive because I never understood the appeal in purchasing a car instead of going to Europe and spending a good chunk of my hard earned pay to keep it fed in fuel instead of me going to a nice restaurant so I am by my own craziness forced to walk everywhere. I walk to work, to the grocery store and to said fancy restaurants. So I do get my outdoor walking. 

But I hate the outdoors.

I have Lupus so the Australian sun and I are not friends. I also live in an area that rains, like all the time. It's raining right now. You'd think that would cut down on the sunshine but no, I just manage to get burnt and have wet socks all at the same time. Also some of the pro outdoor walkers have commented that they prefer it because they're 'going somewhere' but where are you going? If I am in need of a loaf of bread than I have a mission but I hate the aimlessly walking around in circles (even very big circles) and smiling politely at random people.

So yes, I am pro treadmill (or ellipitical which is what I actually use) and tv.

[shipo]

Winter time running can be fun; it's all in how you approach it.  My wife and I run on the groomed snowmobile trails in our area, and if the trail isn't well groomed due to a heavy snow fall within the previous few hours, then we don our running snowshoes and off we go.  🙂

[Tave]

I used to be one who preferred walking in nature over the treadmill.  While outside I can walk for hours on end with good music and scenery, and routinely did so.

I didn't not like the treadmill, I just never had access to one; or in the case when I lived in Mexico, I couldn't use it because my head hit the ceiling every time I stood on it.

Now I am in a situation where I have access to and it makes more sense for me to use the treadmill since my access to the outside is extremely limited.  And I find that I like it.  Having an active imagination and good music helps too.  

I like that I can adjust the incline higher at will instead of walking around looking for hills, and can move faster for prolonged periods without worrying about bumping into people or approaching a curb.  

There are benefits to both methods of walking.  I like both.  But just choose whichever is best for you.

[TerriST]

I am a treadmill person if I want to exercise.  I love walking outside if I am sight seeing or on a nature hike but walking the same few paths/streets from my house day after day is not enjoyable.  At the gym I can watch TV to pass the time and get the exercise in

[DanielleinDC]

I hear ya. It was such a gorgeous day today that I decided to walk in the park that's across the street from my home.. My efforts were undermined because I'm the sort of person who says hello to every dog she sees and will pet them if they and their humans are amenable. (And like that gal in the video, I also want to pet every cat.)

[samantams]

I guess it depends on your current routine. I live in a big city, so can't run on the streets if I don't want to stop every block and wait for cars (and blocks in São Paulo are way smaller than in the US). I also only have my lunch hour to exercise so 20 min for weights and 15 min tops for treadmill. I am training with a HIT (high intensity training) sequence, which is a 10, 15 or 25 training where you alternate your speed up and down every couple of minutes or so (that increases metabolism so it should help with weight loss). Since I have to pay attention to the changes in speed, time goes by much faster. I also listen to podcasts sometimes. So running outside would certainly be ideal - you have sight-seeing, people, the sun - but we adapt to whatever is possible at our current life moment to improve health.

[shipo]

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@samantams wrote:
I guess it depends on your current routine. I live in a big city, so can't run on the streets if I don't want to stop every block and wait for cars (and blocks in São Paulo are way smaller than in the US). I also only have my lunch hour to exercise so 20 min for weights and 15 min tops for treadmill. I am training with a HIT (high intensity training) sequence, which is a 10, 15 or 25 training where you alternate your speed up and down every couple of minutes or so (that increases metabolism so it should help with weight loss). Since I have to pay attention to the changes in speed, time goes by much faster. I also listen to podcasts sometimes. So running outside would certainly be ideal - you have sight-seeing, people, the sun - but we adapt to whatever is possible at our current life moment to improve health.

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Every time I've been in Brazil I've noticed when approaching an intersection, even when the light is red and there is a lot of cross traffic, all you need to do is sound your horn and drive right on through.  Maybe you need to carry a big air-horn with you when you run.  😛

[dragonpupps]

The treadmill is easier, which is a good starting place since the ground stays consistent. Outdoors is nice though, because you get some fresh air, but if the weather affects you, it's a bit harder to do. I have never really ran outside, but would like to start. Have any tips?

[shipo]

@dragonpupps, I coach a lot of beginning runners, and to a one they all say they are shocked how hard it is to transition from a treadmill to running outside.  Then again, I coach a lot of runners who don't like extremes in the weather and transition inside to a treadmill and they too are shocked how hard it is to run on a mill.

Long story short, switching is different and your body will need a bit of time to get used to the new environment.  Personally I believe it is harder to go outside because you need to concentrate on your environment, what with cars (both parked and moving), pedestrians, surface irregularities, rocks, roots, acorns, hills, wind, sun, rain, sleet, snow, ice, getting lost..., your brain needs to be far more engaged and your body needs to jink and twist and hop, and shuffle at the last moment to keep things safe and moving along.

So, my recommendation would be to make your first run or two only half to two-thirds of the distance you normally run on a treadmill, and run at a slower pace.  You'll get the hang of it quick enough.  🙂

[dragonpupps]

@shipo thanks for the information! I'll be sure to try it out. Maybe not too soon since it is getting cold and I don't want to injure myself on my first outdoor run, but I'll hopefully get to try it in the spring. Thanks again!

[samantams]

LOL 

Great advice!! From what you said, I'd guess you've been to Rio... here in São Paulo you'll certainly get into an accident if you try cutting the red light... too many cars!

You reminded me of another thing that makes going to the gym and using the treadmill a safer choice... less chances of getting robbed! Sometimes I'm a bit worried about using my Fitbit everywhere. I'm too attached to it already!