Treadmill training comes very close to being the perfect method for indoor exercise. It’s convenient, efficient, effective and versatile. It can be adapted to nearly any exercise goal and can meet the needs of almost every athlete. Despite all those benefits there is one major disadvantage when exercising on the treadmill – boredom. To many, the thought of running or walking on a treadmill brings only the image of monotony and a humdrum workout. In many ways those treadmill haters have a good point. Using a treadmill sometimes provides very little in the way of motivation. Running alone in an empty room or while staring at nothing but a blank wall should probably be considered a form of torture. The treadmill is not an instrument of torture. It is a valuable training tool and can be a very enjoyable way to exercise, but how a person perceives exercise does have an effect on both the mental and physical aspects of their workouts.
A study conducted by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center tested runners during a treadmill run, a workout on an indoor track and a session on an outdoor route. The treadmill runners reported the highest rating of perceived exertion (a measure of how hard the workout felt) and also recorded the slowest performance times. While treadmill training failed this test it is not something that cannot be overcome. All you need to do is learn to enjoy your treadmill workouts. With just a few adjustments to your environment and your training habits, you can stay motivated and beat the boredom.
Keep a Pleasant Environment
Where you exercise can have a huge influence on how long you workout, the intensity of your workout and how much you enjoy your exercise routine. Try to make your exercise area as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. You should want to spend time with your treadmill. If your workout area is a place you enjoy you will naturally have an easier time sticking with your training run. If you have your own treadmill, try to place it in a position in which you have a view from a window. You may not be moving, but something outside is. You can see changing weather conditions, animals, children, cars, anything to engage your mind even a little bit. If you are using a treadmill in a gym, there will probably be a window nearby. At the very least you will have other members of your club and other machines nearby to keep your attention. If you have a home gym, make your environment as pleasant as possible. Keep it clean and clutter free. Paint it a color that you like. Install a water cooler for easy access to cold water. Do anything you can to make your workout area a place that you enjoy.
Enjoy Some Guilt Free TV Time
Almost all experienced treadmill runners do one of two things. They either watch television or listen to music while they run. Your treadmill workout is, in fact, a very good time to enjoy some guilt free television. When else can you watch TV and not feel like you should be doing something more productive? Some walkers read while they exercise. Reading while running is generally not a good idea for two reasons.
It is very difficult to read while you are running. There is simply too much movement to make out the words clearly. When you are running, it is important to focus on your form, mechanics, stride, breathing, etc.
You can watch the boob tube and listen to music without having to concentrate on them. Reading requires concentration that should be reserved for your training run.
Watching television is an ideal method of adding entertainment to your workout area. Most runners can watch television without losing the focus and concentration that is sometimes required when training. Any television will work, but of course a larger set will make it easier to see while running. Place your television in front of your treadmill. It should be close enough to see without squinting, but far enough away so that it does not present a hazard. Don’t forget that you may be sweating heavily during your workout. If the TV is too close, some of your sweat could fly onto the set. A VCR or DVD player will increase your entertainment options. A two hour movie is just about right for many of your long runs. Make sure your television is located in a stable position. Running on the treadmill can cause some bouncing of the floor. If the television is placed on top of an unstable television stand, the bouncing of the floor could possibly cause the stand to topple. If you have the ability to connect external speakers to your television, you may want to consider doing so. Even with the quietest treadmills, it is sometimes hard to hear the small television speakers when you are running. Try to mount the speakers above and just in front of the treadmill. This position will give you the best acoustical advantage. If there are other family members living in your home, they will appreciate the lower speaker volume.
Use Your Treadmill Display
Almost all motorized treadmills will display your total calories burned, total miles, current speed and total time. Some will also give you calories per hour, average speed, current pace, average pace and heart rate data. Using the abundance of data that is available can be both entertaining and motivating. You can scan through the data and see your progress in the workout. You could also set goals for average pace, calories burned, distance or time. For most runners, the use of the console feedback functions is a motivational tool, but for some, watching the miles and minutes tick by on the console only adds to the tedium and makes the workout seem longer. A bit like watching paint dry. Some of these runners will drape their workout towel over the display so they cannot see it. I would discourage this practice, because the towel can fall off the console onto the moving belt and trip you as you are running.
Change Up Your Workouts
Perhaps the greatest advantage to treadmill training is the vast, nearly unlimited number of possible workouts you can do. Take advantage of this. Doing the same workouts day after day will get very tedious. It is not only boring, but your body will “learn” those workouts and you will not increase your fitness as quickly as you could be. Mixing up your workouts will improve your fitness and keep you motivated. There are an unlimited number of workouts you could do. You can do any combination of long runs, short runs, fast runs, slow runs, hilly runs and flat runs. For a real change of pace try something out of the ordinary. Here are some unique and fun workouts you can do that will stimulate both your mind and your body.
The Commercial Cruncher
Do you really like many of those TV commercials? Sure, there are some entertaining ones during major events like the Super Bowl, but most of them I could do without. Why not put them to use? Here is a treadmill workout that will improve your fitness while making use of those annoying TV ads. Plan a workout during one of your favorite 30 or 60 minute shows. During this workout you will run or walk at an easy pace for the duration of the program. Whenever a commercial break comes on, increase the treadmill speed to a pace that feels hard, but not maximal. Keep going at that hard pace until the commercial break is over and your program resumes. At the end of the show you will have completed a great interval training workout and burned a lot of calories. To add some additional variety to this workout, try increasing the elevation of the treadmill during the commercial breaks rather than the speed.
The Run Across America
How about a nice cross country run. You could run from California to Maine or maybe Washington to Florida. No – I’m not nuts. You don’t need to take 6 months off from work and you won’t have to brave the roads or the elements. You can do it from the comfort of your home treadmill. All you need are maps and some stick pins. You can start small by running to the next town or the next neighborhood. Just pick a destination on your map, figure out the distance and start running. Keep track of your mileage during each workout and place a stick pin on the map to keep track of where you are. This is a fun and engaging activity that can keep you motivated and excited about your daily workout. You can set short daily goals of running from one neighborhood to another and long term goals of moving from state to state or across the U.S.
The Vacation Incentive
This is an extension of The Run Across America. To add some interest and some additional motivation find a spot that you would like to vacation in. Place a big pin or flag to mark that spot on your map. Start in your hometown and start running. Move another stick pin along your route to keep track of your mileage. When you reach your vacation destination reward yourself with an actual vacation at your goal destination. With the vacation incentive you will be looking forward to each workout as you progress toward your goal vacation.
