Any tips for walking on a treadmill?

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Replies

  • rosevalleygirl23
    rosevalleygirl23 Posts: 55 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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: 8,329 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Agree with the posters about not recommending HIIT right now.

    However, on my long runs 1-1.5 hours I find a combination of music and a good book on my kindle works the best. A couple of tips that work for me:

    1. I prefer the kindle over a regular book/magazine for this because I can increase the font size to make it easier to read while I'm moving around.

    2. I put the kindle IN FRONT OF the clock so that I can not see the clock and then I DON'T let myself look at the time.

    3. When I can't take it any more and want to check my time, I set a goal first. For example, I have to finish my chapter before I can check the time, or I have to complete three songs before I'm allowed to check the time etc.

    As far as the debate over treadmill or outside, I love running outside too, but the treadmill gives me exact and accurate data on my time pace and distance so I just feel more confident in measuring and tracking my progress when using the treadmill.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    Watch TV/Listen to music on the smart phone
    after every What ever, stop and do pushups, Mountain climbers, and what nots.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Just.....don't get bored. Before taking up running (When I too considered myself too fat to run) I walked 45-60 minutes on a treadmill 5 days a week. You just do it!!

    I'd tell myself that with every step I was getting closer to my goal.

    Of course, it does get boring is the reality. Set 5 minute goals. For example, 0-5 minutes 4.0kph 0.0 incline, 5-10 minutes 4.4kph 1.5 incline, 10-15 minutes 4.8kph 3.0 incline etc...
  • rmartinjr1984
    rmartinjr1984 Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I know I must start slow and progress as I go. Just gotta find what works for me I guess.
  • bellesouth18
    bellesouth18 Posts: 1,071 Member
    I can't use one of those, but I do have an exercise bike. It is outside on the patio. I commune with nature while I ride it. I put my boombox next to me, pop in a favorite CD, and crank up the volume.

    If you like music, put the treadmill near a window with a view (if you have one), and walk/beebop to the beat of the music. Works wonders for me. I get listen to some good music and do something good for myself (exercise) at the same time.

    Good luck!

    P.S. If you're still bored with it later on, find another activity to do instead--something that makes you happy. My favorite piece of exercise equipment is my 15'x15' trampoline.
  • Polda2010
    Polda2010 Posts: 99 Member
    Yes that is correct, and any activity is better than none, so even if you did 30 minutes or less is better than none trust me. Don't let the Treadmill haters stir you away from fixing what you've chosen to do as an activity for fitness. I used to live in Watertown NY so I know how beautiful it is walking outside, but how it gets crappy in Winter. We first learned to crawl as babies, then stand and hold on to walls while we try to get to next safe piece of furniture...and then we walk...and so on. Good luck friend.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    Another thought...is there anyway to position the treadmill so that you're in front of a window? There's been a few times I've had to get on the treadmill at the gym, and I've mastered being able to run with my head turned so that I can look out the window. It makes it much better.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
    Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I know I must start slow and progress as I go. Just gotta find what works for me I guess.

    Is there a type of cardio you enjoy? Dieting is hard enough...doing something you hate just Akers it worse. Try to find an activity you actually like.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    I get bored too so I break it up. I'll do 30 minutes twice a day or four different 15 minute walks.

    Finding something to watch that holds your attention makes a difference too.
  • rmartinjr1984
    rmartinjr1984 Posts: 21 Member
    @pspetralia: I enjoy walking and hiking in the woods most. It's about all I can do cardio wise because I live in the country and their are no gyms around and it's hard to exercise in the house other than walking on the treadmill because everything shakes and falls if I do too much. It's also very hard for me to "diet" because I have no control of the food in the house. I can only control how much I eat, but when it comes to the types of food...I don't buy the groceries so I have no control over what food I eat. That's what makes it even harder. I have a long road ahead due to my lack of resources. lol
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    Have you tried snowshoeing? (outside, not on the treadmill :)
  • JustAnotherCalorieCounter
    JustAnotherCalorieCounter Posts: 57
    * Do half an hour.
    *Stop and do something more fun
    *Do another half an hour.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    OP, way to go. You've taken a great first step toward success, and I wish you the best with it.

    Big walker here, mostly outdoors but quite a bit on the treadmill too because there's nowhere outdoors in my area that's a good idea for me to be walking around out there between midnight and 3am or so. :ohwell: Pretty much what everyone else has said. Bluetooth headphones have been a godsend for me. I've propped up my laptop on the treadmill and watched almost every DVD we have in the house. I play upbeat music and crank along to it... watch old Star Trek episodes on Amazon video... play around with the incline and speed settings... switch to running for a little while and then back (OP, even a half minute of shuffle-jogging is good for your heart -- that's how I started, yes on the treadmill, and I gradually got to the point where I can run six miles straight at over 5mph and have logged my first 5k -- you can do it, just ratchet up slowly). Sometimes I just hop on and set it to a nice easy pace and let my mind wander.

    Oddly enough, the only times I get bored on a treadmill are the times when I've set a specific calorie goal... I guess because then I'm not walking for the sake of walking, but for the sake of some tasty thing I want to eat or have already eaten. Any other time, it's a pretty decent escape from the faster pace of my days. If you use it as your "unwinding" time, like right after getting home through traffic, you might find it's soothing. Good luck! :smile:
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    Agree with the multiple suggestions of music or audiobooks. I tend to listen to podcasts on the treadmill, they keep me mentally engaged enough to be distracted from the boring nature of treadmill walking.

    Love (sarcasm) all the people commenting that walking outside is the solution to this no matter what...some of us have to suck it up in the winter for many reasons. I'm single and in an urban area in the midwest and work 50 hours/week. Please tell me more about how walking outside in freezing temperatures by myself in the dark is a good idea.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    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?

    You got a lot of suggestions which is great. But also, treadmills are horribly boring lol Don't sweat it, and get outside when the weather gets better. Totally different and much more enjoyable.

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