We haven’t gotten many April Showers so far, so I hope everyone is doing their walking and jogging in the beautiful San Diego Sun! For those who prefer the treadmill rain or shine, it is vital to recognize that treadmill walking and running may be missing something that hitting the pavement provides.
You may have heard that street running/walking will burn more calories, which is a priority for those of us with postpartum bellies! For walkers, the two appear to be about even at comparable speeds, whereas for runners, you will burn 5-10% more calories if you opt for an outdoor workout.
More surprising is the difference in muscle activation. Because the treadmill belt provides a force to move your leg behind you, the demand on your hip extensors (gluteals and hamstrings) is significantly diminished, while your hip flexors do more work to pull your leg forward. Because the leg extension movement is passive, you lose the benefit of strengthening your glutes, and may change the mechanics at your knee, contributing to injury. This change in mechanics may also decrease quadriceps activation, again robbing you of some of the benefit of your workout. As a sitting culture our hip flexors are already chronically tight, which can contribute to back pain, hip pain and knee pain, as well as poor posture and arthritis. Gluteal strength on the other hand is extremely helpful in counteracting all these problems, and is also hugely important in balance and pelvic health including pelvic floor function!
So as the weather continues to get warmer, consider taking your workout to the streets at least a few times a week – your belly and your buttocks will thank you!