How to Spice Up Your Treadmill Routine

Spice it up!

Many dedicated runners, even those who hate the hamster-wheel feeling they sometimes get on treadmills, recognize the occasional need to train indoors. It’s not always a cool, breezy sunny day outside, and even tough runners who put up with rain, sleet, and cold have their limit. Let’s face it: sometimes the treadmill really is the best option.

That’s why it’s important to learn how to spice up your treadmill routine. Though you won’t enjoy the same scenery as an outdoor run, many treadmill users love the control and variety they can get from one machine. Here are a few tips for spicing up your treadmill habit.

-Set incremental goals for yourself.

It’s one thing to set the treadmill for an hour-long walk and watch the minutes slowly melt away, but it’s another to tackle 15-minute increments on the walk. “Chunking” up your routine will take away the tediousness of staying in one place and give you smaller, realistic goals to achieve – even while you’re accomplishing the same overall work as you originally intended.

-Use the incline feature liberally.

It’s been said that the opposite of happiness is boredom. In the spirit of that sentiment, it’s much better to challenge yourself on the treadmill in order to spice up your routine. You won’t be thinking about how bored you are when the incline is set to high and you feel your quadriceps burning. Better yet, combine this tip with the “incremental goals” tip and you can tackle a 30-minute walk in increments of higher and lower inclines.

-Embrace the “hill” settings on the treadmill.

Many treadmills will come with pre-programmed settings that increase difficulty, simulating the experience you would normally get outdoors. Maybe you won’t be able to watch the trees pass you by as you ascend a simulated hill, but you will have a task ahead of you that changes up your routine and gives you something to focus on accomplishing.

-Reward yourself.

Working out isn’t always about the destination, but the journey. Allow yourself to feel proud for accomplishing what you accomplish, even if it’s on a treadmill, and write down something specific on paper: “If I spend 30 minutes on the treadmill for 4 days this week, I’ll reward myself with _____.” People are goal-seeking by nature; it helps to have something to look forward to.

Remember that it’s not necessarily what you get out of your treadmill, but what you put in to it, that will determine your success. Stay persistent and implement some of these tips and you’ll be enjoying the indoor weather in no time.

Photo Credits: lu_lu

Originally posted 2009-04-30 05:58:37.

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