Treadmills Are Easier Than Running

!±8± Treadmills Are Easier Than Running

Running on a treadmill seems just like running outdoors, except maybe easier on the joints, right? But if that is true, why does it feel so different? Why do some people love one and not the other? It turns out that the movement in running on treadmills is actually significantly different from that in running on hard surfaces. Running outdoors seems harder because it is.

A study by Elliot & Blanksby in Medicine and Science in Sports examined stride length and stride rate. The study recorded no significant differences in stride length or stride rate between running on a treadmill and outdoors when running between 3.3 and 4.8 meters per second. However, at higher speeds, stride length decreased, while stride rate, and the length of time the leg on the ground, increased. The authors didn't conclude further, but their findings regarding higher speeds suggest the answer we are looking for. When running outdoors, our legs are propelling us forward. However, when running on a treadmill, we are simply staying in place, trying to keep up with the moving belt. In so doing, our leg muscles are working mostly at staying upright and moving at the right speed. This certainly seems like less work than moving forward, regardless of the speed at which we are "moving." The calves and hamstrings seem particularly less burdened in this way by treadmill running.

By requiring less use of these muscles, running on treadmills expends less energy. If you're trying to lose weight or increase your cardiovascular health, easier may not be better. However, the reality for most people is that it the toughest part is starting. If what you're starting is easier, it's easier to start. Once you get going, it's easier to keep going. The Journal of Sports Science (1996) reported that running outdoors on a hard surface is most closely approximated by adjusted a treadmill to a 1º incline. Conclusion: Get on your treadmill, get going, increase the incline, and just keep going!