I hate my treadmill!

dmwiseman
dmwiseman Posts: 34 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. I am looking for someway to motivate myself on rainy days. Nice weather is good. I walk my dog for @ an hour at a pretty good pace. She is 10 and I am 55 so not extreme but about MFP guidelines. Bad weather though is another story. I look at that treadmill and think Grrr I hate you. It is boring and doesn't allow for changes in gait. Plus it is so easy to say, I'm sick of this and quit! I get such a high from being outside and want to find something that is the equivalent inside. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

Replies

  • dmwiseman
    dmwiseman Posts: 34 Member
    P.S. It is raining right now!
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    Look at the HATE as a good thing

    You hate it, so get on it and show it who the boss is. I hate some exercise and curse them in my head when I am doing them, like slagging them off

    So Threadmill, you hate me and I hate you, but I'm going to win and beat you today by doing x on you.
  • Fit_Forever25
    Fit_Forever25 Posts: 313 Member
    Well you can never like working out inside a gym or on a treadmill if you love running outside!
    but its just the matter of few days :)
    When weather is not good I think you can do it and there should be noway of hating it or any other excuses .. remember
    its all in our mind.. and our body always try to find one or the other reason not to workout :D
    You can do it .. play some nice peppy songs or watch something..
    I know its boring but I always keep a good list of songs which gives me energy and keeps me going..
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    Or just go out in the rain? Sure you will only get wet, not like you will shrink or anything.

    No such thing a bad weather, only the wrong clothes
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    The only way I can stay motivated on the treadmill is to change it up every so often. Yesterday I went at a steady pace but upped the elevation every minute until I could go no higher then lowered it by a setting every minute all the way back down. I quite often do intervals - either slow jog and fast run, or steady run, fast as I can go sprint, walk, then back to steady run.

    Hope that helps! :flowerforyou:
  • dmwiseman
    dmwiseman Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks for the advise. I will re-read this afternoon before hopping on that treadmill!
  • superstankazz
    superstankazz Posts: 193
    I think I'm one of those rare people who actually prefers the treadmill over walking outside, but sometimes it does get boring so I put an old tv in front of my treadmill and I watch a movie while I'm running. I try to make myself keep running until the show is over. Before I put the tv in front of the treadmill, I had it facing directly in front of the window so I could see outside. I opened the window while I was running even in the winter.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    Or just go out in the rain? Sure you will only get wet, not like you will shrink or anything.

    No such thing a bad weather, only the wrong clothes


    Love that quote! I agree... unless it is really a thunderstorm, run in the rain!! It feels good, you don't sweat as much, it's not as hot. RUN, BABY... RUN! :)
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    Well living in Ireland beside the sea and liking running I don't really have any other choice, either run in the rain or not at all.

    And honestly, I prefer running in rain to running in wind. And I always find you usually have the place(park/beach) all to yourself whens its raining.
  • yeowiepower
    yeowiepower Posts: 31 Member
    puyt your treadmill infront of your tv (if you watch it) and just jump on whenever your favourite programs are on... no matter what pace you are going you are going to burn more calories than if u are sitting down!
  • Ilovedrinkingtea
    Ilovedrinkingtea Posts: 597 Member
    If it ain't raining I ain't training, if it ain't snowing I ain't going!

    xx
  • xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx
    xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx Posts: 875 Member
    as my dad always says ur skin in waterproof hehe! xx
  • CawfeeLuv
    CawfeeLuv Posts: 18
    I hate the treadmill most days too, but I usually either watch TV or I play a playlist on my Ipod that I made for working out. Some days it still seems like a never-ending work out, but I just make myself do it and then I am glad I did when I am done.
  • mamabear272
    mamabear272 Posts: 268 Member
    I do most of my running inside. I go to a gym and the treadmills face a window to a busy street. We're not close enough for the cars to really look inside but I can see them going by. I put Netflix on and watch old Melrose Place episodes (don't judge me :laugh:).
  • primalchaos
    primalchaos Posts: 135 Member
    I watch movies while I run on mine. No idea if this will help you, but keeps me going.
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    If you hate it find something else :) Get a jumprope...that will burn serious calories! I would also rather be outside as well but I do have a treadmill. Change it up lots run sprints on it :) Much less time for equal wokrout
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    The exercise that you hate is the exercise you should be doing. I hate burpees, planks, and push-ups, but my body thanks me for doing them after all the pain is done. Get on that thing and show it who's boss! I'd prefer to be outside too - but when it's raining I still get in my little apartment gym and use the elliptical (which I also hate) for 40-45 minutes. Feel great after, but dread it beforehand. And curse the weather while I'm doing it...
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    I am starting to have a bit of distaste for my treadmill, too. I do have it near a TV, and wear an iPod when I'm running (gotta have the music), but last night I had to run 6 miles (I'm training for a 10K) and just couldn't do the treadmill. Fortunately my daughter wanted to ride her bike so I ran 6 miles and she biked and was my 'water girl'.

    I haven't run in the rain yet, though, because I'm worried about it wrecking my shoes.
  • JB5349
    JB5349 Posts: 135 Member
    I had an old tv that worked but was really small I set it up infront of the machine( i have an elliptical) and now I watch something while I am working out... best/worst part is that I make myself increase the rpm for every commercial and keep it going till the show comes on so it is like interval training.

    I have had times where I have felt like I was going to die during the commercials but it is a great work out and by the time that the show be it 30 min or an hour is over you have done an excellent work out and really have not thought about it much at all.... atleast I don't.

    It has worked for me.... I am still not a big fan of working out but I am trying to change that - other than hiking I really dont care for the rest
  • fit4lyfeLisa
    fit4lyfeLisa Posts: 529 Member
    Try moving your treadmill in front of the tv, or listen to music. When I can't walk outside, I jump on my treadmill with my iPod and before you know it an hour has gone by. But there's nothing like working out outside. :-)
  • dmwiseman
    dmwiseman Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks!
  • dmwiseman
    dmwiseman Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks!
  • Il_DaniD_lI
    Il_DaniD_lI Posts: 1,593 Member
    Running in the rain is awesome AND hides the sweat :)
  • dmwiseman
    dmwiseman Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks for all the great support and tips. It actually quit raining here so I'm about to go out now. I think I may try to brave the elements one of these days :smile: In the meantime I liked the idea of not letting the treadmill win!
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    I hate my elliptical, so I position it right in front of the television and watch tv. Zone out to whatever is on and completely forget that I am working out. I don't set the time on it, I just stop when I am tired or when the show is over.
  • AndiJoy812
    AndiJoy812 Posts: 236
    I hear you..I walk for exercise, too - three days a week and I hate it when the weather does not cooperate! I have an elliptical that is an amazing machine, but now that I have been walking outside, I loathe it. So, I started walking when the weather is bad, too! Ha! The only time I refuse to go out is if it is lightening. Otherwise, it's out I go. I'm already dreading summer, though. It will be very interesting to see how I do when it starts getting hot - (live in Missouri). Good luck!!
  • gehlerc
    gehlerc Posts: 651 Member
    You've already gotten lots of good advice here. I happen to love my treadmill as well as running / walking outside. Here is my advice:

    1. TV. I have mine in front of a TV and DVD player. My favorite thing to do is get multiple seasons of a good TV series on DVD and work my way through episode after episode. That *really* keeps me coming back to the treadmill. Otherwise, watch recordings of current episodes of series that interest you.

    2. Listen to recorded books, or download interesting podcasts to your iPod and listen to those. ("Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" is one of my favorites.)

    3. Switch it up. Other people have already suggested this: Do intervals by increasing the incline and / or speed for regular periods of time. You can do a search online for treadmill workouts if you need suggestions.

    4. Okay, this one really shows I'm a geek. What makes me overall prefer the treadmill over running / walking outside is the whole number thing. I can watch the timer and the distance, and I play number games with myself and do simple math problems (e.g., I've got x% of my workout complete, y% of my workout to go; I've done x 5-minute intervals, I have y 5-minute intervals to go; if I continue at this pace I'll complete x miles when the total amount of time is y; etc.).

    I suppose one other thing to consider: Do you have a decent treadmill? We had to replace ours a few years ago and until I went shopping for a new one I didn't realize how much the old one vibrated as I ran on it.

    Good luck.

Categories