Any tips for walking on a treadmill?

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  • Pixt
    Pixt Posts: 95 Member
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    Do you have a smartphone or an iPad/iPod Touch?

    If you do, try the "Zombie's Run!" game ... it works on treadmills, you just have to set it to count steps or tell it you're using a constant pace. A bit about it: You make your own music playlist, import it into the game, and then start doing "missions". Each mission furthers the storyline, interspersing in songs from your playlist. The treadmill is infinitely more engaging when you're hauling butt away from a horde of zombies and get some important whatzit back to your home base.

    I've got the game and around our house (we live in Minnesota where it's way to cold and/or icy for me to consider walking the dog some days) and at dog walking time I put on a zombie mission, set to play out iPod's speakers, hop on the elliptial and start up the treadmill for the dog to jog along next to me on.
  • katekross
    katekross Posts: 463 Member
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    I make a playlist on my ipod and walk to the pace of the songs playing. :)
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Smart phone + Netflix. Makes the time fly.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Personally, anything done on the treadmill or any other cardio machine is pretty boring for me and I avoid it...I prefer to walk outside, run outside, cycle outside, etc. I only use cardio equipment when I absolutely have to and a I pretty much loath it.

    You're going to have to find something you enjoy or you'll never stick it out.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,129 Member
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    Do you have a watch with a timer or a phone with an alarm? Set the beeper to tell you when your hour is up, then watch the football game.
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
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    Hello,

    I am new here and just started my journey today. I wanted to spend an hour walking on our home treadmill, but found it rather difficult to push through the first half hour! Not that I was too tired to continue, but rather I was bored with it and the minutes couldn't pass fast enough. I would much rather walk outside, but being in NY in the winter it makes it quite hard with the snow and ice. I know it probably sounds weird, but does anyone have any ideas or tips to make walking on the treadmill more "interesting" that would take my mind off of the time? I set it in front of my television so that I can watch football while walking, but still found myself bored with it. Anyone got anything?

    Why do THIS if you hate it? I HATE walking on a treadmill... so I don't. I bought an elliptical and use this. I also use the gym at work (you could go to any gym) and do starirmaster, weight training... I do Zumba, I do aerobic. Find something you LIKE! DVD's perhaps? There is a lot of stuff on YouTube also. Go swim? Find a baskeball team, a hockey league? I don't know, but find something else.
  • mammamaurer
    mammamaurer Posts: 418 Member
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    music helps, lol so dose having a tv parked infront of the treadmill, or a book.... my fav tho is the tv with the sound off so you can play "are the subtitles correct" wile listening to music
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Like a bunch of others, I came in here to poke some fun.

    Ok here is my little story briefly. I live in Upstate ny. Right now its just wet and nasty out, so here is your big chance to go outside.

    I started doing the treadmill at the YMCA an elliptical at home. I would use my phone for internet radio at the gym and at home I had a tablet to play some netflix. I only was really doing up to 30 min.

    One I found out about C25K I got myself outside and the elliptial pretty much sits unused. (they don't really help you run, just get better at elliptical). I almost never use the treadmill anymore. Its so boring. being outside is were its at. Last year I did 4 x 10ks in January. I thought I was going to fall and freeze my butt off. Its not so bad and really enjoyable.

    I say suck it up buttercup and get though this winter on the treadmill. Start C25K on it and put it at a 1 or 2% incline. This is totally going to suck, big time, I'm not going to sugar coat it. Once the snow melts and its spring, you should be ok to get outside and start more or less were you leave off on the treadmill.
  • Polda2010
    Polda2010 Posts: 99 Member
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    I keep it at a light incline as I first hop on it and then increase it so I cut the time to 30-40 minutes. I have a laptop on top of a shelf that my hubby build and attached to the wall, some nice speakers and I watch you tube free movies. That way I don't look at the timer. My time flies by and I actually enjoy my fitness time. Good luck to you. :smile:
  • ericarfloyd
    ericarfloyd Posts: 93 Member
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    Our treadmill is in front of the TV so I personally will put a towel over the time area and watch one of my favorite hour long TV shows on Netflix or hulu.

    I do the same thing (except the towel). I found a few hour long shows that I really like to watch and it helps the time fly by!!! Plus it is something that I only watch IF I'm on the treadmill!

    Good luck on your journey! There are a lot of great people that use MFP with a lot of fantastic ideas! We wish you nothing but the best!!!
  • rosevalleygirl23
    rosevalleygirl23 Posts: 55 Member
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    I shake things up and listen to high energy music, some podcasts, and tv shows. Sometimes I like to use the interval settings to keep things interesting. I never am on the treadmill for more than 30 minutes at a time though. I tend to break my walking into chunks.
  • shafstar
    shafstar Posts: 36
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    This is true ... I am also moving away from the threadmill.... The Endomondo app and some dubstep is doing wonders for my outdoor treks. (This week I've done 5 hours of walking 23.17miles of which 3 hours were spent in the lovely cool weather)

    HOWEVER I would strongly recommend the threadmill from the outset because it'll condition you and also help you maintain a constant brisk speed whilst outdoors.
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
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    Music; podcasts, brain games, like memorization games;

    or, with the snow you get, and you're in countryside land, I'd go snow-shoeing. Lots of fun! Go with a buddy.

    In the end, If you don't like the treadmill, it'll be hard to stick to your workouts. Wishing you success in your weight loss enterprise!
  • SinomenJen
    SinomenJen Posts: 262 Member
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    Killer workout music list, deals with killing time I burn off stress, I mentally prepare for the day. I watch TV on mute for a visual at the same time, so usually something keeps my attention.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Do HIIT instead of steady state and you'll be done in less time, get better results, and be less bored.

    If you're putting the treadmill on an incline, don't hold on!
  • cynthiagriffin794
    cynthiagriffin794 Posts: 7 Member
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    I walk on the treadmill everyday and recently realized that if I'm on a 6.5 incline, walking at 2.7 speed, i burn 10 calories every minute.....So I'm killing over 200 calories with a 20 minute walk.....Might not sound like much but that along with my strength training, I'm killing over 800 a day....I just started working out November 6 and I have lost 22 pounds, along with my a low carb, no sodium diet and drinking a gallon of water a day.....I know I'm loving my journey.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    the OP is a new exerciser, i can't believe all the HIIT recommendations. HIIT when properly done isn't something a beginner jumps into.

    maybe you all mean interval training which is fine but HIIT is not for beginners.
  • shafstar
    shafstar Posts: 36
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    the OP is a new exerciser, i can't believe all the HIIT recommendations. HIIT when properly done isn't something a beginner jumps into.

    maybe you all mean interval training which is fine but HIIT is not for beginners.

    ^ THIS !

    Exactly what I was about to write.... I think I'm just about ready for HIIT and that has taken almost 3 months of conditioning, building up stamina even then my first session was today and I must say it was difficult to master and didn't go as planned.

    Looking at the graph on endomondo I noticed how low my rest speed was ! It's going to be tricky to get right
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    the OP is a new exerciser, i can't believe all the HIIT recommendations. HIIT when properly done isn't something a beginner jumps into.

    maybe you all mean interval training which is fine but HIIT is not for beginners.

    ^ THIS !

    Exactly what I was about to write.... I think I'm just about ready for HIIT and that has taken almost 3 months of conditioning, building up stamina even then my first session was today and I must say it was difficult to master and didn't go as planned.

    Looking at the graph on endomondo I noticed how low my rest speed was ! It's going to be tricky to get right

    I was thinking the exaxt same thing. True HIIT is a really advanced type of exercise and I would NEVER reccommend it to anyone without a decent cardio base. Interval training, now that's a different story.

    OP, as other people have suggested music will help. I'm personally not a huge fan of watching tv while doing cardio but I'm all for intensity over a length of workout. Try experimenting with either faster intervals or steeper intervals interspaced with some slower/flatter ones.

    Keep in mind that you should ALWAYS set the treadmill to 1 or 2 incline to begin with as the 0 incline setting is really bad to run on and is also a bit like running down hill. 1 or 2 incline is more like running on flat ground outdoors
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    the OP is a new exerciser, i can't believe all the HIIT recommendations. HIIT when properly done isn't something a beginner jumps into.

    maybe you all mean interval training which is fine but HIIT is not for beginners.

    ^This times a miggity million. First, there is no WALKING version of HIIT, and more importantly there is no beginner version of HIIT. OP walking at a sustainable speed/incline on his treadmill is exactly where he needs to be right now

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