Does anyone read while they exercise?

StarvingDiva

My workouts are lifting weights and kickboxing and boxing, no chance to read.

invisibubble

I listen to music or half-watch tv or my other half play the xbox. I can't read while lifting and I need more concentration on the elliptical.

marycmeadows

I read only when I'm on the bike at the gym..... nothing else allows for it..... I don't see how people do it on the treadmill - maybe if you're walking, but I mostly run now so it isn't really condusive.... and the elliptical, can't read while on that... I usually just listen to music, occasionally will watch tv.

karenmohr

I read all the time on the machines at the gym. My fiancee can't understand how I do It but I like to read while exercising and I do still get in a good workout. I average 660 calories an hour which I think is a good pace. You have to do what your comfortable with, if you feel the workout was good and you are getting results that is all that counts! So enjoy those books.

hellokathy

I read only when I'm on the bike at the gym..... nothing else allows for it.....

This. And I only use the bikes when I'm feeling lazy but want to do 'something'.

tubbyelmo

Yup, I read my kindle when I'm on the exercise bike!!

ABrideToBE

Yes! it gets me through the grueling workout faster... the craziest thing I have done while on the treadmill is crafting. I had a glue gun and strips of felt. I was making felt flowers. hahaha.

SuffolkSally

I used to use the ellipital trainer (I think! Called cross trainers over here but I think it's the same thing). I had time and distance targets. There was no way I would ever have stayed on the machine if I hadn't been reading a book, I really struggle with boredom on cardio machines.

I might not have been working out to my max, but that wasn't really the point for me. I was working plenty hard enough and I got good results.

Currently I only lift weights at the gym, partly because the design of trainers doesn't have anywwhere to prop a book. I'm think of investing in a kindle...

Cr01502

No. I've got my music kranked up to full blast. Reading doesn't motivate me to have a proper work out. I read before I go to bed. Same goes for TV.

Smuterella

I used to, but then realized that I wasn't really working hard enough if I was able to read while on the bike.

^ This.

Exactly. I'd rather work really hard and get out of the gym quick than spend hours noodling around at an able to read pace.

miriamwithcats

When my kids were little and I was a stay at home mom, I read Fit or Fat, and it said you HAD to do 20 minutes of aerobics to get any benefit. So I would get on my stationary bike and tell the kids I had to do 20 minutes or I would have to do it again, so I would only get off if they were RED (bleeding) or BLUE (no oxygen). The kids became trained to fend for themselves when they heard the bike. So I started reading while biking since it was the ONLY time I had for reading. If I sat on the couch to read they were all over me! Eventually I would do an hour, two, sometimes even three hours if they were all happily playing. Yes it wasn't as fast as some, but I was getting activity I couldn't get otherwise AND fulfilling my need to read (which is a real need for me). Some days I could barely walk when I did get off, but it was a wonderful way to meet two of my needs in spite of having my three boys and often the neighbor's three kids too!

Later, when the bike's ball bearing wore down to nothing I switched to doing Richard Simmons' videos every day. Couldn't read while doing them. AND my boys HATED him! LOL. I had to laugh when I read on Facebook that my youngest son's wife had just discovered Sweatin' to the Oldies and loved them! Poor Ben- can't get away from him!

tbodega

Nexus 7 and either Pulse or Flipboard apps to read my articles on the treadmill or I watch boxing on the HBO Go app which makes 45 min to an hour seem to fly!!!

Jxnsmma

I read all day long and even bring my Kindle to movies to read right up until the credits start. But if I can read while exercising, I need to turn the intensity way the heck up. I can't read, I can't listen to a book on tape, I can't concentrate on a tv show. Doesn't matter if I'm on a treadmill, elliptical, or spin bike.

No disrespect, but for anyone that can read during a workout I would suggest they try ramping the speed up much higher and seeing if they get a more effective workout. If there's a physical reason you can't I understand, as I had to spend a lot of slow time on a treadmill rehabbing from knee surgery. But if you don't have a physical impairment, try hitting both of the UP buttons on the machine until it's a fight just to stay on it.

Well said. Don't mind cranky swearpants. There is one on every thread. It just took your post to weed him/her out!

SWEAT ON!

Leadfoot_Lewis

I work too hard when I exercise to take the time to read...

ItsTheBeebs

reading at the gym?

well at least you took the first step by getting to the gym. I personally thing that its not right to read (while in the confines of the gym) simply because it will distract you from your workout and you will not work as hard.

All the cardio i do is 3 times a week, just over 20 mins each session.

5min warm up making way to 50% of my max speed
30 seconds at 85% of max
2mins at 45-50%
20 sec at 90%
2mins at 45-50%
10secs at 100%
2mins at 45-50%
20 sec at 90%
2mins at 45-50%
30 seconds at 85%
5min cool down


has me in buckets of sweat!

rileysowner

I did in the past, but now, even on the recumbent bike at home, I push to hard to concentrate on a book. I even lose track of TV shows at times. Add to this that most of my exercise is not on exercise machines but cycling outside, or doing weights of bodyweight metabolic training, and reading is not possible.

DrMAvDPhD

Audiobooks are my best friend.

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

on the treadmill, definitely! Especially when I do an hour. It helps me pass the time and not get bored and jump off.

mcrowe1016

"They wouldn't have to work out as long if they turned the machine up to a rate higher than cruisin and perusin speed. So it would help them, wouldn't it. Since their workout is so boring the need a book to pass the time they could turn the intensity up and get out of the big dull gym that much quicker."

"I would recommend you stop reading.. personally I feel that people should TRAIN HARD or GO HOME.. motivate to do your best each time and concentrate on your workout!"

Hmm, judge much from up there on your pedestal? Nice that you just know what someone is about just by comparing them to some arbitrary standard you think they need to meet.

When I was still recovering from a serious accident, all I could do was walk the treadmill ---yes, holding on ---very slowly. And yes, I read while I was doing it. It wasn't the boredom of the gym ----I was f-g THRILLED that I could walk at all - and it wasn't even to avoid the spectacle of the the preening, pretentious prats showing how much better they thought they were than the rest of us. It was because it was still f-g PAINFUL and reading helped keep my mind off the pain of my physical therapy. So eff u and your self rightous, judgemental bulls**t.

That's weird. I guess you didn't read the part about people with physical impairments doing whatever tey can manage. You know, people like myself when I was recovering from my own acl and mcl reconstruction. Or like me, when i was rehabbing from the time i severed my Achilles? I guess when you're not working out your powers of reading comprehension become severely limited? But that's ok. At least you manage to classy thru it all.

I offered a suggestion based upon years of personal experience. You offer F*** You. I suggested trying something different for a while to see if your fitness results improve. You offer that any opinion that doesn't validate yours is judgemental bull****. Where many people have plateaus, I have results. I believe that's because I up my intensity at every opportunity. Since the OP was asking for people's experiences and opinion's, I gave mine. Well, I guess you gave yours too. Its just that I usually dont find Go **** Yourself to be helpful advice.

If you don't like hearing differing opinions, I'd suggest avoiding Internet discussion forums. Whoops! I think I just offered more advice. I know, I know, I'll go eff myself.

Ha! This response made my day :-)