reading while at the gym, really?

The ellipticals and treadmills at my gyms have built in TVs...so whats the difference between watching that or reading a book? I set my treadmill to the program intensity that I want to work out at and go from there. Ive not had to monitor it yet.

When I was first starting out using treadmills I'd stick a video on my phone and prop it up on the console. Problem is once you progress to anything beyond "light jog" the vibrations of the machine make it nigh on impossible, so now it gets strapped to my arm and I listen to a podcast. I find it easier to run with something unfamiliar like a podcast as it's a lot more distracting.

If I'm doing any cardio of any kind, it's fasted LISS; a brisk walk, at best. And I can easily read and do that. If I weren't doing that, I'd likely be leaving the gym earlier and sitting in the LazBoy at home with the same book. So I don't see a down side.

My mom takes her Kindle to the gym and I see older men reading the Newspaper quite often. The people who do this are probably aiming to keep their mind off the fact that they are in fact exercising. I don't see it as a fail, I see it as a win. The could easily be doing the same thing, but sitting down. At least they're moving.

don't you think they would have better progress/results if they concentrated on their routine for an hour?

You're running on a treadmill you're not doing a science experiment. What is there to concentrate on?
I'm bored to death on a treadmill so I bring a book and study while I do my run or prop my book on my exercise bike.

To be honest, I read sometimes if it's a day where I am only doing cardio and I am REALLY dragging my feet to go to the gym. I love music, and music helps A LOT as well, but getting lost in a book helps the time fly! I don't really mind what people do at the gym, so long as they are being respectful of other people (ie, not hogging multiple machines for reps without sharing).

Worrying about whether or not other people are working out hard enough while at the gym, really?

I mean, I've done it way way in the past. I work full time and go to school full time so there was a time I needed to study for an exam and I honestly wouldn't have time to work out that day if I dedicated all my time to studying (which is just as important as my fitness). So I took my text book to the gym only 3 blocks away from home) and studied on the treadmill. I wasn't working out as hard as I usually would sure. Either way some exercise was better than no exercise and why not burn calories while reading?

We don't always know everyone's story or what their goals are. They could even be rehabilitating an injury and taking it slow and why not read a book? OR they just want to read a book! To each their own. Not everyone needs/wants to work out like a beast.

I'm not one to judge at a gym. I just always appreciate a person who chooses to get up and go any which way they can

I take my Kindle or Nook to read while on the treadmill every morning. It beats watching the clock and even with 5 television sets in front of me, there is rarely anything worth watching at 6:00 a.m. I believe whatever works for each person is cool; I'm just glad to be moving and working towards a healthier life.

Personally, I like to completely disconnect from anything else when I am working out. I don't even bring my phone into the gym with me, I just bring my iPod so I can listen to music. I don't even like using the machines that have the tv screen on them, they are just a distraction to me. I focus better this way.

I definitely brought flashcards to the gym while I was studying for the bar exam. I could easily flip through them while on the stationery bike, and in between sets on the weight lifting machines. Granted, I wasnt making any sort of progress at all at that time, but it did provide some much-needed stress relief, and hey, I passed the bar exam. (Then I hired a personal trainer, and learned how to lift properly.)

Now - I could not possibly bring anything to read, even if I am just using the stationery bike. I cant concentrate on keeping a good pace on the bike, and read something at the same time. And I have certainly learned better than to bring anything other than my workout plan into the weight room with me Live and learn.