[nhoughto]

Treadmills are not a good experience, having only ever run outside for years, I was stuck in a hotel for a week and wanted to run, so treadmill it was. Comparing the two things I can’t understand why anyone uses a treadmill (maybe if outside weather is too extreme?), it’s all the bad things about running and none of the good.

For me running it is about a basic simple thing (legs, feet, shoes one in front of the other.. not much gear) that you can scale up (speed, elevation etc) or scale down (speed, intervals/rests etc) to suit your mood. You are outside experiencing the world for better or worse (sometimes it’s cold/rains outside).

I wouldn’t run on a treadmill either it’s a terrible experience, bad for your running form too.

[b112]

I have a basement, and use that to work out. (Canuck here, this is more reliable for me, than convincing myself to work out at -40C or +40C.)

I have a bike machine, which works well in front of a TV for some of my workout. Yet I found walking in large laps in my basement, to be preferable to a treadmill. Just the fact that my scenery changes, my view changes, even if I've seen it all a million times, seems to make a massive difference. I often end up thinking of work, or life in general, and my walking time is up before I know it.

I agree 100% outside is better, but even just circles in the basement seems better than a treadmill...

[nhoughto]

Haven’t tried it, but expect it would work, just a smaller version of doing laps Aron s a 400m track. There was also something about the movement of air too, treadmill is so stagnant (can get fan I suppose, not quite the same?)

[b112]

Yes, I actually notice the air movement cooling me, as my basement is nice and cool in the summer.

I also reverse direction from time to time, so I get an even workout of "turn" during the oval parts of the loop. As I age, I've found I've had to increase my walking a bit, to maintain health. Maybe a 20% increase in walking time. :/