Treadmills Don’t Have to Suck
Treadmill running: you either love it or you hate it. But chances are if you run, you’ve had to spend some time on the treadmill. Treadmills don’t have to suck!
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Treadmill Love
I may be the only person I know that actually likes the treadmill. Maybe it’s because I never *have* to use it, I *choose* to use it. When my week is going as planned, I’ll take my kids to the gym at 4:00 when the Kids Club opens, just to walk for an hour and watch silly things on Netflix in the peace and quiet.
Maybe that’s why I really do love it.
I have run on bad treadmills – the kinds that give you instant shin splints and make horrible noises. Those are terrible.
I have also run on really nice treadmills – the kinds that make running intervals a breeze and have TVs built in. Those are lovely.
I do have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve to make treadmill running not the worst thing in the world.
Have a Plan for The Treadmill Run
There are a billion and one treadmill workouts on Pinterest. Try one. Or two!
Interval running is great on a treadmill because you can look at the time and the distance and it is all laid out right in front of you.
Sometimes, that’s the best for me. I kind of obsess over numbers!
Have Some Entertainment on the Treadmill
Seriously.
Netflix for the win.
I’ve been known to watch Disney movies, Star Wars, and binge watch series. It’s how I got into Agents of SHIELD!
The only hard part about that is if it’s a show that’s slightly racy and you’re at the gym.
Am I the only one that gets uncomfortable with that? Yes? No?
Think About Your Form on the Treadmill
This is a new one for me. Mostly when I’m at the Gym because it is easier to look in a mirror while I’m running.
I focus a lot of how I am running, changing little things here and there to see if I can improve my overall form.
SO much easier to do on a treadmill than outside.
Cover the Screen With a Towel or Shirt
Some people aren’t super into the numbers and timing and intervals and distance and stuff that I obviously enjoy obsessing over while I run. Covering the screen with a towel can actually make the run go by a lot faster!
I’ve done that a few times, mostly when I don’t have a specific goal in mind or when I am too stressed out to think straight.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
This is really just a good running in general tip. If you aren’t in a spot where you want to sit and watch something on a little screen but don’t want to listen to the same boring playlist for the 100th time…
Podcasts are too – but I don’t have a bunch that I love love love (but have you listened to Serial or Dirty John?!)
Really, the things I don’t love about the treadmill are mostly things I don’t love about running. I get bored.
Do you have any good tips or tricks to add?
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
I don’t love the treadmill but music has gotten me through many a mile. That and intervals. If I had to use it more often, I’d probably listen to podcasts.
I like listening to podcasts and audio books while running outside but if I am on the treadmill I have watch tv to pass the time.
I do not hate the treadmill! I agree with you, I choose to use it (and it works for me!). Would I want to run solely on the treadmill? No. But it definitely has its benefits.
These are great tips, especially having entertainment. Music, a movie or watching TV can definitely make a treadmill run much more enjoyable!
I cannot do treadmills, but if I am really desperate when traveling I will use some of your tips!
Music has always been vital to my running. If I had to do timed trials in high school, without music, I was toast.
Dare I say I think I prefer speedwork on a mill vs on the road? I’ve been doing intervals on the mill since the beginning of time and I kind of like it.
I usually need music, too…and sometimes don’t let myself look at the screen except in between songs. My ‘mill faces a window, so if it’s dark outside, I basically have a make-shift mirror looking back at me…I try to work on my form as well (why is it so hard to swing my arms straight instead of criss-crossing them over my body?).
These are great ideas. I think I also like the treadmill because I choose to use it. There have only been a handful of times when the weather kept me indoors and I was grateful to still have a way to get my run done.
Yes to Netflix! I’ve watched lots of shows while running on the treadmill too.