Treadmill vs Outdoors

[qari]

Jogging which is better or isit best to mix it up?

[FrankJack]

Depends. My knees are ****** up so roadwork on the treadmill is best for me so as to avoid injuries. It also helps me to get used to running at a certain pace, so that if I do run on the street, I'm comfortable running at said pace. That's just me, though. I like running trails the most, though. Ground isn't as hard as concrete and they can be pretty challenging.

[Erislandy lara]

I prefer outdoors. Running on a treadmill gets boring so I prefer to run and see my city

[xophe]

Jogging which is better or isit best to mix it up?

My order of preference is:

Indoor track >= Outdoors > Treadmill

The problem with a treadmill is that it isn't a perfect simulation of running. The treadmill itself whips your feet back, while you maintain a "straighter" posture than when you normally run. That said, the main point is to get your cardio on, so I think it's still great, especially if you're working through an injury (or if the weather sucks).

The problem with running outside is that it's a little dangerous. Some places with waterfronts (e.g. SF) have long stretches where you can run without issue. Joe Frazier said he used to run in construction boots because the risk of stepping in a hole and twisting an ankle wasn't worth it. Of course, this is actually running, so there's that In addition, the only sensibly place to do sprints is outdoors -- try doing that on the treadmill.

That leaves the track. The track is "stickier", so you can actually run on the balls of your feet with ease. This can be a good or bad thing, but keep in mind you can run with a more natural gait too (this is what I do). It's easier to keep track of distance, but indoors tracks are usually too short to do long sprints -- which is the downside.

Sadly, I don't have a track for most of the year, so I'd go with outdoors unless the weather sucks

[lgee]

Wind resistance and uneven ground are two things a treadmill cannot replicate. But to keep the impact low, I like to mix in a day outside with an elliptical (not a treadmill).