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The cold weather is upon us, and if you’re a runner, biker or walker who likes to train outside, you face a decision. During the winter months, should you move your workouts inside where it’s warm and safe? To help you make an informed decision, here’s a list of the advantages both indoor and outdoor workouts have to offer.
If you’re competing in a sport that requires you to compete outside in the winter, such as a winter triathlon or a winter running race, you should definitely attempt to do most of your training outdoors to prepare yourself for the demands of the race.
To be competitive in your sport, you need the majority of your training to be in similar conditions to the ones you’ll face during the race. No amount of time on the elliptical will make you an amazing skier. You have to get practice time on the slopes.
With an early spring race, you can afford to do some of your training indoors in the early winter, as long as closer to the race you start to simulate race conditions by training outside.
If you’re not competing until late spring or summer, cross-train during the winter. Forget about your sport and just participate in activities you enjoy.
Proprioception is your body’s ability to know where it is in time and space. When you run outside, the connective tissues in your ankles and brain have to be in constant communication regarding the placement of your feet on the ground. On predictable surfaces like the treadmill, less ankle stabilization, proprioception and neuromuscular communication is required.
The moving belt on a treadmill changes the demands on your body, which can result in changes to your running gait.
In general, athletes running on a treadmill often have an increased stance phase on the treadmill, which means their foot spends more time on the ground. This is counterproductive for a runner, because most coaches say runners should have a minimum of 90 foot-strikes on each foot per minute.
The fact that the belt constantly moves backwards also impacts your muscles. For example, the glutes and hamstring have to work less on the treadmill because the belt helps pull the runner’s foot backwards. When running outside, the glute and hamstrings will pull the leg back. The glutes have to work less, but hip flexors have to work harder. The hip flexors pull the leg forward. Since the belt is pulling the leg backwards, the hip flexor has to work harder to resist the backwards pull of the belt, and instead pull the leg forward.
This combination is unfortunate, since most of us have tight hip flexors and weak glutes from sitting all day. For this reason, the treadmill has the potential to exacerbate existing muscle imbalances.
During cold winter months, run outside whenever possible. If you’re training for a race, try to limit treadmill running to 25 percent of your total training volume. When running outside is too dangerous, consider using the rower as an alternative.
My favorite part of running outside is when I run with my running group on Sundays. If you often run with people during the summer months and decide to bring your workouts inside for the winter, see if you can recruit an exercise buddy so you don't lose the social aspect of your workouts.
This is a big consideration. If you live in a climate with heavy winters, you have to weigh the pros and cons of risking the ice and snow. My suggestion is to purchase good winter exercise clothes and decide if you’ll brave the weather on a day-by-day basis. If the day is too icy, stay indoors. On days where it’s merely cold but conditions are safe, lace up and get outdoors. Even better, take up snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
Sticking to an exercise program is all about managing expectations. If you know that you hate being cold, or that it’s impossible to find safe running routes in the winter, or bundling up to bike or walk to work just isn’t realistic, carry on indoors. Set yourself up for success by choosing goals you can achieve.
Many running coaches encourage their athletes to do “overspeed” training on the treadmill. Overspeed training can be good for improving –you guessed it – a runner’s speed. Typically, you set the speed on the treadmill much faster then usual –fast enough that you can only keep pace for roughly 20 to 30 seconds; but slow enough that you don’t trip or fall off. Since the belt is going faster than you’re used to running, it forces you to increase your cadence.
No matter how good the arguments are for outdoor workouts, or overstride workouts on the treadmill, the best workout is the one that you’ll actually do. Plan ahead, make appropriate scheduling changes and choose realistic goals to help you make your winter exercise routine a success.
