Treadmill Running and Road Running - Essay Example

Treadmill Running and Road Running There are two basic types of physical workouts when it comes to running; treadmill running and road running. Treadmill running, as the name indicates, is the running that is done upon a treadmill machine whereas road running is done on a road. This paper draws a comparison and contrast between the treadmill running and road running. Road running is more physically demanding, psychologically engaging, and financially relieving than treadmill running whereas treadmill running is safer and easier to do everyday than road running. Treadmill running is indoor running whereas road running is outdoor running. A huge difference is made because of the running being indoor or outdoor. When the running is indoor, the force exerted by the muscles to run on the treadmill is lesser than that needed to push the ground outdoor because of the fact that the base of the treadmill is moving also whereas outside, the ground is static. When the base is moving and that too at a constant speed, the muscles of the legs adjust to it so that the runner develops resilience. However, when the base is static as in the road running, the muscles of the body have to exert more because it is only the body that is moving and not the ground. In addition to that, the base of the treadmill remains the same all the time; there are no digs or humps in the base whereas on a road, the runner keeps coming across humps and digs, muddy paths and concrete bases. Accordingly, the muscles keep adjusting automatically to the varying bases. In effect, this makes road running better as compared to running on a treadmill because the muscles exert more in the former as compared to latter. Road running is more engaging and interesting than treadmill running. In the road running, an individual has numerous paths of running to choose from. There is so much variety that the individual may choose a different path for running everyday if he/she wants. Choosing different paths makes running interesting as the runner gets to see new things. This diverts his/her attention from the running so that he/she does not get exhausted by running while the body’s muscles keep doing their work. Running everyday in the same pattern makes the body develop resilience and the workout is not as effective as running on different paths. On the other hand, in the treadmill running, the runner does not have any choice. He/she has to run on the treadmill all the time with the same static surroundings. This may make treadmill running really boring and reduce the efficiency of the runner. A runner who can easily run for thirty minutes on a road may become extremely exhausted by running just for fifteen minutes on a treadmill because nothing in the surroundings changes all this while. Therefore, people who use treadmill for running are strongly recommended to have some other things of interest around them like music so that they keep engaged in their work. Again, road running is better than treadmill running because of the constant change of surroundings. Road running is more cost effect than the treadmill running. When an individual wants to run on the road, he/she does not have to pay for it. All it takes to run is fetch the track suit, although running can be done in any kind of casual trousers available in the home. The individual has to buy a pair of joggers as well but that is require for treadmill running too, so the cost is balanced out. There is no cost of running on the road unlike the treadmill running, in which the individual first has to pay the cost of treadmill. Treadmills have different costs depending upon the size of the machine and the quality of materials used in it. Whatever the cost, it is more than that incurred in road running. So road running costs lesser than treadmill running. Treadmill running is safer than road running. In road running, the runner is constantly at the risk of being caught in an accident. He/she could be hit by a fast-moving car from the back. The runner could slip into a dig in the road and may be struck by a car coming from the side. Similarly, there can several other ways in which road running can be risky. Treadmill running is safer in this respect because there is even surface on which the individual runs. There are no cars moving on the side and there are also no digs and humps. Therefore, in terms of safety, treadmill running is safer than road running. Treadmill running can be done on daily basis irrespective of anything whereas road running may be affected by a strike or a bad weather outside. When an individual runs on a treadmill, it can be done everyday without any breaks. The reason is that the treadmill may be placed in the corner of one’s bedroom and there is no external interruption in the exercise. Unlike the treadmill, when an individual runs on the road, the exercise may be affected by external and environmental factors. For example, if it starts raining, the individual has to quit running. Likewise, if there is a political strike and the individual’s favorite path is blocked, the individual may not feel like running that day. Therefore, treadmill running can be done on daily basis whereas road running might occasionally be missed out. Concluding, road running is better than treadmill running in a variety of ways; road running makes the individual burn more calories during running, road running is more engaging and interesting for the individual, and road running is cheaper than treadmill running. Some factors that make treadmill running better than road running are the fact that it is safer than road running, and that it can be done on daily basis unlike road running. Overall, road running’s pros are more and cons are lesser than treadmill running, so road running is more recommendable than treadmill running. Read More