Hello all,
I am new here, and have been on my current diet/exercise routine for about two weeks. I've been on the elliptical for an hour a day six days a week. Is it better for me to run on the elliptical or outside, or is it a matter of personal preference?

For me it is a personal preference thing. I was walking on the treadmill at 4.0 mph for an hour a day for a year and never once was I inspired to run. We started to redo our house and the treadmill got out into storage. After just a week I thought...hmm, maybe I can run just to the next power pole and since then it has built up and up. I done my first 5k in September!!

mdchick- congratulations on starting and sticking to a pretty substantial new cardio routine!!! Keep at it!!
That being said, using the elliptical and running are not the same thing. Its like asking which is better, riding a bike or walk/jogging......Running uses completely different muscles then the elliptical. Even if you can go 3 miles on the eliiptical you might not even be able to run 1/4 mile, at least right off the bat. No one person can say which is "better" for you though. do what you enjoy, and whatever exercise will keep you motivated!

Hi!
I find running on the treadmill a bit easier than running outside, as you don't encounter things like wind or hills, unless you change the incline.
But if the weather is nice, I like to run outside as I find it a bit more interesting.
If you go to your city's website you can probably find a link to bike/running path maps. The Running Room also posts routes for different distances and different starting points on their website if you have one in your city.

I enjoy the treadmill more than running outside, i get really weak ankles and running outside just cripples me because of the uneven surfaces

It's personal preference. I do both: run on TM during the week and outside on weekends.

The TM is a bit easier than outside, IMO. You get a little "belt assist" and don't have to worry about terrain, weather, traffic and bad dogs. You can put on your headphones and watch TV, and you can precisely control speed, distance and elevation. But, it's also a bit boring. I would never do really long runs, an hour is my absolute tolerance limit on a TM.

Outdoors is more interesting, and MUCH more fun when the weather is nice, IMO. Outdoor running challenges you with varied terrain and footing conditions. You can speed up and slow down naturally and as you feel like it. If you are planning to ever do an event, you should do at least some running outside, because your 5K won't be on a treadmill!

An elliptical machine is a totally different animal. If the high impact of running bothers you, then the elliptical is a way to burn calories without the impact. But it taxes your body in a totally different way than running.

I run outside and inside. I enjoy both in a different way.

Outside, I do not work as hard but can enjoy nature and fresh air.
I however work much harder on the treadmill as the numbers (eating my own records) motivate me greatly.

Stella

Personally, I live in a cold place and due to that, I started running TM because I stop running because I find too many excuses once it's winter.. So, if you're a beginner and it gets cold, I say indoors.

the TM is easier but the boooooooordom factor kills me, I'd rather gouge my eyes out ... well maybe I'm exaggerating a bit .... but having said that when I must do the TM I do intervals of fast running and jogging, because just doing straight jogging on a TM is way too long... I can only do 30 mins max on a TM but outside I can go for up to an hour...

I so agree about the boredom factor of indoors. I have found that I stay focus if I vary though -- I am a power walker/jogger though not a runner lol Not yet anyway. I would rather go outside but it's only October 10th and it snowed today lol

I don`t find it boring at all. Upping the speed, trying to do the fastest one for just a minute longer than the last time, so spurs me on to work hard! I too go way longer outdoors, but that`s because I don`t go half as fast!

There are so many arguments for and against each type of exercise!

Comparing an elliptical is apples to oranges, kind of. It's a different type of exercise, but they're both valuable in their own way. I run a few times a week on the TM or outdoors, and on the other days (if it's not a complete day off) I may use the elliptical machine for cross-training.

Pros for indoors: the treadmill feels "softer" than the pavement, although for me it's not necessarily easier. You don't have to worry about weather or it being too dark outside or traffic or any of that. You can have all your stuff, like water bottle, right there with you. You can even watch TV while you go. As winter approaches here in chilly Wisconsin, I'll be seeing more TM and less pavement, sadly.

Pros for outdoors: I just love it so much better than indoors. Being in the fresh air is invigorating, and it's interesting to be able to go different routes and see different things every time I run. It's just so much more refreshing than the gym and a lot less boring. While the weather holds, I'm out there as much as possible!