Image details: Couple running on the beach served by picapp.com

Runners of the world, weigh in: Do you prefer getting your run on outside or inside? Pavement or treadmill? Why?

We all know some of the benefits of indoor running: adjusting incline, temperature control, a nearby TV, etc.

And outdoor running: becoming one with nature, natural visual stimulation, fresh air, etc.

Given those reasons and more, most runners have their favorite running spots and rituals, so naturally, whatever works best for you and gets you moving off the couch is the way to go.

However…

Is there a scientific difference between the two, health benefit-wise?

Short answer: Nobody’s really sure.

See, researchers have found the following:

• Outdoor running promotes a more intense exercise.
• With outdoor running, there is greater wind resistance and no assistance from a treadmill’s track.
• Therefore, outdoor running burns about 5% more calories than treadmill running does.

And that all seems to put outdoor running in the leader’s chair, except…

• Outdoor running can lead to significantly higher rates of bone strain and tension, particularly in the shinbone area.
• That same increased strain can increase the risk of stress fractures by more than 50 percent.
• Treadmill running, on the other hand, reduces the risk of injury, allowing people to run longer and “farther”.

So the end verdict on this:

While you may burn more calories hitting the pavement, the risk of injury runs higher. That being said, what form of running (or walking, for that matter) do you prefer and why? Leave us a quick comment and let us know…

Source: NY Times

Post from: Healthbolt

The brainchild of Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Dr James Levine, this ‘vertical workstation’ offers exercise for both the mind and the body.

Levine’s team enlisted 15 clinically overweight people to participate in a study using the vertical workstation. The exhaled breath of the volunteers was measured to determin how many calories they burnt while walking on the treadmill and doing office work. The results showed that on average 100 more calories an hour were burnt while walking slowly (1.6 km/hr) than while sitting and working.

Dr Levine, who has focused his whole career on how humans expand energy, determined from this research that “it’s metabolically more effective to put more NEAT — ‘non-exercise activtiy thermogensis’ — into your life to achieve a healthy body weight, than seek organized exercise.”

In other words, walking while you work is NEAT.

So you what do you think?

Want a ‘vertical workstation’?

No problem.

If you already have a treadmill, there are a number of options:

The Walk n Work, a standing desk that fits over the treadmill. ($499)

The Airdesk Laptop Stand that is secured to the treadmill. ($189)

The Treadpute which is still in design phase but will have two levels of computer shelves that fit around the treadmill. ($825)

And for those made of money (no blogger or writer I know), there’s the Steelcase Workstation, an all in one treadmill/workstation. ($6000).

Or you could just follow the lead of this guy and make your own…

For more on making your own, head over to The Treadmill Desk.

Not convinced? Check this out – How I burn 600 calories a day blogging.

Post from: Healthbolt