Benefits Of Trail Running
- Yuenny Lam
- Jun 25, 2024
- 2 min read
Have you been running on roads for a long time? Do you find road-running boring? Or simply prefer the scenery of trail running? Here are some reasons and benefits to go from road to trail.
Use different muscles
Trail running forces you to use different muscles on your body to keep you stable and from falling over on uneven grounds. It strengthens your ankles and legs in general, but it also engages your core a lot more than you would running on a flat stretch of road.
Less impact on joints and knees
When you run off-road, it means you'll be running on softer surfaces such as grass or mud, which means there's a lot less impact shooting through your body. It is especially kinder to your knees and joints.
More interesting
Road running can get very repetitive, especially when you run the same routes over and over during training. Mixing up the scenery by running off-road gives your mind something new to look at and focus on. Having to look where you are going and stepping can make trail running really interesting.
Running through woods and over mountains can help take your mind off your own thoughts (if that's what you want), because you will be too busy taking in the views.
You might not see that many, but sometimes you get to see wild animals running through the woods, like deer and loads of different types of birds.
Quieter, less people
Road running can be quite busy at times, depending on when in the day you head out for your run. Evenings after work and during morning rush hour can be very busy, with people trying to get to work and kids trying to get to school. I personally try to avoid running during those times as much as possible.
However, trail can be a lot quieter than running on the roads, although there are times where there are a lot of dog-walkers, but you don't usually find yourself mixed in with the busy commuters when you're trying to cross the road, dodge bus-catchers waiting at the bus stop and mothers pushing kids along the pavements.
Less Pollution
Running on busy roads, which I've had to do due to where I've lived, means breathing in a lot of the fumes coming from vehicle exhausts, which isn't very good for you.
The cleaner air away from roads and busy areas are generally healthier to inhale. When you're surrounded by trees and all sorts of different plants it makes breathing just a bit more pleasant. You also get many varied scents during different seasons of the year. Wild garlic is usually what I can smell running through trails during spring/summer time.
Forget About Pace
Trail running takes the pressure off having to run fast. Due to uneven and undulating grounds running off-road, you're more likely to have to slow down or even walk so you don't fall over. It's totally acceptable to walk up an incline too.
Trail running sounds very appealing, doesn't it? What's not to love?
Fancy taking on a mountain trail run?
Check out this UTS 25K Race Video
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