Do you enjoy running on the treadmill?
Most people who I ask this question will emphatically say, “No way!”. The treadmill is repetitive, it feels “easier” than being on the pavement, and it can be pretty noisy!
But the treadmill can also be a godsend for runners, especially when we’re away on vacation, the weather’s too dangerous outside, or if we only have a short period of time to work out.
We’ve got to stop hating the treadmill and learn how to use it as our ally, not our enemy! So I’ve got a few tips that will hopefully help on those dreaded days on the dreadmill…
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
[bctt tweet=”Struggling to run on the treadmill? Here are some tips on how to get through it this winter! #runchat”]
Survive Running On the Treadmill
We all know that the treadmill is BORING, but often inevitable, especially when it’s too cold and icy to get out the door.
As runners, we have to deal with the treadmill, whether we like it or not. But there’s no point complaining about it – let’s try to make it as painless as possible!
Here are some tips on how to occupy your time on the treadmill with some of your sanity intact, including some fun new workouts to try from your favorite fitness bloggers!
[bctt tweet=”Awesome treadmill workouts featuring @jillconyers, @fruitionfitness and @thisrunrecipes #runchat #sweatpink”]
Catch Up On TV
Do you have access to TV while on your treadmill? I’ve found that TV shows are an excellent distraction while running! Some of my favorites over the years include Oprah, Judge Judy, Maury, and anything on HGTV. Don’t judge me! An hour (or longer) goes by a lot faster when you’ve got mindless entertainment to distract you!
Thanks to smartphones, iPads, and Kindle’s, we have so many ways to watch our favorite shows and movies when a television isn’t available.
I have Xfinity cable from Comcast and with the TVGo App, I can download TV shows and movies on my phone to watch later or watch them on demand using my mobile data or Wifi.
If you’ve cut the cable cord, Amazon TV, Netlix and Hulu have similar functionalities as well.
What are your favorite shows to watch? I’m a little bit behind on How To Get Away With Murder, and I just started watching The People vs. OJ Simpson. Good stuff!
Mix Up The Pace
If you’re running the same pace and the same distance every time you’re on the treadmill, you’re doing it wrong! The great thing about the treadmill is that with the touch of a button, you can go as fast or as slow as you like! Speed work is great to get done on the treadmill because it’s easier to control your pace and quantify your efforts than when you’re outside.
Here’s a great treadmill speed interval workout from Fruition Fitness that’s worth giving a try!
Listen To Your Favorite Music
Listening to music is always my #1 go-to for surviving running on the treadmill. Some people say you shouldn’t zone out while running because you may “slack off” off a bit on your run, but hey…whatever helps!
I was all about Pandora for a long time, but now I’ve really been enjoying Spotify since I got a monthly membership. There are no ads, I can choose whatever music I want, and there are thousands of playlists that you can download directly to your phone instead of using up your mobile data.
Nike Running Club has several playlists on Spotify that are awesome!
I’ve also listened to Amazon Prime Music on a few runs and it has a lot of great options with the music library continuing to grow. If you’re not a member, you can sign up for a 30 day free trial!
Throw In Some Hills
Do you change up the incline when you run on the treadmill? If you don’t, you definitely should give it a try so that you can create an awesome hill workout! At a minimum, it’s usually recommended to add a slight incline on your indoor runs to mimic road conditions.
I recently spent some time on the treadmill with the incline all the way up to 15%. Whoa. It was super steep, and I could only handle a 3.0 mph pace, but it was a great workout!
Here’s another great treadmill workout from This Runner’s Recipes that mixes up the incline to keep things interesting.
Listen to a Podcast or Audiobook
Podcasts are all the rage these days, aren’t they? Like commuting through traffic, hitting the treadmill seems to be one of the best opportunities to catch up on a podcast or listen to an audiobook. How can you hate running on the treadmill when you’re getting to enjoy the latest news or getting engrossed into an addictive piece of fiction?
Podcasts:
I’ve listened to some blogging-related podcasts while running, but the great thing about podcasts is that you can find one on any topic! See what piques your interest and take it along with you while on the treadmill!
Here are some 8 podcast recommendations from Runner’s World to get you through your treadmill run!
If you want something more running-related to listen to, Run to the Finish has 19 podcast suggestions for runners that you can try out too!
Audiobooks:
What audiobooks have you tried while running? I’ve never listened to an audiobook while running, but I think I’m missing out on a great opportunity to do more “reading” – which is one of my goals for this year!
Here are some great suggestions from SheKnows of audiobooks for your long runs.
Bustle suggests audiobooks for just about any running distance and includes some of the great classics!
Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial
Take A Break, Then Get Back On
No one ever said that a treadmill workout has to only be on the treadmill! There are some very creative workout ideas that involve you hopping off the machine to do different exercises in between your run. This is a great way to add variety to your workout and beat the boredom of the treadmill!
Jill Conyers has a fantastic workout called the Tone and Burn Treadmill Workout – it incorporates mixing up your treadmill run with biceps, triceps, and ab exercises!
Make It A Game
Sometimes we’re not able to have any technology to help us out and we’re stuck with just the treadmill. In those situations, I try to make it a game to get through each milestone with a little less boredom.
Break up your time on the treadmill into smaller pieces. On the treadmill at my gym, there’s a graphic showing where I am on a 1/4 mile track. Sometimes just watching myself progress around that track is enough to get me through.
Another way to make it a game is to break things down to 5 minutes at a time. How long does 5 minutes feel while on the treadmill? (I know for me it can feel like an eternity!) Check in with yourself to compare how you feel after each interval – the good news is that you’re getting closer to finishing your run!
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I’m linking up with Marcia, Erika, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run!
What additional tips do you have to get through your treadmill runs?
Listening to an audiobook, watching a movie, or a TV show is a great way to keep my mind occupied and off the display numbers on the treadmill.
Absolutely! Staring at the display numbers is my last resort…
Great tips! I’m not a treadmill fan but I’ve been going to this workout at Orangetheory Fitness and approx 1/3 of the class is on the treadmill. They mix up the pace which helps and wow, I really feel the burn!
That’s really cool – I didn’t realize Orange Theory involved the treadmill! I bet it’s a killer workout!
I personally don’t mind the treadmill. My longest treadmill run has been 13 miles and while it got a little boring around mile 10, I still think I could do it again. Godo music always helps!
It only took you 10 miles before you were bored?! I think the longest I’ve done on a treadmill is 7 miles. Music definitely helps on those long runs!
I don’t hate the treadmill but I do try to avoid it if possible! If I have to run on the treadmill, I usually do speed intervals because it feels like the time goes faster than running at a steady pace.
I like doing speed work on the treadmill too. It’s crazy how time seems to be so much slower when we’re on a treadmill!
I actually really love running on the treadmill! I think I get a better workout from it than running outside because I can control my pace a little better. I’ve gotten faster since I started incorporating sprint and hill intervals on it! 🙂
I think I’m going to have to try the workout you posted too!
That’s awesome that the treadmill has helped you get faster. It’s such a great tool!
I actually started checking out those treadmill workouts on Pinterest! I think I’ll try one!
Awesome! 🙂
Thanks for linking and sharing my workout! Great tips! In winter I save my favorite podcasts for treadmill runs. It then actually gives me something to forward to on the treadmill!
You have so many great workouts that I pin ALL the time, so thank you! That’s a really smart idea too 🙂
I used to hate running on the treadmill but then our 100+ summer came along and I had no choice. Now I look forward to my once a week date with the Dreadmill!
Oh yes, the treadmill is definitely a life-saver in the extreme heat! I usually try to run early in the morning to avoid the treadmill when it gets too hot! Once a week isn’t too bad though 🙂
I don’t run on the treadmill enough to give out any tips, but I’m surely saving all of these Janelle! If I lived up north I would think access to a treadmill would be as essential as a good pair of running shoes!
Haha, yes, you do have the luxury of much warmer weather that keeps you from staying indoors! The treadmill is definitely crutch for us northern runners!
Love the energy of this post Janelle! Thank you so much for the link love 🙂
Thank YOU for the awesome workout, Jill! 🙂
All great tips and all things I do to pass time on the treadmill too!
Whatever it takes! 🙂
Nice collection of workouts!
I’m not a fan of the treadmill, as you well know. But looks like I’ll be doing my hill repeats tomorrow, since we have snow coming our way! Grrrr!
Thanks, Wendy! Good luck on your treadmill run, hopefully it won’t be too miserable for you! And really, more snow??
I first started running on the treadmill. I will be forever grateful for those first runs because I’ve since gone on to run 3 1/2 marathons. That being said, I love running outdoors. However, running outside is not always easy so whenever I hit the treadmill I always bring a book, music and a workout to fight the boredom. The real issue I have with a treadmill is that it’s just too easy for me to stop running if I am not feeling it. When I am outside, I can’t quit as easily because I still have to make it back to my car/house.
While I did do some track in high school, my first real training started on the treadmill, so I definitely feel the same way you do! That’s a good point that it’s a lot easier to just stop your treadmill workout vs. being outside…that’s why I think having a great playlist or some kind of entertainment to keep you moving forward is so helpful. I so appreciate your comment!
While I don’t enjoy long, monotonous runs on the treadmill, I really love doing speed work on the treadmill because it prevents me from allowing myself to slow down when I’m getting tired during an interval. I just recently started to try podcasts while on the treadmill and they are so great for passing the time, especially ones that happen to be on mental training or from motivating runners (Runner’s Connect podcasts are my fav). Great tips and thanks for sharing. xo
I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Jesica! Podcasts are so good, and they can range from motivating to mindless, which is kind of nice! Speedwork and some hill play are definitely my favorites on the treadmill.
TV and intervals – pace, hills, or both – that’s the only way I can take it! But I do enjoy it once in a while.
I definitely feel you on that! I’m glad people created interval workouts so that I don’t have to do too much thinking!
The Food Network and HGTV give me life on the treadmill haha
Yes!
Great tips! I’m all about watching trashing TV like the Kardashians, or the total opposite end of the spectrum – HGTV! I also like to do walk intervals every 5 or 10 minutes depending on my goals and my boredom level. 1 minute goes by so slow when you’re running but so fast when you’re walking!
Thanks, and I totally agree with you! I have watched Dance Moms while on the treadmill…now that is a trashy show! 🙂 Walking intervals do help with the time, totally agree!
great tips! I hate the treadmill. If I’m on it I NEED to be doing intervals or hills or else I will run a mile and quit haha. I love finding good treadmill workouts on pinterest.
Thanks, Patty! The treadmill is a necessary evil. Thank goodness for technology that helps make it easier for us to enjoy it!
A lot of great tips. I need to learn how to love my treadmill. I’m learning. :). Thanks
I hope these tips help you, Emily! Thanks 🙂
Oh yea….all great tips!! You know I’m a lover of the treadmill and I utilize all of these!
Thanks, Sue! 🙂
I definitely get bored easily on the treadmill but it’s so necessary when the weather is bad. I watch a show from Amazon Prime on the Ipad or zone out to music. With kids around its the only time I get to listen to MY music! Thanks for the treadmill workout inspiration!
Podcasts are huge right now…I am still not on the podcast bandwagon but i can see how people could use this time to binge listen. Mix up the pace and music for this gal!
Another Great article Janelle!
A very comprehensive and useful guide, although I don’t hate to run on the treadmill as I am passionate about but this is something very handy to implement for my next workout sessions!
thanks for the sharing!