Treadmill vs. Walking Outdoors

As long as you do either, you're in good shape, which one, however, is better? There is no single answer, obviously, otherwise we would not discuss this. But one may have an opinion. Since we started having this very bad weather over the past week, I had no choice but to go to the treadmill. I found myself walking at a 4 miles/hr clip for almost one hour, burning 400 calories. That's pretty good if you can maintain it on a regular basis. The problem, I found, is with the TV set, that's part of the treadmill. It's built-in and we all turn it on. So in addition to getting a workout, we end up being also updated on the latest news, as well. The problem with that, however, is that our minds are not getting the work out. You see, when you work out, your brain is getting a larger than usual blood supply, which serves as a booster-like effect for the brain's function. While working out, in fact, your brain is or can be most productive. But you have to let it be. Focusing on the TV screen is equivalent to hand-cuffing the brain and forcing it to follow the information being projected. Letting it be, allows the brain to function freely and sometimes most productively. Some people attribute this phenomenon to increase of endorphin levels in the brain, others to sheer blood flow. Regardless, that is one of the advantages of walking outdoors. Unless, of course, your ears are plugged into some electronic music/talk source such as an mp3. Being plugged is also equivalent to those handcuffs. If, however, your ears are not plugged, your brain is free to roam, and that's when the best ideas appear. So doing the treadmill is a good aerobic exercise, but only fair for the mind, while walking the outdoors is good for both.