My very boring treadmill.

TracyYates
TracyYates Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm two months into my healthier lifestyle and down 25.5 pounds. (Yay!) I've definitely kicked up my activity level by just moving more, mostly via brisk walks and mostly on the treadmill. (There's not great outside walking conditions in my rural area. Skinny, Curvy, Dangerous, Dirt Roads.) Here's my struggle. IT'S BORING and I tend to watch numbers. The numbers on the treadmill, the numbers on the clock, the number on my Garmen. I'm driving myself a little nuts watching the numbers. - I'm just wondering what YOU do to pass the time on the treadmill! - THANKS ALL!
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Replies

  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    I rotate audio books with good music. Occasionally, I'll put my laptop in front of it and watch a movie in segments.
  • adamgheli
    adamgheli Posts: 15 Member
    I watch Netflix/YouTube while treadmill.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    edited March 2016
    I dont walk the "dreadmill" anymore but Id suggest watching some TV - a movie- listen to a podcast or audio book. The time will fly.
    ETA: Today's comedy on pandora <or the like> is good too. It makes my commutes much more tolerable, and faster.
  • danacondah
    danacondah Posts: 57 Member
    Congrats on your loss! While my first instinct is to say GO OUTSIDE... I understand you aren't living with above average conditions... so here's my advice...

    1. If you're not listening to music, start.
    2. Make sure the music is super awesome and you want to sing along but you can't because your working out so hard and getting sexy that you can barely breathe.
    3. Trying changing up the brisk walk... make it interesting... walk for 2 min, jog for 1. Vary between different inclines. Try skipping (killer on the calves).
    4. Cover the numbers with a towel. Bye bye numbers.
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    edited March 2016
    deskjobguy wrote: »
    I watch Netflix/YouTube while treadmill.

    This. I catch up on my soap opera on Hulu, too. Sometimes I download a book from Amazon then read it and listen to music while I'm on the treadmill. This is hard to do when I'm running, though.

    ETA: I consider it "me" time so I'm usually disappointed when the time is up.
  • majigurl
    majigurl Posts: 660 Member
    I read lol. I just put the font really big on my phone and read away. I never have time to read so this is awesome way to do two things at once.

    If you knit, some people knit also haha.

    and then of course there's tv and audio books that others have mentioned if you get bored of reading or don't knit lol

    You laugh about the knitting on the treadmill, but it's a thing!
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    majigurl wrote: »
    I read lol. I just put the font really big on my phone and read away. I never have time to read so this is awesome way to do two things at once.

    If you knit, some people knit also haha.

    and then of course there's tv and audio books that others have mentioned if you get bored of reading or don't knit lol

    You laugh about the knitting on the treadmill, but it's a thing!

    What a great idea. I can knit while I do my recumbant...double whammy! Thanks!
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    danacondah wrote: »
    1. If you're not listening to music, start.
    2. Make sure the music is super awesome and you want to sing along but you can't because your working out so hard and getting sexy that you can barely breathe.
    3. Trying changing up the brisk walk... make it interesting... walk for 2 min, jog for 1. Vary between different inclines. Try skipping (killer on the calves).
    4. Cover the numbers with a towel. Bye bye numbers.

    Agree with this....I move my incline and speed around a lot. Right now I am stuck with just using the stationary bike due to some back issues and it is boring me to tears. I sometimes have music and the TV going and messing with the numbers.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,404 Member
    I looked at my treadmill as a personal trainer. I set it at challenging intervals. (It needs a new belt. I do miss the push.) I think the challenges can make it more fun and can psyche you up to push through and beat your time.

    You can also progressively up the weekly resistance with level or pace to keep it interesting.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
    Music, audiobooks, or podcasts when walking, but I find that those don't distract me enough (or I can't pay enough attention) when running. Running I have to watch something on my phone like Netflix or Youtube or else I do the same and just watch the time, which makes everything feel worse.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I read my kindle. Just make the font really big.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Audiobooks. Lots and lots of audiobooks. There are a few threads on here with recommendations.
  • MissDeeDee78
    MissDeeDee78 Posts: 415 Member
    I watch tv and listen to music, and I've covered my numbers with a sheet of paper.
  • _EPIC_
    _EPIC_ Posts: 611 Member
    I go outside. Rain. Snow. Wind. Sun.
  • ironhajee
    ironhajee Posts: 384 Member
    I watch numbers :) I like it
  • eperaino
    eperaino Posts: 8 Member
    I go outside, but if I have to go inside, I cover the numbers with my ipad and watch Netlflix until it's time to stop - I pick shows my family won't watch that are guilty pleasures (Weeds, Scandal, Revenge) and only allow myself to watch when I'm on the treadmill. It is a great motivator!! I also found tons of interval training programs on pinterest so you are changing your speed or incline every minute so there is not much time to get bored!
  • TracyYates
    TracyYates Posts: 28 Member
    danacondah wrote: »
    Congrats on your loss! While my first instinct is to say GO OUTSIDE... I understand you aren't living with above average conditions... so here's my advice...

    1. If you're not listening to music, start.
    2. Make sure the music is super awesome and you want to sing along but you can't because your working out so hard and getting sexy that you can barely breathe.
    3. Trying changing up the brisk walk... make it interesting... walk for 2 min, jog for 1. Vary between different inclines. Try skipping (killer on the calves).
    4. Cover the numbers with a towel. Bye bye numbers.

    ***AWESOME! Especially #2! Getting SEXY! - Thank yoU!***
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I run and don't usually use the treadmill for walking, but I always cover the treadmill display with a towel so I don't have to look at it, which is the biggest help for me.

    I'm another one who enlarges the font and reads on an ebook or tablet, too.

    And I use the Zombies, Run! app, which is super engaging and makes an hour fly by for me.

    Intervals are also a big time-kill on a treadmill, if I'm doing sprint/walks I can make fifteen or twenty minutes at least fly by because I'm so focused on getting them done and changing the speed and all that.

    I live in a place that gets -40 temps with crazy windchills, tons of snow and ice, and am in an urban core with lots of traffic and other safety concerns, so I love that the treadmill is an option for when it's dark/cold/icy/etc outside and I don't want to deal with it. I find I quite enjoy the opportunity to blast my music and totally zone out and not have to pay attention to anyone or anything for an hour sometimes, you know?
  • RunnersLament
    RunnersLament Posts: 140 Member
    Netflix. Or inject some other exercises to the routine. Sometimes I'll run for 5 minutes, jump off do 10 burpees, and then jump back on for another 5 etc, etc, etc.

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Intervals. Plus consider making it challenging enough that you cannot read (or knit)! LOL

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