There are advantages to the treadmill, but running in the open air can be a
powerful motivator.
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| Running on a treadmill when it's
beautiful outside? Why? (Siri Stafford / Getty Images / October 28, 2011) |
On a recent beautiful and sunny day, I strolled into my
local gym to lift some weights. The gym is near Nose Hill Park, which is one of
the largest municipal parks in North America. It has majestic views of the city
of Calgary and the Rocky Mountains, which can be seen from endless miles of
paths and trails.
As I made my way toward the room full of heavy things I
intended to pick up and put back down, I spied the double line of high-tech
treadmills. Most of them were occupied.
I looked at the indoor running enthusiasts and thought,
Are you people on dope?
I hate treadmills
— the view doesn't change and they make me feel like a hamster on a wheel. Even
when it's cold enough to get the beginnings of frostbite on a valuable part of my male anatomy (that really happened — not my best day),
I still prefer to go outside.
And it turns out there is a reason, but
it's psychological, not physiological.
Much has been written about the
biomechanical and metabolic differences between running on treadmills and
running outdoors, and the general consensus is that both types of workouts are
essentially...
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Article Link:
In-Your-Face Fitness: The pull to exercise outdoors
By James S. Fell, Special to the Los Angeles Times
