7 benefits of a treadmill compared to running outside

The treadmill is one of the most popular home exercise machines on the market, with 300,000 - 400,000 units living in households across the UK. They provide a straightforward, efficient cardiovascular workout that helps keep the heart healthy whilst also burning calories.

What is a treadmill?

So, what exactly is a treadmill? A treadmill is a piece of home exercise equipment that allows you to workout without even leaving the house. You can walk or run on it, giving you real-world conditions (or close enough) so you can experience running outside without the bad bits — you know, the part where you get rained on three kilometres from your home? Yeah, those ones. A treadmill is a convenient, simple way to get regular exercise, offering what's known as an 'aerobic workout' whilst providing benefits that expand beyond your physical health.

Consisting of a conveyor-style belt that runs along a sturdy deck, a treadmill works by offering different speeds, inclines and pre-set programmes for you to exercise in the way that suits you.

Our 7 benefits of owning a treadmill

1. Convenience

Regardless of the weather, temperature or time of day, a treadmill allows you to workout whatever the conditions are outside. No more will you be at the mercy of the elements — it’s your workout, your rules.

2. Low-impact workout

A treadmill makes it easy to have a low-impact workout since it’s gentler on your knees and ankles. One of the main drawbacks of running outside is that you’re generally pounding along a hard pavement surface, so swapping this for a cushioned deck is going to help you continue running way into the future.

3. Customisation

The beauty of a treadmill is that it’s equally effective for beginners as it is for professional athletes. This all comes from its broad customisation options. Want to get some steps in while dinner’s cooking? Go for it! Want to thunder across the deck like Usain Bolt? You might not look as epic as he does, but there’s nothing stopping you. With a treadmill, you set the intensity of the workout which makes them ideal for all fitness levels — and that’s rare to say.

4. Calorie-burning excellence

Treadmills are great for burning calories, which is one of the main drivers in fat loss. Whether you prefer to walk on an incline, jog on a flat surface or make use of the pre-set programs that most modern treadmills come with, you’ll be burning calories and strengthening your heart with each one. And when you can do that from the comfort of your own home, you can understand why treadmills are so popular.

5. High-intensity interval training

Treadmills are ideal for high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which is proven to be one of the most effective ways to improve fitness and burn calories. Since you can adjust the speed and incline, you can use a treadmill to sprint for a minute or two, then slow down into a walk for your body to recover before cranking the intensity back up. HIIT training like this is a hugely popular option for burning calories, especially in people who are short on time in the day.

6. Safety

In an ideal world it’d be safe to train outside at all times of the day, but unfortunately we need to be realistic in that running outside comes with safety concerns for some people. A treadmill, then, which can be used at all hours and within your own four walls, removes these safety considerations and lets you focus on what matters — your training.

7. Tracking your progress

A good, modern treadmill will have an interactive dashboard that displays the distance you’ve ran, the number of steps you’ve done and—while it may not be completely accurate—the calories you’ve burned. This makes it so much easier to track your progress compared to running outside, and the different speed and incline settings make it possible to gradually improve your fitness. You can jog at one pace for a week and then raise it ever so slightly as you get stronger. Before you know it, you’ll be blazing along the deck.

So, what's our take on treadmills?

Running outside has its merits in that it increases your vitamin D intake and gets us out in nature, but it’s hard to look past the practicality of having a treadmill at home. Browse our treadmill range if you think you’d benefit from investing in one, but wherever you end up choosing to do your running — keep moving. 👊