This is a question that has been raised many times and in this article I would like to give my opinion on what I think is best.
I have been a runner for many years and in the early days there were no treadmills, so it was out on the roads or down to the track for any running. But in the last few years I have had the opportunity to run on a treadmill and see what it felt like in comparison to the outdoor runs.
First thing that I had to get used to was the balance, I found that I had to keep looking down to keep my feet squarely on the belt and was quite unsteady when I tried to watch the TV like the others seemed to be doing without any problem.
Secondly, I found that I got very warm quite easily and it made me feel as if I was trapped in a room without fresh air. This might just be personal, but in subsequent visits I have found I get hot fairly quickly and that is a bit uncomfortable for me.
Thirdly, it all seems too mechanical, you are often in a line of about 3 to 6 treadmills and it seems quite robotic just running along with others all doing the same thing.
The main positive I can think about is the availability of the treadmill no matter what the weather is doing. Staying out in the country is very much a plus for many things but it is no fun dragging yourself out in rain, wind and snow to try and get the weekly mileage done.
Also, if you live in the city it can be really handy to pop down to the gym/health club and get your running done on the treadmill without having to go far and knowing that the weather will not stop you.
So all in all I can see some benefit in having the indoor option of the treadmill readily available all year, but at the end of the day I have to admit I prefer the outdoors. Nothing beats bounding along the country roads or tracks with the sun shining and feeling really comfortable as you do your weekly training runs.
Author Resource:-
This article was written by Alan Seel who has many years of running experience. Visit http://www.iwant2run.blogspot.com for more information about running.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://best-running-articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
