The difference between running on a treadmill vs running outside

By Pete Cooper, co-founder of Coopah

When it comes to running, there are usually two places people tend to train:

1. In the great outdoors.
2. On a treadmill.

…or perhaps you enjoy running around your living room like Coopah’s co-founder did once. 

Even though you’re running either way, there are some huge differences between running on a treadmill or outdoors. We strongly recommend to always run outdoors unless it’s not safe to do so. This could be because you live somewhere where it isn’t safe to run outdoors. Or, if it’s winter, maybe you can’t run because of ice or snow. But what are the difference between treadmill running and outside running?

Why run outside?

When it comes to running outside, you will be using up more energy than you would on a machine because your feet are having to grab the ground in order to move you forward. If you’re training for a race, this is a huge benefit. You will hear of numerous runners saying my PB is x minutes outside but on a treadmill it’s about 5% quicker. That is because a treadmill does some of the work for you.

The next most important benefit of running outside is the fact that your gait will be true. Finding the right shoes for your gait is so important and, as running outside means you do all the work, it means your stride will be natural and not affected by the treadmill belt. 

Lastly, running outdoors is convenient and free - what more could you ask for?

Why run on a treadmill?

Now, although we are huge advocates of hitting the great outdoors, we should also let you know that treadmill running does have benefits! What do we love about treadmill running?

• It helps you control your pace. Treadmill running allows you to set a speed and ensure you only run at that speed, meaning you are fully in control.
• You choose the incline. Again, if you know you have a race which has x amount of incline, you can set up your treadmill to train exactly for that, which is pretty great.
• More forgiving surface. When you’re running and building up to a race, it can be quite tough on your joints. A benefit of treadmill running is that you can benefit from a cushioned belt which is much more forgiving than the road. The road is very hard!

No matter where you choose to run, ensure you are doing adequate strength training because this will ensure you avoid injury. The Coopah app provides you with a range of videos which can support you on this journey because, let’s face it, runners only want to run - so Coopah helps make the strength part easy for you!