It’s 6 pm. Finally it’s your workout time. You have finished your work. Your colleagues ask you to join them to run outdoors. But, you decline their invitation because you wanna hit the gym.
At the gym, you are so lucky because you have spot a spare treadmill, as usually you need to wait for a slot to use the treadmill. Without any hesitation, you start to run.
While running on the treadmill, you watch the sunset and prairie through the landing glass window in front of your treadmill.
But, what catches your attention is a runner running outdoors on the trail of the prairie. His run is bumpy and he keeps switching his direction to follow the condition and the route of the trail.
Why doesn’t he run on a treadmill so he can avoid these problems? Meanwhile, you also wonder why your colleagues prefer running outdoors.
Well, there are reasons that the runner run outdoors. In fact, many runners prefer running outdoors!
Here, I would like to share with you 8 reasons that you should also run outdoors, too!
1. Free
Sometimes, you are free and you look up at the sky through your window.
Look at the nice weather! It is sunny; the sky is so crystal clear and blue; white clouds float in the sky.
Who doesn’t like to go out to enjoy this beautiful sunny day?
Running outdoors exactly has this privilege as you are able to enjoy the beautiful day while working out to make you healthy!
You can instantly get your running clothing ready and go out to run. You don’t have to waste any time! – This privilege is FREE and INSTANT!
Plus, if you are an outdoor runner, you don’t have to sign up for gym membership or buy and maintain your treadmill.
You do know that the cost of signing up gym membership and buying a treadmill is really A LOT. And, you should also concern about the potential maintenance cost of treadmill, if you purchase a treadmill.
These costs can be up to a few THOUSANDS and yet while running outdoors, you SAVE all these costs.
2. Run outdoors to boost your mood
While running on a treadmill, your eyesight is always on the treadmill monitor or the wall in front of you. While you run for around 30 minutes or 1 hour constantly with the same vision like this, what would come to your mind?
“Gosh, there are 20 minutes left!”, “Geez, the time passes so slowly!”, “Damn, when is this going to end”? – Hell ya, you have these thoughts in your mind because it’s BORING!
You feel bored while running on treadmill. You dread running on treadmill but you choose to run because you want to be healthy. That is why treadmill is sometimes called “dreadmill”
This is totally different from running outdoors. In fact, a research shows that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature can lead to good health and wellbeing.
You feel an instant relief when you are outdoors. Plus, running gives you runner’s high as well. – I’m sure you can imagine how running outdoors feels like by combining these two benefits.
While running outdoors, you tend to observe the things around you, either the people walking along the streets, other runners running, the trees and the plants, the birds flying, the wind blowing, etc. – You wish to keep observing the surrounding.
So many things happen while you are running. You don’t even notice how long or how far you have run. Sometimes, you may feel the time pass too fast and don’t notice you have finished your run!
3. Burn more calories
Imagine running at the same pace and intensity in outdoor and on treadmill. Do you think the effort to run both outdoor and on treadmill is the same?
The answer: it is not the same. There are two factors, such as:
- Wind resistance – faced by outdoor runners. It resists the runners to run forward. The faster the runners run, the stronger the wind resistance is.
- Treadmill belt – It “helps” the runners on treadmill to propel forward. However, outdoor runners don’t have this assistance, so literally it takes “more effort” to run outdoors.
That is why many runners claim it is easier to run on treadmill than running outdoors.
Since it takes more effort to run outdoors, running outdoors can burn more calories. For those who wanna shed some weight, running outdoors is definitely a choice for you!
In fact, there is study to back this additional effort. Study has shown that for running on treadmill, 1% gradient is similar to running the same distance and intensity without the gradient for outdoor running. That 1% gradient represents the additional effort to run outdoors.
You can experience yourself while running on treadmill. Run both with and without 1% gradient for same intensity and time. See how much additional calories you burn?
It may not be significant. But, this may lead to significant effect in the long run.
4. Source of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is crucial in maintaining our physical health. We know vitamin D plays an important role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. But, people may not be aware of other benefits of Vitamin D to our body. Such benefits include:
- Fighting disease, such as flu, and help reduce the chance of heart disease
- Reducing depression
- Helping in weight loss
Likewise, it causes a lot of negative effect to our body if our body lacks Vitamin D. Many people think of OSTEOPOROSIS when it comes to Vitamin D deficiency.
But, don’t perceive that Vitamin D is only important and necessary to elders to prevent osteoporosis. In fact, children and adult may suffer OSTEOMALACIA or RICKETS due to Vitamin D deficiency as well. – Both are due to softening and weakening of bones.
And, of course you won’t be able reap the above benefits above of having sufficient Vitamin D due to Vitamin D deficiency.
Unfortunately, Vitamin D deficiency is a common global health issue. There are around 1 billion people around the world suffer Vitamin D deficiency and 50% of the population suffers Vitamin D insufficiency. – Sounds crazy, huh?
So, why does it relate to outdoor running?
It is because we can obtain Vitamin D from SUNLIGHT. While you are running outdoors, you allow your body to absorb sunlight to produce Vitamin D! Which means, running outdoors help strengthen your bones as well as achieve the benefits. – Your chance of Vitamin D deficiency is reduced.
5. Agility
Lemme ask you: what is the concept of 1k distance? You’ll probably think of joining two dots with distance of 1k by a STRAIGHT line. Similar to treadmill running, your 1k run is a flat and straight line.
However, that 1k is not the case for outdoor running. Within the 1k distance, the road or trail consist of ups and downs, gradient and slope, turnings, etc.
Why does this matter?
Because running on treadmill is quite fixed, so as your cadence and pace. But, when you run outdoors, the uncertainties of the road or trail condition “confuse” your leg muscle and stimulate your leg muscle to work differently.
This may alter your cadence, pace and foot strike to cater the conditions of the roads or trails. Ultimately, it helps strengthen your leg muscle and improve your overall performance.
And, you don’t have to always follow the same and boring running route. You could change your running route. Sometimes, you could also try trail running, instead of road running, to experience the bumpy trail as well as the elevation of the hills.
It is always challenging yet exciting because outdoor running provides a great flexibility for you to explore and test it out yourself. – You don’t have to fix to the flat and predictable run!
6. Run outdoors to train for marathon
Have you ever thought of signing up a marathon as part of your New-Year resolution?
If you said yes, then it’s time to plan your training!
Ok, so you can start your training by running on treadmill to build up your stamina. – And you may plan to run 21.1k or 42.2k on a treadmill!
However, do note that marathon is held outdoors, meaning you NEED to run outdoors to train for that.
If you only train indoors and head to your first marathon, chances are you will not get used to it. Most probably you find it much harder to run or you couldn’t complete your run!
You need to get used to the “uncertainty” of running outdoors. As running outdoors help your leg muscle to work differently, it helps you get physically prepared for the real condition to run a marathon.
You don’t want your New-Year resolution get shattered because of the inadequate preparation, right?
7. Open space
Right now, we are all stuck at home because of COVID-19 pandemic and we prefer indoor workout.
While some countries start to ease their restriction order and reopen the gym, you could foresee the crowd at the gym is growing.
But, what people should be aware of is the confined space with the growing crowd at the gym and also the ventilation facility of the gym.
Remember the 3Cs, i.e crowded place, confined space and close contact, pointed out by World Health Organisation (“WHO”) to avoid? If you are concerned on the suitability of running at the gym and as long as outdoor activities are permitted under the local guideline, then you should consider running outdoors!
First, don’t be sceptical and afraid of running outdoors during the pandemic. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), as long as you observe social distancing measures, such as 6 feet distance and limit your time around others, the chance of getting COVID-19 during outdoor activities is really remote.
Running outdoors allow you to breath fresh air. Plus, it is better than indoor ventilation which restricts airborne transmission of COVID-19.
8. Run outdoors with your dog
Hey, dog lovers, raise your hand!
You’ve spent most of your time at work. So, let yourself off from work during the weekend and spend some quality time with your dog!
While you understand the need of workout, don’t forget that your dog needs workout, too. In 2018, around 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in the US were overweight or obese. – Pet obesity is a real damn thing!
Remember the last time you went out with your dog, and how happy he was? So, don’t hesitate to let your dog run outdoors with you! But, before you run with your dog, you need to TRAIN him.
First, you may need to give command and a LEASH to tie yourself with your dog, so that you dog understand he needs to run around you.
After that, when your dog is able to understand your command and run around you, you can try to run off-leash with him.
Training your dog to run with you takes effort and time. Instead of thinking it as a task, taking this chance as bonding with your dog.
Final thought: why run outdoors
What else could I say?
Running is a healthy workout whether you run on treadmill or outdoors.
As outdoor is a free asset which we could enjoy, why not claim our rights and enjoy it to the max?
Running outdoors can make us feel excited and fun, instead of treating it as a “task” to stay healthy. While running outdoors generally is harder than running on treadmill, it helps motivate us to work harder and to improve our performance.
So, why don’t give yourself a chance to run outdoors? After all, it is FREE!
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