Treadmill vs. Outdoor Running: Pros and Cons

By Jeanne Faulkner

Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board

Track, trail, or treadmill? You don't have to choose—all have a place in the race to fitness. To help decide which might be better for you, we've broken down the pros and cons of running on a treadmill versus running outdoors.

Running on a Treadmill

Pros:

No excuses. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor darkness can stop you. The treadmill is always there (barring a power outage), waiting for you to hop on and exercise.

It's friendly on the joints. The padded treads are easier on achy knees and stiff joints than concrete or asphalt surfaces.

It's harder to slack off. It's easy to slow down and smell the roses when you're running outside. Once you set the pace on the treadmill, however, slowing down means intentionally re-setting the machine.

You might burn more calories. No hills in your neighborhood? Bump up the incline to challenge your muscles.

You can add intervals. Use the treadmill's preprogrammed functions to turn your run into an interval-training program. Alternating between a quicker and slower pace has been shown to speed results.

Cons:

You can quit whenever you want. When you run outdoors, you can't quit exercising until you get back to your car or house. With the treadmill, you can just hit "stop."

It's repetitive. Sure, you can watch TV or read a book while pounding out the miles, but after a while, you might get tired of the scenery.

There's no weather challenge. You might think that's a plus, but wind and weather add resistance to your run and make you work harder.

It can alter your running form. When the treadmill is set too fast or at too high an incline, you may alter your running form or grab the handrails to keep up. This can put too much stress on the legs, low back and groin ligaments. If you use a treadmill at a gym, ask a fitness pro to evaluate your pace and form.

Running Outdoors

Pros:

The scenery varies. When one running route becomes too familiar, you can easily change directions or locations for an entirely new workout.

You use different muscles. Every time the terrain changes, like when you step off a curb or climb a hill, your brain and body make accommodations that boost the strength, balance, and neuromuscular impact of your workout.

You push yourself a little bit harder. The treadmill belt does some of the work for you because it pulls you along step for step. When running outdoors, you have to propel your own body forward, which takes more muscle power.

You might burn more calories. Treadmill counters often overestimate how many calories you burn. Given the same time, pace, intensity and distance, outdoor running tends to burn more calories.

It's free. No gym membership needed, or shelling out serious cash for a home machine. You can just put on your sneakers and head out the door.

Cons:

The outdoor temperature is out of your control. Inclement weather may boost your workout, but it's more likely to make you shrug off your run.

It's tough on the joints. Running on hard surfaces, such as the sidewalk or street, can be jarring to your bones. Choose track, dirt or trail surfaces instead.