Treadmills are one of the most popular types of home exercise equipment. They work by providing you with a continuous loop belt that is either powered by a motor or by the force of your own walking. Depending on what type of training you do, treadmills are either loaded with pros or filled with cons. Evaluating both will help you determine if a treadmill is right for you.
Pro: Weather
Since treadmills are used indoors, you never have to cancel your run or walk due to bad weather. You can keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer and not have to worry about having seasonal workout clothes. You also don't have to worry about applying sunblock.
Con: Lack of Wind Resistance
Professional runners train to be able to run using wind resistance. According to runningplanet.com, wind resistance increases your body's aerobic workload by two to 10 percent, depending on your running speed and the wind speed. Treadmills supply only the consistent, low resistance air of your home or gym.
Pro: Settings and Features
Advances in treadmill technology have made for smarter treadmills. You can change the settings to include hills and inclines, and interval training, as well as set various speeds, numbers, and number of miles. Treadmills can track your heart rate and increase or decrease speed to keep you in your target zone. These kind of stats require you to take extra equipment with you on your outdoor run.
Con: Running Surface
Treadmills offer very little variation of running surface. Many runners enjoy the challenge of learning to run over varied surfaces. Switching constantly from soft, hard, wet, dry, rocky, slicky, or uneven surfaces helps develop the pathways in your brain that condition your muscles to respond to such changes. According to Running Planet, these variation are important to make you a better runner.
Pro: Running Surface
On the other hand, many people just want to get aerobic benefits or improve their endurance. These people are happy that their treadmills offer smooth, consistent running surfaces. Running on varied surfaces is more challenging and can lead to shorter, less beneficial workouts for runners who aren't accustomed to those types of conditions.
Con: Cost
Treadmills carry hefty price tags. Gym-quality machines with all the bells and whistles can cost thousands of dollars. A lower quality treadmill will still run you a few hundred dollars. If you use your gym's treadmill, you'll pay a monthly premium. Running outside is always free, minus the cost of shoes and clothes.
Pro: Consistant Pacing
Treadmills always go at the same pace. When you run outside, as you get tired your pace may naturally slow. A treadmill doesn't allow for this lapse in speed without adjusting the controls. It means you can keep a consistent pace with consistent timing for every run.
Con: Boredom
People who run outdoors get to enjoy scenery and interaction with the world. Their runs can change terrain or location. People who run on treadmills are limited to what is in their direct path of vision. While some find they can get through it by reading or watching TV, others find they move too much to make those activities possible. This means treadmill runners can experience boredom on their runs.
