Question: Is Walking On The Pavement Better Than Walking On The Treadmill For Fat Loss?
I heard at the gym that there is no difference when you walk on a treadmill than when you walk outside. However, a bodybuilding competitor told me that walking outside has more fat loss benefits. Who's right?
Answer: While on the surface it would seem that both activities have the same exact effect on the body, this is not the case. Walking on the pavement is better than walking on the treadmill because you need to pull your weight forward through the use of your glutes and hamstrings. With the treadmill, a lot of work is taken out from the walking endeavor as the machine moves the floor for you and all you need to do is keep up with the machine. Therefore, many muscles that are used to execute the walking activity on the pavement are not activated when on a treadmill. As a result, not as many muscles are used and less calories are burned, thus making the activity less productive.
Though at first I had problems comprehending this fact since both activities look so similar, I decided to give it a try by walking on the pavement in lieu of using my treadmill one day. The first time I did it, not only was I pretty winded through most of my walk, but also I was very sore on my glute and hamstring region the following day. That's when I found out that it certainly takes more muscles to walk on the street than it does to keep up with the treadmill. At the end of the day, this benefits you by providing more cardiovascular system improvement, and also more calorie burning during the activity.
Though at first I had problems comprehending this fact since both activities look so similar, I decided to give it a try by walking on the pavement in lieu of using my treadmill one day. The first time I did it, not only was I pretty winded through most of my walk, but also I was very sore on my glute and hamstring region the following day. That's when I found out that it certainly takes more muscles to walk on the street than it does to keep up with the treadmill. At the end of the day, this benefits you by providing more cardiovascular system improvement, and also more calorie burning during the activity.
