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Treadmill Love

Returning to work and business as usual after having a 12 day vacation has proven a more difficult task than I had initially hoped. Mornings are slow and painful, the commute in the evenings drag on forever, and healthy meals are making their way back into the diet at a painfully slow pace.

One thing that I am grateful for, now more than ever, is my treadmill. Say what?!

A lot of people have treadmill hate misconceptions, the most common misconception being that running on a treadmill is boring. SPOILER ALERT: Running on the treadmill can be lots of fun!


Oh yeah!

Before you start making excuses and looking at me like I have a third head (but how would you know? this is a blog, not a camera; and why a third head, do I already have a second? Gah, why would you think I have a third head, weirdo), try some of these tips for making your treadmill workout more entertaining.

  1. Add entertainment. Most gyms I have been to provide a row of televisions hanging in front of their treadmills. All you need to do is bring your headphones along and position yourself in front of a television that interests you. If you have an at home gym, even better! I have my treadmill positioned so I can watch my DVR'd shows that I would normally watch sitting on the couch. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
  2. Be vocal! Okay, so this may not be the best idea at a public gym unless everyone around you has on headphones and cannot hear you, but if this is the case or if you have your own treadmill at home, shout, sing or carry on a conversation. It is important to remember to breathe while running, and being vocal by shouting out mantras, singing to your iPod or having a conversation with someone else in the room basically forces you to breathe at regular intervals. Plus, cheering myself on and shouting, "I'm not fat!" is a great form of encouragement!
  3. Change it up. And by that I mean, change up your running routine and when you do it. Working out at the same time of day can be mundane for some, but changing it up can give you something to look forward to. Most treadmills have different programs for you to use. Instead of pressing "Quick Start" every time you hop on the treadmill, try out the 5K, Hills or Interval programs. Or throw in intervals of your own! The other day I found myself growing bored after the first 1.5 miles, so I decided to throw in some speed intervals and ended up sprinting my way to the finish.
If you have a specific routine or recipe for fun on the treadmill, I would love to hear it!

This post is dedicated to anyone who has ever complained about a treadmill.
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Comments

  1. Lynsey KayeJanuary 5, 2012 at 9:54 AM

    I just found your blog through dailymile.com :)

    When given the choice I will almost always run outside...unless the weather is absolutely horrid.
    I usually do speed training when I am on the treadmill to really pass the time. If I run more than 4 or 5 miles I really start to get bored no matter what kind of tactics I use.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kelly Trepp - AuthorJanuary 5, 2012 at 9:57 AM

    Welcome and thank you for stopping by!

    I will definitely agree to that! I do my long runs outside on the weekends; but it's hard for me to get outside during the week in the winter when the days are shorter. While I really enjoy the cooler weather, I am looking forward to spring so the days can be a tad bit longer and afford more outdoor running. Until then, I will continue spreading the treadmill love.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SusanneJanuary 5, 2012 at 6:15 PM

    I hate the treadmill - not because its boring but because I have exclusively ran outside for all of my serious training this year and when I tried to get on a treadmill this winter, I just couldn't get a comfortable stride that didn't feel "off". I like this workout that I found the other day - http://www.fitsugar.com/Treadmill-Workout-30-Minute-Pyramid-Intervals-14513772 . I skipped the incline for now because some of the paces are a stretch for me - but since the pace changes every minute it helped my issues with stride, and it went by super quick.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJanuary 5, 2012 at 6:29 PM

    Well since I saw you tonight I will say you hide your 2 extra heads well :) I get soooooo bored on the treadmill! We have it upstairs right now and there is no TV in there and music only ammuses me for so long. I need to try some netflix on my Kindle Fire. We plan on bringing the treadmill into the basement so I have the TV and company while using it but that sucker is HEAVY and a pain to move.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kelly Trepp - AuthorJanuary 5, 2012 at 6:35 PM

    Thanks Susanne! I will definitely check out that routine. And Lisa, I cannot imagine how you got that thing up the stairs. We brought ours into the basement through the back door. It took three of us, and we did it in pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  6. HarrietJanuary 5, 2012 at 9:30 PM

    Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with #1-- I hate running outside and having to think about where I am and where I need to go next, but plop me on a treadmill with some trashy show or House Hunters on the TV, and I'm golden!

    ReplyDelete
  7. ColeyJanuary 6, 2012 at 12:18 PM

    Good advice! I've never been a huge treadmill fan but living in the midwest it's not always easy to run outside. I want to make one of those treadmill desks so I can blog hop while I work out :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kelly Trepp - AuthorJanuary 6, 2012 at 12:22 PM

    Yes!!! Coley, I referenced one of those in one of my other posts (Pressed for Time). That would be so key for the workplace, but seeing as how I had to fight for a new chair, I don't think that will be happening anytime soon. Shoot!

    ReplyDelete

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