You know that phrase: “I don’t know what lasts longer. A microwave minute or a treadmill minute”? I honestly think a treadmill minute lasts longer, but that’s just my opinion.
I think running on the treadmill and running on the street both have its advantages and disadvantages, but I’m not going to compare these two options on this post. My goal is to talk about treadmill running and how to make it more dynamic and less boring.
Personally, running is not my thing, but when I was still trying to make myself like it, my preference was always to run outside. However, that wasn’t always possible. When I lived in São Paulo, my building that was not close to a park, and I didn’t like to run on busy streets dodging people and dogs, and having to stop at every traffic light.
So my only option was to run at the gym, on the treadmill. It’s funny how it seems like you’ve been there for 15 minutes, only to look at the screen and find out that 2 minutes have gone by. I simply can’t get distracted by the other people at the gym or the different shows playing on the TV. But not everything about treadmill running is that bad.
There is a bright side to treadmill running
Running indoors on the treadmill does offer some advantages when compared to the streets. The most obvious one is not having to worry about the weather. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing or if the heat is too intense; you can do it all year round.
Another plus is the flat and predictable surface of the treadmill. Especially if you are just starting to run, it’s a great option because it goes easier on the joints and prevents injuries. You also don’t have to deal with sidewalks and bad surface conditions you might find outside.
For me, the key advantage of the treadmill is the control you can have over your run. You can define the speed, incline and warm up and cool down periods. If you want to practice uphill running, for example, you don’t need a hill to do it.
You can design different custom programs taking into consideration how much time you have for your workout. Depending on the treadmill, you can also monitor your heart rate and count your steps.
In my case, when I’m running on the street I’m usually not sure if I’m going too fast or too slow, so the treadmill always helped me with that. However, I think time goes by so much faster when you are running outside. That’s why I like to do everything I can to make running indoors a bit more exciting.
Tips to make your treadmill run more dynamic
Don’t look at the clock
I know that’s really hard to do, but unless you are working with time-based intervals, the best you can do is cover the screen. Looking at the clock never made time go by faster, so just forget about it and try to distract yourself with other things.
Entertain yourself
The key is to plan ahead. Don’t go to the gym without a killer playlist on your phone. Choose songs that you like and that will motivate you. You can even start the playlist with slower songs and move to more exciting ones as you build up your pace.
TV can also work as your ally. You can plan your running workout according to the TV schedule. Think about when your favorite TV shows air and go running then. You won’t even think about how much time has passed if you are busy watching something you like.
Try HIIT
Running at the same steady, moderate pace is the perfect recipe for boredom. A high intensity interval training can make your workout much more exciting and effective. According to Bodybuilding.com, HIIT keeps your body from adapting and getting too comfortable while, simultaneously, helping you burn calories post-workout.
You don’t have to do anything too fancy. Just start with a warm-up and then alternate short, high-intensity bursts of energy with an easy-to-moderate effort for the same amount of time.
If you are looking for something a bit more elaborate, you can find tons of HIIT running workouts online. Just pick one and give it a shot.
Try uphill running
Not a lot of people take advantage of the possibility to incline the treadmill, but that can help you get a killer workout in. If you are not used to it, you can start by alternating a few minutes of running on the flat surface and then a few more running (or even walking) uphill.
According to Runner’s World, hill sessions force your muscles to contract more powerfully than usual because they are forced to overcome gravity to move you up. Those who run on hills have also been shown to be less likely to lose fitness when they take time off from training. Sure sounds worth trying, right?
Alternate running and strength training
If you are at the gym to do strength training and running on the same day, why not combine both of them into one killer workout? You can run 5 minutes between each lifting exercise, for example. After all, running 30 minutes on the treadmill is much more boring than running 5 minutes 6 times.
Challenge a friend
Sometimes a friendly competition can work to your advantage. If you have a friend who runs around the same time you do, why not run together and establish some kind of challenge? It could be who runs more in a given period of time or who covers a determined distance first, for example.
You are much more likely to give it your all if you are competing against someone. But remember: we are suggesting a healthy amount of competition; there is no need to overdo it.
Make your treadmill workouts shorter
If you don’t like to run on the treadmill, make your workouts shorter. Don’t run at a slower pace for one hour. Choose a very intense workout that lasts only 30 minutes, or maybe even less than that.
If that’s still too much for you, why not divide your cardio between the treadmill, the elliptical and the stationary bike? That can be an interesting option to make your workout less boring. Why not give it a try?
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