Any ideas on how to make a 30 minute treadmill run a little less boring?
My treadmill regimen is becoming boring. Any ideas to spice things up a bit? The more creative the better ;-)
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30-miles…??? are you serious that’s over a marathon’s length!
Are these real miles or optimistic “treadmill” miles? Some treadmills are way off calibration.
@Steve_A That could be uncomfortable lol
Tie a hungry rottweiler to the couch behind you.
@mrentropy Ooooh good one!!! Maybe strap a t-bone to my ass!! :-D
Now, that’s more like it. . . 30-minutes, that’s how long a sitcom with commercials run. Get your favorite comedy program playing while you stride away.
I usually have Seinfeld or Two and a Half Men playing will cranking the bike.
String a peice of bacon to a stick that is attached to you back and make it just far away enough so you can’t reach it at arms length. Now chase after it! OM NOM NOM NOM!
If you can get a TV in front of you, you could get a DVD of pretty scenery and watch that while you’re running – It’s almost like running outside! And if you live somewhere cold (like me – MN) it would be an escape from winter!
Meditate while running with calming music.
Audio books. Not so creative, but they do make the time fly.
Do Bikram Yoga instead – there is one posture we do that’s equivalent to the benefits of 30 minutes run on the treadmill.
Go someplace interesting and actually run for 30mins. Much better.
I personally hate running/cycling/rowing/weight lifting without getting anywhere.
A slightly more serious answer, can you do a trail run or something? I enjoy those a lot more than 30 minutes of going now where.
There is a park where I live has a cool trail, stuff to jump over,pond and everything but it is all still connected to the park.
Get to see some critters and what not, makes time go by much faster.
@Nullo Yep. :)
@Simone_De_Beauvoir: I do Bikram Yoga too, but I hadn’t heard that specifically about it. What pose are you talking about?
@mrentropy ahahahahahaha!!! ;-D
@Steve_A I would…but Ive got 2 little ones that I have to load up into the stroller, and while it is a good workout…they complain the ENTIRE time!!! I still do it sometimes when the weather’s nice…just realized it’s easier to keep my sanity if I just do it at home after theyre in bed!
@TILA_ABs_NoMore Strap the kids to your back and run, now thats a work out! or better yet have them work out with you (How old are they?) haha :)
but joking aside I see what your see saying, good luck sure you can find something.
@TILA_ABs_NoMore: Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 postures that you perform over about 90 minutes in a heated room (about 105 degrees farenheit). The heat helps loosen your muscles, increase circulation, and get your heart-rate up. If you’re interested, try and see if there’s a studio in your area, most places give you a good rate for your first few classes.
Animatronic velociraptor behind the treadmill?
I actually like the idea of strapping the kids to you. They’re 4 and 2, right?
2 y/o on front, 4 y/o on back.
You’ll have legs to die for.
@nikipedia It is claimed (by Bikram, the person that started this yoga) and I guess one doesn’t have to believe it, that when doing this posture (at the precise point in the series) given the heart rate and the heat in the room, that the cardiovascular benefits are comparable to 30 minutes of running on the treadmill.
@Seek_Kolinahr hahahahaha…I cant get that mental image out of my head!!! Are they too old to get shaken baby syndrome?!? lol
@Simone_De_Beauvoir: Ok, I’ll acknowledge that Tuladandasana is one of the harder poses, and it shoots your heart rate through the roof, but I find it hard to believe that 2 minutes of an elevated heart rate has all the benefits of 30 minutes on a treadmill. I would believe that the entire 90-minute practice is more beneficial than running for 30 min, though.
also, as much as I like doing Bikram Yoga, I’ve heard some claims about Bikram Choudhury himself that give me pause. I enjoy the practice, so I’ll continue doing it, but I take all the claims about the supposed benefits of it with a grain of salt
@TILA_ABs_NoMore ; with the kids at a sitter have your guy stand in front of you nekkid, You will definatly want to do the 30 mins to continue your regiment with him…
@TILA_ABs_NoMore I dont like him right now…can I have him stand in back of me nekkid and I can pretend like Im running away?!? Ahahahahaah!!!
Throw on some tunes (ipod). When I do that, I usually get into the music and it helps push me along. It’s only thirty minutes..
Before my treadmill blew up I used to run 30 mins playing Guitar Hero…once I got the pace down it was a blast….30 minutes flew right by!
@TILA_ABs_NoMore ; if i stood in back of the wife I would be trying to tickle her… Front is better- then you can see the equipment for your next workout!
@Cruiser Very creative!!! Was it hard to keep your balance?!?
Watch a movie or tv show while on the treadmill.
@hannahsugs I wonder if anyone did some sort of an actual comparison – I buy into the practice, not him – it has never failed me but some of his pretensiousness I can do without.
Audiobooks, Podcasts, and new Music are my best recommendations!
@TILA_ABs_NoMore At first is was more of a pacing issue since one false step and I was slammed into the wall. I only wiped once and after that start slow or walk and work up into a nice jog. It was a riot!
listen to michael jackson! and dance. my treadmill at home was in the back room and there was only a lamp behind me so my shadow would be on the wall in front of me, i could stay on that treadmill all day watching my shadow dance to Smooth Criminal
Get one that has a TV screen and cable attached to it. Music or an audio book always makes the time fly by for me. Other than that, I’ve got nothing. I find it boring too. I also got to a point where swimming laps was boring. Lately I have been trail running. Fresher air, change of scenery.
I read or listen to music,.
if you have an iphone- pandora radio is great- I like running to it because I don’t know what song is going to come up next. Playlists bore me after a couple of workouts.
Chain a vicious hungry dog near the rear edge of the treadmill. It won’t make the workout any more enjoyable, but it will relieve that element of boredom, I believe.
@CyanoticWasp I believe that would make my work out the most exciting part of my day!! :-D
@TILA_ABs_NoMore call me sometime, and we’ll see what we can do about that, too.
Don’t run on treadmills? That could help. The outside is plenty exciting.
You could turn the treadmill on just a little faster than you can run. That’s always exciting.
We watch our favorite documentaries, and practice our language tapes. I have recorded several TV college classes which I often re-run.
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