Take your run outside - Ditch the Treadmill
Running is a fantastic exercise to do whether it is inside on a treadmill or outside in the fresh air. Although treadmills are great for running all year round, they don’t give you the same experience as running outside.
So here are some reasons to start running outside instead of on a treadmill.
1. It boosts your mood. Running outside increases the production of Cortisol, which is the stress reducing hormone.
2. You burn more calories running outside. This is because you are constantly having different elements of your run change, such as the ground you're running on, the weather and many other factors.
3. You build more muscle because when you run on a treadmill, the belt brings your legs back underneath you whereas when you are running on a hill outside the workload is not just in your glutes but all the way up to your body.
4. There are more health benefits with running outside, as you are getting your daily dose of Vitamin D which improves your bone density and immune system.
You may have already tried changing from running on a treadmill to running outside and felt discouraged as it wasn’t as easy or you were not going as fast, that is okay. Here are some tips and tricks for transitioning from running on a treadmill to running outside.
● If you aren’t certain about running outside just yet, put your incline on 1% - 1.5% on your treadmill and start to run in intervals. The 1% - 1.5% incline stimulates the same effort as running on flat ground outside. The intervals will help you build up your pace and endurance
● Train yourself to breathe: This one might sound silly but when you start off running if you are breathing too heavily it means you are running too fast for your pace. Try keeping your pace at a conversational level so you can talk, to yourself or to a friend, while you run or try a Walk/Run programme, 2-minutes running and 1-minute walking then slowly increase the running and decrease the walking, until you are breathing properly throughout your run.
● Watch your Pace: While running, start off slow and build your way up and don’t be discouraged from slowing down or taking breaks. Once you have caught your breath start back up again.
● Plan your route. This might seem like an obvious thing but it’s easier to follow a route than trying to work out one while you run. This will also allow you to see how long it take you to do a certain route and you can compare running times.
● Be kind to your body. Running on a treadmill to running on pavement is completely different. If running on a road starts to hurt, try running on a dirt path or grass to lessen the pounding.
