Keep Your Treadmill Workouts Interesting with These Tips
Growing bored with an exercise routine is one of the top reasons that many people slack, or quit, exercising. If you are growing bored walking on your treadmill, there are many things you can do to make treadmill workouts more interesting. Here are some ideas that can keep your treadmill workouts fun and interesting:
Movies, Music, TV and CDs. Are you a movie or TV buff? If so, treadmill workouts are an ideal time to feed the craving. Music lovers often find that walking to their favorite music makes workouts more enjoyable and productive. If you don’t have time to read, listening to audio books or motivational CDs during your treadmill workouts is a great way to get lost in thought while you are walking.
Pyramid Walking. Increase your walking pace by .1 mph every minute for 15 minutes. Then, slow your walking pace by .1 mph every minute for 15 minutes. This is an awesome mental and physical challenge.
Dancers. If dancing is a favorite pastime, you can build up your strength and increase your balance by walking backwards on your treadmill. Keep your pace steady and even. This should only be tried by people who have good coordination!
Numbers. To keep your mind busy during a workout, count your steps for one minute. Take a break the following minute, and then count your steps the next minute. Not only will this help you see when you need to pick up your pace, but over time you can see how your foot speed increases.
Circuit Training. To give your body an aerobic and strength training workout, walk for five minutes. Then, get off of your machine and do lunges, push-ups, crunches or work with weights for one minute. Repeat this process throughout your workout.
Stretching. Stretching just feels good! After walking for ten minutes, get off of your machine and do stretch exercises for five minutes. Get back on your machine and repeat this process until your workout time is up.
Climb and Walk. Someone who wants to take it to the next level can put a stepper next to their treadmill and take turns stepping for five minutes and walking for five minutes.
Chart Your Progress. Pick a place you have always wanted to visit and chart your mileage there after each workout. See how long it takes you to walk to Hawaii, China or the Bahamas.
Heart Rate Training. Heart rate training involves finding out your maximum heart rate and cycling in and out of different heart rate zones for two or three minute intervals. This type of treadmill workout shouldn’t last more than 20 or 30 minutes and you shouldn’t do it more than three times per week because it is intense.
Did any of these suggestions interest you? If they did, try them during your treadmill workouts, or make up a few of your own routines. The most important thing is that you bring the interest and fun back to your treadmill workouts so that bad guy, boredom, knows he isn’t welcome.