Running on treadmills is boring

RandilovestoRun
RandilovestoRun Posts: 26 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Any tips for longer distance running? I can't seem to stay on the treadmill for more than 20 minutes, if I'm jogging/running I get tired and need to stop if I'm walking I just get plain bored lol. Any tips so I can stay on the treadmill longer?? I would love for 3 miles to be my normal run. Can't seem to get past 2 miles and that's like a good run for me.
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Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Run outside?

    For me the only thing that helps on the treadmill is to run intervals. I am playing more attention to the time left in the interval than I am to how long I've been on.
  • jenmar222
    jenmar222 Posts: 9,271 Member
    Do intervals (periods of lower and higher intensity)
    Mess around with the incline
    Listen to music
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    Things that keep me from getting bored on the treadmill:

    1. Good, motivating music
    2. A TV to stare at at the gym
    3. Intervals. I started out with C25K and now I run 3-4 miles at a time. If I find myself getting bored, I'll crank up the speed a bit.

  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    I've started watching "The Walking Dead" on my phone while I'm on the treadmill. Really helps pass the time! I'm pretty coordinated, though. If you're one of those people who can't read or watch tv while on the treadmill, this won't work for you.
  • RandilovestoRun
    RandilovestoRun Posts: 26 Member
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    I've started watching "The Walking Dead" on my phone while I'm on the treadmill. Really helps pass the time! I'm pretty coordinated, though. If you're one of those people who can't read or watch tv while on the treadmill, this won't work for you.
    Love this! I sometimes listen to podcasts and that helps the time pass a little better than music.
  • daweasel
    daweasel Posts: 68 Member
    I can run 10-20km outside with no worries but I always get bored on the treadmill. I usually last about 10-20 minutes at steady state and then I start messing around.

    My favourite "game" to play is every 30s (or pick whatever interval you like, could be distance, could be time) I increase the incline by whatever the smallest increment is, or the speed by 0.1, or alternate increasing the speed then increasing the incline. It takes the focus off "god how long have I been on here?! This is boring as!" and more to watching the time to increase it, and then when you feel like you can't up it much more, how long can you hold it? It also breaks it down in to "okay, just 30s to go" and then "okay, just 30s to go"...etc. Sometimes I've gotten to a speed and incline that if someone said "okay, go and hop on the treadmill and run at this setting" I would have gone "haha no way you've got to be kidding", it's nice to push yourself and see what you can do sometimes :)

    If you find that's too much, you can always do increase-increase-decrease, or even increase-increase-decrease-decrease, but I find because I'm ramping it up so slowly it's okay.

    And then once you do pull the pin and stop or reduce it, try to stay on for another 5 minutes or so at an easy pace, partly to cool down but partly to try and add a little more distance if that's what you're trying to do.

    You can also try different kinds of intervals. I like pyramid sets, but if you google "treadmill intervals" or something I'm sure you'll find options
  • lauranewman130
    lauranewman130 Posts: 36 Member
    Intervals!!! Speed play! Make a goal to get stronger and faster ! If running a longer period of time is boring to you then why make it a goal? You might enjoy shorter and more intense. And intervals can help you reach to 3 miles in 30 minutes. (10 minute mile) Makes it much more fun and interesting. Check out the app SPRING. Plays music at tempos that coordinate with your pace. You can do intervals too. I love it.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
    randileethomas wrote: »
    Any tips for longer distance running? I can't seem to stay on the treadmill for more than 20 minutes, if I'm jogging/running I get tired and need to stop if I'm walking I just get plain bored lol. Any tips so I can stay on the treadmill longer?? I would love for 3 miles to be my normal run. Can't seem to get past 2 miles and that's like a good run for me.

    Why can't you run outside. I agree with a lot of the posters it's boring on a treadmill and there's no motivation. When I'm outside I can walk different routes and change my scenery. I'm not a runner because of knee issue so I walk but I am a swimmer. Swimming is the ultimate boring workout. You don't see anything but Blue Water.
    The way I mentally beat the boredom of swimming is to break up my routines into different distances and strokes
  • 5BeautifulDays
    5BeautifulDays Posts: 683 Member
    Outside is best, but if bad weather puts me on the treadmill for a longer run I need a tv show or movie to keep from going crazy. I can get a nice little run in while watching my favorite 45 minute to 1-hour show on Netflix, and a two-hour movie makes a good long run while half marathon training. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Go outside...cardio equipment in general is boring as *kitten*...go outside! It's beautiful out there....

    I end up using a stationary bike a couple times per week...I hate it...I'd much rather be out on my actual bike taking in the world around me.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
    Go Outside and do intervals. Run for X distance then walk for X time and repeat. As you're getting more comfortable then move the interval to longer sessions.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I put the treadmill in front of a television and watch something.
  • emilycat214
    emilycat214 Posts: 84 Member
    I walk on the treadmill, but have the same problem with boredom. I use the Zombies, Run app. It's fun.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    I don't run ... on anything ... but a good friend runs on a treadmill and watches Netflix while doing so. Or listens to books on her iPod.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Get off the dreadmill and run outside.
  • jennieprieto
    jennieprieto Posts: 2 Member
    randileethomas wrote: »
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    I've started watching "The Walking Dead" on my phone while I'm on the treadmill. Really helps pass the time! I'm pretty coordinated, though. If you're one of those people who can't read or watch tv while on the treadmill, this won't work for you.
    Love this! I sometimes listen to podcasts and that helps the time pass a little better than music.

    Try audiobooks too. But this would only work for me if I'm just walking/brisk walking. But I'll give this a try again in running. Thanks!
  • BudhiRooh
    BudhiRooh Posts: 89 Member
    yes, for me using treadmill is a dreading task ... I prefer to walk / jog outside ... Much much better than treadmill at gym !
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Is boring!! Get outside!!
  • SwindonJogger
    SwindonJogger Posts: 325 Member
    if you have an ipad then Runsocial enables you to run alongside other runners from around the world on virtual locations. Tim Peake ran the London Marathon in space using Runsocial.

  • niblue
    niblue Posts: 339 Member
    I've got my treadmill set-up in our home cinema room, which helps a lot. As others have also said, I also find doing intervals can help. Still much prefer running outside though.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    audiobooks or podcasts are what I would use rather than music - that way you are following a story. But right now i'm running outside and don't listen to anything apart from the noise of the world. I have my regular runners and walkers to say hi to, and at weekends I run aimlessly through the woods so my pace is constantly changing as I am side-stepping puddles or rocks.

    It's the constant pace that kills me with a treadmills. Get outside if you can. When it gets darker and colder I'll be back in the gym switching to Stronglifts 5x5 with only runs at the weekends.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    edited July 2016
    randileethomas wrote: »
    Any tips for longer distance running? I can't seem to stay on the treadmill for more than 20 minutes, if I'm jogging/running I get tired and need to stop if I'm walking I just get plain bored lol. Any tips so I can stay on the treadmill longer?? I would love for 3 miles to be my normal run. Can't seem to get past 2 miles and that's like a good run for me.

    Did anyone mention that running outside isn't boring? No? Well let me tell you.....


    ETA: Seriously. I don't even use headphones. So much entertainment outside. You can do a 4 hour run and never be bored.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    Run outside?

    For me the only thing that helps on the treadmill is to run intervals. I am playing more attention to the time left in the interval than I am to how long I've been on.

    +1 Treadmills bore me to death (I'll use mine in winter if there's freezing rain but that's about it....) have you considered running/walking outside?

    As to increasing your distance it's simply a matter of being consistent and building up gradually (and probably slowing down a little). When I started running I could barely get around the block with thinking I was going to die, now I run half-marathons and Olympic distance duathlons (it'll be triathlons if I got off my butt and worked on my swimming....)

    Patience & consistency are your friends.
  • suzilla53
    suzilla53 Posts: 65 Member
    I watch TV series. Game of Thrones is the best,nothing like watching an arm or something get lopped off to distract one from treadmill boredom.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,956 Member
    randileethomas wrote: »
    Any tips for longer distance running? I can't seem to stay on the treadmill for more than 20 minutes, if I'm jogging/running I get tired and need to stop if I'm walking I just get plain bored lol. Any tips so I can stay on the treadmill longer?? I would love for 3 miles to be my normal run. Can't seem to get past 2 miles and that's like a good run for me.
    Don't run on a treadmill? Or if you don't have a choice, run intervals on the treadmill.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Outside for me, not only are treadmills boring but I tend to get a little dizzy after a while.
  • Raptor2763
    Raptor2763 Posts: 387 Member
    At my advanced age, I'm still and outside dog and only use treadmills in cases of inclement weather.
  • chel325
    chel325 Posts: 199 Member
    I can run a 5k easily outside, I can only run like half a mile on a treadmill because it's so boring and makes it so much harder. I can also run faster outside.
  • hollyvalli
    hollyvalli Posts: 52 Member
    Walking outside is more fun but since it'll be 101 today when I leave work, I'll be inside watching TV or a movie. Action movies, if you like those like Die Hard help alot too. I realized that in the cinema room at Gold's Gym (when I used to go), if a good movie is on I could watch it twice without realizing how much I was doing or how long I was on :p
  • 143tobe
    143tobe Posts: 620 Member
    chel325 wrote: »
    I can run a 5k easily outside, I can only run like half a mile on a treadmill because it's so boring and makes it so much harder. I can also run faster outside.

    Ditto. I run and train for half marathons. I love long distance running, and have become pretty good and just running, and running, and running. An hour and a half run goes by painlessly and pleasurably. Put me on a treadmill however and I just cannot run with the same speed or tempo that I can outside. Running a 5K on treadmill might as well be a marathon if you ask me. Kinda makes me want to cry too.

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