How to Make Treadmill Training More Fun

In cold weather climates, many runners log a large number of kilometers on the treadmill, and most of them complain that treadmill workout is rather boring. If you have the same problem and want to beat boredom while running on a treadmill, try the following tips. They will certainly make your treadmill running more fun.

• Run with friends

If you have a friend who also trains on the treadmill in the same gym, you need to get her/him next to you. This way you will likely motivate each other as well as provide distraction in order to make your workout more efficient and faster. You do not have to run at the same pace with your friend(s).

• Interval workout

Running at a constant pace on the treadmill could be boring after a while. Instead, try an interval workout by mixing up your run with easy and hard segments. For instance, warm up five minutes, then make three sets of 4-minute intervals – two minutes of easy running and two minutes of hard running. This workout may be followed by a 5-minute cooldown at the end.

• Do a pyramid workout

During pyramid workout, the time flies very fast because you are paying too much attention to interval times. Here’s how you can arrange your time during such a workout:

• Start with a 5-minute warm-up, then run 5K pace for one minute, and recover about one minute;
• Run hard 2 minutes, and also recover 2 minutes;
• Run hard 3 minutes, and recover 2 minutes;
• Run hard 4 minutes, and recover 2 minutes;
• Run hard 5 minutes, and recover 2 minutes.

Thereafter, back down the “pyramid” by running vice versa. Run hard for 4 minutes, and recover 2 minutes; run hard 3 minutes, recover 2 minutes; run hard 2 minutes, recover 2 minutes; run hard only one minute, and also recover one minute. Finally, you need to finish this workout with a cooldown for about five minutes.

• Listen to music

Listening to music while running outside isn’t safe at all, especially if you run at a busy place. While running at a gym, you can use headphones with a peace of mind because nothing dangerous can happen to you. On the contrary, that will help you run longer and combat boredom. Make sure to choose the songs that will motivate you while running. Moreover, you can create a special playlist of running songs for your workout on the treadmill.

• Listen to audiobooks

Most people find that listening to audiobooks is very enjoyable and boredom busting during runs on the treadmills. Whether it is a juicy novel or a non-fiction book, listening to audiobooks can help you keep motivated during your workout. You should choose the audiobooks that best work for you.

• Watch television

If you train in a gym with a television mounted on the wall, you can watch TV while running. However, not every gym is equipped with TV. In this case, you can watch on a  laptop or an iPad by using an online streaming service. That will make your runs more fun.

• Zone out

One of the main advantages of treadmill running is that it does not require paying close attention to your surroundings while running. You don’t have to constantly think about your route and watch out for cyclists, cars, dogs, and similar hazards. Treadmill running gives you a great opportunity to run in the rhythm of your pounding feet or your breathing feet. If you manage to block out happening around you while running, you are going to enter a relaxing, peaceful state and make your workout more comfortable.

• Improve your stride turnover

Treadmill running also gives you a chance to improve your stride turnover, as you have got your workout time right in front of you while running. How to get your stride count? Just find out how many times one of your foots hits the belt per minute, and double this number. By improving your stride turnover you also improve your running efficiency, for both indoor and outdoor runs. The elite runners are capable of making about 180 steps in a minute.

• Alternate your treadmill run with a cardio machine

Break up your treadmill workout by alternating with an elliptical or bike trainer machine. If you want to do a 30-minute cardio workout, for example, you may run for 10 minutes on the treadmill and then continue with another cardio machine for about 10 minutes. Lastly, you can keep alternating in the remaining 10 minutes until you reach your total workout time. If there is no cardio machine in addition to the treadmill, then you should run up and down the stairs in between running segments.

So, next time you run on the treadmill, try these boredom-busting tips and you’ll find yourself looking forward to your next run.

About the Author:

Wannabe social media junkie. Avid introvert. Internet scholar. Pop culture fan. Ultramarathon distance runner.

Dan  Chabert manages Runnerclick, Nicershoes and Monica’s Health Magazine during his spare time. Dan is from Copenhagen, Denmark.

Tags: cardio, endurance, exercise, fitness, friends, Motivation, run, running

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