I’m a complete wimp when it comes to the cold, which is a little inconvenient considering I live in the land of ice and snow. You’d think my dislike of all things chill-inducing would encourage me to switch my cold breakfasts over to something a little warmer…
… buuuut that has yet to become the case; I just make sure to follow it up with 1 of my 6+ daily cups of hot tea.
Works like a charm, but we’ll save the food talk for tomorrow’s WIAW – today I actually wanted to talk fitness.
Even though I don’t follow a formal workout schedule, I still do my best to stay active on a daily basis. As much as I love the occasional lazy day where I have nothing to do and nowhere to go, more often than not I find that sitting in front of the computer or TV all day actually leaves me more tired than when I’m constantly on the go. That and moving just feels good, especially when you find something that you really enjoy doing.
For me, that something is walking – there’s seriously nothing I love more than getting my butt outside and enjoying a good walk; and here’s where I’ve run into a slight problem… See, it’s bloody cold outside:
Snow, ice, bone-chilling winds… the whole 9 yards. That, paired with the fact that I hate really dislike the cold, basically means that I spend the entire winter doing my best to avoid being outside as much as possible. Sad face. But dealing with cold feet, frozen fingers, and a nose that enjoys running way more than I do? Ehhhh, not my cup of tea.
Since my wallet can only handle so many of my ‘walks’ through the mall, and repeatedly walking up and down the hallways in my apartment building would probably get me some pretty undesirable labels, I’ve resorted to the treadmill to get my daily walking fix in; and I’d be lying if I said the transition has been all sunshine and rainbows.
Maybe it’s the bad memories of my overexercising days that I associate with the dratted thing, or maybe it’s the fact that it makes me feel like a hamster on a wheel, but it definitely isn’t always easy to psyche myself up for a date with the treadmill. I appreciate being warm and all, but I’d much rather appreciate being warm outside…
Seeing as we’ve still got at least another 4 months of cold temperatures left, and I go a little stir crazy if I don’t get enough activity in, I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that the treadmill is my only option, even if it does end up being more of a mental workout than a physical one. Thankfully, there are a few things that make the whole ordeal a little easier:
1. Trashy magazines… As much as I love my books, I can’t read them while I’m on the treadmill, and the drama and gossip of the celebrity world prove to be a much more distracting/enjoyable indulgence.
2. Good music… You know it’s time to update your playlist when you’re skipping over 90% of the songs on it. Having a good song come on never fails to give me a huge energy boost, to the point where I almost feel like I could start running… almost 😉
3. Intervals… Mixing up speeds/inclines breaks the loooong time chunk into smaller ones that make time seem to go by a lot faster because you’re constantly being rewarded with the end of an interval rather than having only the end of your workout to look forward to.
4. Circuits… Like intervals, circuits help break up the monotony. A lot of the time I’ll get off the treadmill at regular intervals and either stretch, jump rope, do jumping jacks, push-ups, or planks.
5. Not staring at the time… There’s nothing that makes time drag like staring at the clock. Don’t do it.
6. Splitting it up… I can usually handle the treadmill in shorter bouts, but it’s the extended periods that really get me. What I usually end up doing is picking a distance (usually 3 miles) and picking away at it throughout the day. This means I end up with two or three shorter sessions instead of one long one. Not only is it easier to fit these shorter sessions in throughout the day, but the constant activity leaves me feeling energized throughout the day.
7. Stopping if you’re really hating it… Nothing kills future workout mojo like repeatedly associating negative emotions with a particular workout – if you have too many bad experiences with something, there’s less of a chance you’re going to want to do it in the future. Seriously, if it becomes a huge struggle to stay on the treadmill, get off. It doesn’t matter if you only managed 10 minutes – that’s still something and it’s better not to start resenting the experience and screwing yourself in the long run.
8. Treadmill desk… I seriously need this in my life.
. – . – . – .
Do you use the treadmill? What’s your favorite method of beating treadmill boredom?
Do you ever feel more tired from sitting around than you do from being on the go?
Are you a wimp when it comes to the cold like I am?
Don’t even get me started on my hatred with treadmills ha ha. I wonder if you’d like spin? Have you ever tried it? I swear I absolutely LOVE it! It’s the best and I don’t ever see myself going back to elliptical/running or even swimming (I used to be a competitive swimmer) so that’s big for me. If I did use the treadmill the only way I can get through it is continuously countdown from 300 (seriously) ha ha. Listen to music, change up the speed/intervals or even write down ideas that pop into my head. That gingerbread tea is one of my favorites!!
I’ve only tried spin a few times and really enjoyed it, but I don’t have a gym membership anymore so that’s kind of out 🙁
oh the dreaded treadmill. >.< I still can't believe I used to be able to stay on it for 45 mins-1hr at a time. Now i can barely stay on for 5 mins. My only way to beat the boredom is intervals or circuits. Buttt, that treadmill desks looks preeetty sweet!
I totally feel more tired sometimes when I do nothing than when I'm on the go. So weird!
You are fortunate really though (to look at BRIGHT side). I am in crazy cold too….so no inclines, no whatever (I only walk too…good to find “another”)…and walking is becoming next to impossible outside…so…nothing…oye.
i use the treadmill every morning, 5 days a week and run 1 day outside….yup, not enough days running outside lol but i get up too early to run outside.
i am a wimp too lol i love the cold but freeze to death in it
omg every time!! i try not to sit too long so i don’t fall asleep
If you’re tired of your music selection, I just downloaded an app on my iPhone called 8tracks Radio. Amazing!! It’s free and you can choose what kind of music you feel like listening to. Wee!
Haha, I totally agree about it being more of a mental workout 😛 I am more of a warm weather girl so as soon as the temperature begins to dip I forget about being outside for too long… Too bad I signed up for 3 half’s this spring, guess I need to get over that anti-cold weather thinking.
Sometimes I can hop on and run for miles, no problem. Other times I cannot stand the thought of running, let alone walking, for more than 5 minutes. Thank goodness for magazines and modern technology… I need to update my playlist, I’ve been favoring Pandora recently and cannot remember the last song I downloaded. I think it definitely helps having a friend besides you! Another reason for you to come down to DC orrr me to finally make it across the border for more than a couple of hours to eat dinner 😛
just stumbled upon your blog and spent over an hour stalking you while treadmill walking! made the time fly cuz you’re a great/entertaining writer!
Awwr well thank you! Glad I could help you out on your treadmill ordeal 😉
I too live in the land of the cold, but I refuse to run outside (don’t want to slip, put on all the extra layers, plus my 6 month old naps for 30 minutes so I can’t go far). I just don’t like how dark it is – we have our treadmill facing the window, I keep the room lights off so I can stare outside and people can’t watch me run. I do not like running facing the white curtain though, i keepthinking to get a small tv to help during the winter months.
I’m with you.. I don’t like the treadmill… I usually watch TV when I do hop on it. I do use it when the weather is too cold.. but only walking.. I keep my running outside (3-4 times in the winter) and make sure to reallllly bundle lol it isn’t the funnest but yea def not a fan of Mister Treadmill lol
PS I LOVE that tea!! Isn’t it amazing?!
Treadmills are terrible. If I can’t get outside and walk/run, then there’s no walking/running for me. I’ll elliptical or even (gasp) stairmaster before I get on a treadmill. I fell off a treadmill one terrible time at the gym. I think that’s where my hatred stems from…
My methods of beating boredom:
1. Watching Ellen
2. Fast-paced songs
3. Did I mention watching Ellen?
I am a MAJOR wimp when it comes to cold, you are not alone 🙂
Ellen?! Mwaha! I’ve never tried that one, but given your vehement recommendations, I’m going to give it a shot 😉
Good music is key for me. I’ve never been a huge treadmill or running fan so I have to make sure I have a good playlist I’m excited to listen to in order to get me out the door!
I have a love/hate relationship with the treadmill. I actually LOVE using it to walk, because I watch things like old shows and what not while Im on it. When Im running however, I prefer music, so that gets really boring staring at my wall, which is why I prefer the outdoors when Im running. Plus, I cant pace myself to save my life, so the treadmill really helps me with that!
Mmmm I’m a have a funny relationship with the treadmill. I like it because it’s basically the only way I can get myself to do a decent run at a decent pace because I’m ‘forced’ to do it at the pace I set it to and seeing how far I’ve run is there for me to see so I can set myself a distance to aim for. Buttttt I find myself looking at the time endlessly thinking ‘am I done yet, am I done yet…?’ and so yeah…I don’t find it that enjoyable but in terms of helping my running it’s useful. I’d much rather spend all my time on ANY other cardio machine or doing weights instead of running for 5 minutes though…which is why I gave up on the whole running thing 😉 Exercise is definitely not supposed to be a chore that you don’t enjoy 🙂
I’ve been doing lots of walking workouts on the treadmill lately too since I’m also a wimp when it comes to the cold. 😛 Also I’ve been doing my workouts at 6 am lately, and I don’t feel comfortable going for a walk outside in the dark. I keep myself amused by watching the tv on the treadmill. I’ve been watching the show X-Weighted every morning because I love to cheer on the people through their weight loss journeys haha.
i like to do incline walking. Keeps the booty burning. But i’m like you, 3 miles is good! that looks cold. Just come here!
i agree with you about the treadmill i just rather go outside anytime! but like u its been freezing her some days that im looking into actually joining a gym just for the winter so i can go do some sort of workout.. thats my problem on the treadmill i check the clock atleast 2x a minute!
As a matter of fact, this afternoon was the very first time I hopped on the treadmill. I have been running regularly all along but never once on the treadmill. To trace back, it’s all in my mind actually. I had a mindset that I can’t last for more than a minute on the treadmill as opposed to how I could run so many miles outdoor. I thought the treadmill was boring, and lack the challenge I thirst for sometimes.
However, today I set a higher incline and maintained a higher speed and boy, did I actually found myself huffing and puffing in the end- it was a good 5K run.
As much as I love the outdoors, now I’m thoroughly convinced that treadmill isn’t that bad after all. So yeah, as soon as your blog post entered my eyes, I was so excited to share with you my first experience on the treadmill ha ha 😛
It’s great to hear that you had a good experience on it! I guess it definitely all comes down to the mindset we approach it with, so I should probably stop referring to the dratted thing as the treadmill 😉 No sense in making it worse, right? Might as well make the most of it.
Haha! I HATE (sorry) the treadmill! I rather run in the rain, the snow, the cold than stepping on this awful thing. I do Cardio on spinning bike, elliptical trainers or swimming but I scared and really dislike running like this. But YAY for trash magazines!! I always have them with me when I hit the gym. Intervals – YES. I actually do love being outside when it’s cold, but I can not stand it longer than 1 hour. My toes fall off and my fingers are blue, so I mostly do an intense run to stay warm and then hurry home when the cold starts to creep in.
I have a love-hate relationship with the treadmill. I love that it affords me the opportunity to 1) stay warm during the winter (MAJOR cold-phobia here!), and 2) indulge in trashy television. There’s nothing like working up extra sweat because you’re taking on the stress of one of the Real Housewives. 😉 I hate that it makes runs seem 20 x’s longer…and that my chances of smelling my fellow gym-goers’ workout aromas are extremely high. :-p
In all seriousness though, I’m much more apt to run on the treadmill than I am outside, mainly because I’m in the gym 5-6 days/week. I couple cardio with weights three of those days, so IF I’m going to run (I’ve had no desire for 2 weeks), I try to get it all done in one swoop. To distract myself, I turn up the music, simultaneously watch TV and flip pages of a magazine.
I also really enjoy taking afternoon walks outside, so I’ve invested in heavy duty boots and double thick wool socks. I bundle up in multiple layers, and by the time I’m ready to head out the door, I’m almost immobile. It’s completely worth the embarrassment though because nothing feels better than getting 20 minutes of fresh air–especially when you’re couped up inside all day!
I am one of the weirdos who actually likes the treadmill but I definitely agree that it’s easy to get bored quick! Love your tips and for me, good music and intervals (either in terms of speed, incline or both) help me avoid losing my mind! Another tip to add to the list is listening to podcasts….when I was running longer distances on the treadmill (up to 16 km- crazy I know), they REALLY kept me sane!
I just got to London and I think my idea of running/walking outside was wishful thinking- it is FREEZING and living in Mumbai for 3 years has only made me even more of a weather wimp!
I’ve actually always been a fan of the treadmill. It’s the perfect time to catch up on all of my magazine reading. Yes, some days time may go by slow, but for the part it always flies by for me =)
&& I was thinking.. since I don’t have a job, and too much to do out here while the hubs is working, I think it’d be a great idea to come visit you & than we can sit around the computer screen together, Ha Ha!
My doors would always be open for ya, girlie! <3
Yes, yes, yes..anddd..yes. I related to this entire post. I HATE being cold, it’s painful. So I have been using my treadmill so much more this winter. I have not adapted well, but it’s all I’ve got unless I want to freeze. I’ve tried to continue running on it, but never get more than 2miles in. So I have been walking lately with a good incline and it’s helped to keep me active throughout the day. I NEED that treadmill desk..so genius.
I despise the cold as well, but for some reason I really don’t mind running outside in the winter. Once I get going I usually go numb and forget about the fact that I’m freezing my butt off 😉 I really don’t like the treadmill either, but if walking or running outside isn’t an option, I don’t mind it too much. And I have got to make a breakfast like yours. It looks amazing.
Don’t use a treadmill ever. I only ever used to use one at the gym about 3 years ago and I haven’t step foot in a gym since then. I do, however, have an elliptical, which I am alright with. I watch my favourite shows when I am on it. I just set my computer down on the shelf next to it and watch and laugh. But, like you, I’d much prefer to be outside. Thankfully it’s summer here but yesterday was wet and gross so I went on my elliptical. It looks like today is another elliptical day. Or maybe I’ll just clean the house 😐
You’re so right about the treadmill. When I know I have to run inside (I’m quite a wimp too) I plan my workout around TV shows I know I like to watch. I also always use interval/speed training…definitely a good way to get rid of boredom. Also, can I just say your breakfasts always make me soo hungry for cereal?!
I’m definitely with you in the anti-cold weather stance…we kind of suck at being Canadian in that respect, don’t we? I find I can’t handle running on the treadmill for too long, so I stick with 20-25 intervals to keep from getting too bored. If I want easy cardio in the winter, I grab a magazine and hop on the elliptical for a little while.
I wish I had a treadmill desk! My class today was cancelled, so I watched 3 movies back-to-back (in the name of homework, mind you) which in one sense was awesome, but in another has left me a tad stir crazy.
Three movies!? Yikes! I usually need three sittings to get through one movie. And I definitely fail at being Canadian. I’m not even really big on poutine, which is like our national food 😆
I have never stepped on a treadmill but a treadmill desk looks like a really good idea.
Since I was born with extremely bad circulation, my thermoregulation can be compared to that of a stone. I need external sources of warmth to keep my body temperature and finger colour in the acceptable range for a living person. This would make one think that I hate winter but I actually love it. I love playing with snow and all that jazz. The only condition is to never stop moving. Walking is a good way to stay warm and, considering the fact that I call my house “the cardboard box”, an outdoor barbecue in December isn’t as bad an idea as it sounds.
Stay warm!
I love walking!! Seriously, I try to walk everywhere I can in the burgh haha. Treadmills have never been my fav, but I think you have some great tips for how to make it better…especially the trashy magazines, intervals, and splitting it up…I like to split up my workouts a lot actually for the same reasons you mentioned 🙂
PODCASTS!!! All the way. There are so many to choose from. I enjoy the mixes by Choyography (that is like…fun contemporary pop for the most part — it just works for me when I am in dance mood and I never listen to it otherwise) and also when I am just zoning in I love listening to sermons (that’s my deal) but also This American Life, Radiolab, Stuff you Should Know….you chould check it out. Maybe. If you want. (0:
omg, i used to use it but i just got too bored :/ i need a treadmill desk!
I must say that less than 5x/week without the treadmill makes me feel a bit antsy! And I *know* it’s tied to my ED — the compulsion to fit a certain amount of activity into my day “or else!” But I really do feel great after a session on the ‘mill. It opens up my lungs, stretches out my muscles, allows me to think more clearly, and compresses my stress — hmm, perhaps the last two are more directly tied to the lingering ED (the compulsion to work out, and then the satisfaction/appeasement of having done so).
But I too notice that breaking it up with intervals makes the time go by faster and therefore the entire workout more enjoyable. Sometimes I like to think of myself walking on the runway so I pay attention more to my entire body’s movements haha.
And I think sitting makes me more tired because it leads to boredom and makes you feel more leisurely, which doesn’t require much energy.
I don’t have a treadmill desk, but I do have the priviledge of being on my feet for the majority of my shift and getting to walk miles within a very small area at work. I always knew that I would need a job that kept me active. I think that I would go more than a little insane with a desk job.
I know for a fact that my years and years spent on the erg (rowing machine) have left me deeply traumatized. I can’t even hear one without getting all stressed and panicked these days. Best left in the past fo’ sho’. 😉
I lovelovelovelovelove your philosophy — motion for the sake of vitality. <3 Ahh. So fabulous. 😀 It makes my heart very happy to know you're taking care of your mind and body.
It also makes me happy that it was +16 degrees here today and every time I stepped outside I thought of you. xo
16 degrees? So.very.jealous. We had a warm day here at -10. This is probably a sign that I need to move out East… looking for a roomie? 😀
Yep pretty much all of these things are what keep me going. It gets extremely cold and upstate and no way am I about to run in that crap LOL.
I’m a gold member of the coldness wimp club – red nose alert once it’s getting just slightly chillier. While there are things I do enjoy about Winter the temperatures certainly don’t belong in that category. How ironical my birthday falls right into the middle of this cold season, really.
As for treadmills I wish I had access to one in the colder months because like you said, long walks outside aren’t enjoyful anymore now. Unfortunately, though, I can’t afford a gym membership so I’m afraid of what I’ll do when it gets even colder than it already is.
It’s funny how sitting around is more tiring than being active, right? I have the theory it might be because one’s not getting enough oxygen and variety in terms of seeing/hearing/experiencing when staying in one place. But I’m not an expert so who knows :)?
I was born smack dab in the middle of winter as well. January 4th baby here; when’s your birthday? And the oxygen/variety theory is actually a pretty good one. I think you might be on to something 🙂
Mine’s on January 29th. “But at least chances are you have a white Birthday even if there’s no white Christmas” – thanks, people, I’d give that up for a warmer month of birth any time :).
I would adore a treadmill desk, I love walking. My favorite part of being home is walks with my mom. I can’t believe how cold it is there, I have to say I avoid the treadmill like the plague unless I have to. So that means I kind of run outside in any weather. I am crazy but who cares – I will be that girl running in the snow. Treadmills just make me want to die, I feel like everything takes that much longer. Good for you for finding ways to enjoy it more.
Enjoy? No, no. Make tolerable – yes. I kind of wish I was crazy enough to walk out in the snow, and maybe I will be after a couple more weeks of walking on the ‘mill.
I live on the treadmill during the winter! #wimp
I hear ya. I HATE treadmills. I just find them too boring (although you had some good suggestions for combatting that) and I always feel like I’m going to fall off. You totally have the West Ed at your disposal for mall walks, don’t you? That place is a workout and a half.
I’m also a total wimp in the cold. I almost feel like I’m not a true Canadian, eh? Do you mind if I ask you how you heat your igloo? Mine has been so cold lately that I even had to buy my beaver his own toque so he wouldn’t freeze. It’s lucky I have enough maple syrup to drink, otherwise I would just move south!
…Eh?
I’m scared of falling off the treadmill too, which is why I could never run properly on it. And yes, we got the West Ed, which does provide a good workout but makes the wallet cry.
As for heating the old igloo, we tried space heaters for a while but had a problem with melting walls, so now we just let the sled dogs sleep inside. Seven furry bodies warms the place right up.
I hate the treadmill, and the only time I ever use it is to do sprints. I’d rather elliptical all day long than run a mile on the treadmill. But, I also love running outside in cold weather. I think is residual bias from growing up in Texas and hating the heat and humidity.
I can’t stomach the treadmill for any length of time at all, but I use pretty much all of your tricks on the elliptical. I save my US Weeklies just for working out and put them over the clock so I can’t see how long I’ve been going. Double purpose and works great 🙂