Treadmill vs Walking Oudoors

When you walk on a treadmill, you take longer strides than when you are walking outside. This can put more pressure on your tendons and ligaments, thereby affecting your joints, ankles and hips in an adverse way. Moreover, a treadmill workout cannot simulate walking outdoors as the latter has a lot more challenges to it in terms of the terrain, weather, etc. This prevents you from using your muscles as you would do while walking outside, leading to a possible loss of agility.

Walking on the treadmill is easier because the conveyor belt enables you to run faster and seamlessly. Also, walking outdoors is a different challenge altogether. The uneven terrain, weather conditions, wind speed, etc. create impediments, which lead you to burn more calories and enjoy a more fulfilling walking experience. Adding inclination can help, but the 1% inclination is just an oversimplification. Try adding an inclination of more than 1% and speeds of up to 7MPH or faster.

Your body is unique from any other person. It has got its own metabolic rate and other factors, which need to be taken into consideration. Just typing in your age, height and weight can never give you a perfect measure of the calories you burn after a workout. It is a very rough estimate and may vary considerably. It's best to consider the calorie calculation as just a guide and nothing else.

This is one of the most common mistakes that one makes while using the treadmill. Holding onto the treadmill rails can, in fact, be dangerous as it can permanently damage your gait and style of walking. Holding onto the rails while walking at faster speeds can affect the way you walk while not on a treadmill. Also, if you hold onto the rails, you completely negate the entire idea and the benefits of adding an inclination.