How to Make Treadmill Exercise More Interesting

Running is a great form of cardiovascular exercise. It's associated with improved cognitive function, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, improved mood, reduction in high blood pressure, and may increase your lifespan by three years.[1] Many people cannot run outside due to poor weather or a lack of safe running areas. Luckily, you can hop onto a treadmill and get an almost identical workout to outside jogging. When you're running on a treadmill day after day, it can get a little boring (especially if you're in a gym with nothing interesting to watch). Spice up your treadmill routine so you can make your workouts more interesting.

Part 1 - Incorporating New Treadmill Routines

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→ Do a treadmill HIIT workout. HIIT workouts or high intensity interval training are a popular new form of exercise. These types of workouts have a variety of benefits and can be done with any type of cardio equipment including a treadmill.

→ HIIT workouts are usually a little shorter in length — maybe 20–30 minutes — and alternate between very high intensity exercise and more moderate intensity exercise.

→ On a treadmill, you can alternate between sprinting and jogging or between jogging and running on an incline. You want your heart rate to be significantly higher during the higher intensity bouts during a HIIT workout.

→ HIIT workouts have been shown to burn more calories from fat and can help your body continue to burn more calories after you've completed your workout.

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→ Increase the incline. If you typically just hit the treadmill and run at the same incline and same pace each day your treadmill routine can get a little boring. Try some of the other features on the treadmill, like increasing the incline, to make your treadmill workout a little more exciting.

→ You can run your whole routine on an incline or you can alternate between running at a flat level and then running on an incline. Since the incline is a little more difficult, you may need to slow down your pace a touch.

→ The incline is something you can do to spice up your routine, but using this feature can also produces some extra health benefits. Running on an incline helps burn more calories, can help prevent shin splints and can help increase speed and endurance.

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→ Make yourself a treadmill game. If you find yourself zoning out on the treadmill or getting a little bored with your run, try making treadmill games for yourself. You can make these games something you do on a regular basis or save them for times when you need a little change.

→ One game you can design for yourself is treadmill cards. Take four index cards and write on the front of each one. Write one of these words on each card: sprint, incline, side gallop (described in a later step) or jog. Pick cards at random every three or five minutes. You'll never know what's coming next.

→ You can also play "trigger word" if you are watching TV while working out. Pick a word and assign that as your trigger word. Every time you hear that word sprint for one minute or run on an incline for three minutes.

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→ Do other exercises besides running. If traditional running on the treadmill has got you a little burnt out, try other cardio moves instead. These new moves help challenge your body in new ways and train different sets of muscles.

→ Do side gallops. Slow the treadmill down a bit. Face your body and feet sideways and rest your hands lightly on the handle bars — your right foot should be closest to the front of the treadmill. Step your right foot towards the front of the treadmill. Hop the left foot over to meet your right foot. Continue in this pattern for as long as you can and then switch sides.

→ You can also squat down a little bit in between hops to work out your thighs and glutes a little bit harder.

→ Incorporate high knees. Again, slow down the treadmill a bit to do high knees. Alternating sides, bring your knees up to your chest. Do this quickly so your heart rate stays elevated.

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→ Double up your exercise by doing strength training. It's generally recommended to not only do cardio, but also participate in some strength training for a complete workout. Ditch the weight room and bring your weights with you on the treadmill.

→ There are a variety of strength training exercise you can do on the treadmill while you're walking. This can cut down on the amount of time you spend working out each day.

→ Grab a pair of small to medium dumbbells (or a size that's appropriate for your fitness level). You can try: doing bicep curls, shoulder presses, lateral raises, and front raises.

→ You can also try doing some leg strengthening exercises. At a slow pace, do walking lunges on the treadmill. This can help strengthen your thighs and glutes.

→ Make sure you're walking at a safe pace that you can lift weights, but maintain your balance as well. If you're going too fast or are not paying attention, you could trip.

→ Be cautious of your joints. Elbows and shoulders can be injured by carrying dumbbells for longer than you are used to. Count reps for each exercise and then put the dumbbells down to rest the arm and shoulder muscles before proceeding to the next exercise.

Part 2 - Passing the Time on the Treadmill

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→ Listen to music. Many, many runners and other exercisers choose to listen to music during their workouts. Not only is it fun and motivating, there's some research to support the fact that listening to music can actually benefit your workout routine.

→ If you sync your running pace with some music, you may actually notice improved endurance. Many studies show that when a runner syncs her pace with certain types of music, she can run longer and use less oxygen.

→ Also, choosing a song whose beat is just a touch faster than your pace can help keep you motivated and even make you run a little faster. This is a good idea to try if you're looking to improve your pace.

→ Some music apps will monitor your running pace and match your pace with the beats of songs. This can help keep you going as your feet match the songs you're listening to.

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→ Make your workouts fun. In addition to music, there are other things you can do while you're running on the treadmill. Many of these things help distract you mentally and can keep you running a little bit longer.

→ Download an audiobook. Audiobooks are a great thing to have on hand. They keep your attention as you follow a story line or plot and are great for longer runs.

→ Watch a good movie or TV show. Plan your treadmill runs around your favorite TV show or sitcom. This can help you focus completely on the TV and not on your running.

→ Read a book or magazine. If you're able to, try reading a book, newspaper or magazine while you're running. You can get distracted by pictures and story lines while you run.

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→ Cover up your progress. The one thing about a treadmill run that can double as a "pro" and a "con" is the fact that you can see your progress on the screen or panel in front of you. Although you'll know exactly how fast you're running, it may drive you nuts during longer runs.

→ If you have to put in a decent amount of miles on your treadmill, watching that clock slowly go up in mileage can be difficult. This is especially true if you're not focused or having a tough time distracting yourself mentally.

→ If you find yourself staring at the mileage clock or looking down at that panel every minute (even though it felt like 10 minutes), cover up the panel completely. Use your gym towel, shirt or a piece of paper to completely block the screen.

→ You may be less tempted to look at the panel and be forced to get yourself mentally focused on something else besides how far you've run.

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→ Try some meditation while you run. Running on a treadmill can be difficult mentally. Some days the TV, your playlist or the other people around you aren't enough to distract your mind. When this happens, try focusing by doing a little meditation while you run.

→ Come up with a mantra. A mantra is a short saying that is meaningful and motivating to you. If you can't get your mind off the treadmill, try repeating a personal mantra to yourself. It could be "just keep running, just keep running, just keep running" or "keep going, you got this."

→ Focus on your breathing. Think about your breath. Are you breathing hard? Are your breaths short or are you breathing deeply? Try to concentrate on your breath-breathing in, breathing out, breathing in and breathing out.

→ You may also want to try to coordinate your breaths with your stride. For example, breath in every two strides and then breath out for two strides. This forced method of breathing may help slow down your heart rate which can help you last longer on the treadmill.

Part 3 - Staying Motivated with Your Workouts

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→ Set goals for yourself. To stay motivated and excited with any type of workout, try setting goals for yourself. This can help give you the encouragement to power through times of boredom with your exercise routine.

→ Your goals should be specific, timely and realistic. This will help make sure your goals are something that you'll actually meet.

→ If you typically are exercising on a treadmill, make some goals related to running or your treadmill workouts. You can work towards being able to run longer distances, run at a faster pace or at a higher incline.

→ You might also want to consider making one longer-term goal and then have smaller, mini goals along the way to meeting that bigger goal.

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→ Hit the gym with a friend. Another good way to keep yourself motivated and on track with your goals is by working out with a friend. It's fun and has been shown to be one of the best ways to stick to your workout routine.

→ Many studies have shown that if you workout with a friend or a family member you're less likely to skip workouts or deviate from your goals.

→ Your workout buddy provides a gentle coercion, can keep you feeling and thinking positively and may help you meet the goals you've set for yourself.

→ Talk to your friends, family members or co-workers about working out together. Try to get someone to meet you at the gym, show up for an afternoon walk or take a walk break over lunch.

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→ Track your progress. There's nothing more exciting than seeing yourself make progress with your goals. Write down your goals on paper and track your progress to help yourself stay excited and motivated with your workouts.

→ After you've thought about your goals and come up with some ideas, write them down in an exercise journal or planner. Getting them on paper can make them more real for you. You can also download a fitness app onto your smartphone and use that to track your progress.

→ Track your daily progress towards your goal. Write down what days you're working out, for how long and how your workout went that day.

→ In addition to your goals, note little milestones as well. For example, note the first time you were able to run three miles without a walk break.

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→ Completely change up your workouts. Changing up your exercise routine is a great way to spice up your exercise plan and keep you focused and motivated. In addition, a change in exercise type can come with many other benefits.

→ Hitting the treadmill day after day can get old and boring. If you're feeling a little burnt out from the treadmill, try other cardio machines or try running outside. Even a few days or a week or two of something different may be enough.

→ In addition to preventing boredom, changing up your exercise routine helps improve your overall fitness level. Every time you do something new, you're continuing to challenge your body in a different way. This helps your body to continue to build endurance and strength.

TIPS

→ If you feel yourself getting bored with your treadmill routine, try mixing it up and doing something new. Don't get burnt out by doing the same thing over and over again.

→ Also consider using other cardio machines to make your cardio workouts more exciting.

Warnings

→ Be cautious when making changes to your routine. Slow down the treadmill while you get used to the new moves, then slowly increase speeds. Falling off the treadmill can cause serious injury.