6 Treadmill Boredom Busters for Runners

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Author Name: Beth Rush
Date: Friday January 11, 2019

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Just keep running, just keep running — just keep running in a straight line going nowhere. Let’s face it! Treadmills can be a little bit boring, even if you have an affordable machine that works well for you. But sometimes you have to settle for them when you absolutely hate the cold but you love long-distance running.

It doesn’t have to be boring, though!

Looking for something to wake you up and keep you engaged on the treadmill? No more pointless running and zoned-out daydreaming. For those of you who love running but hate the cold, here are six treadmill boredom busters that are bound to get you feeling the burn and running with a purpose!

1. Treadmill Hill Workout by SELF

Our first treadmill boredom buster comes from Self.com. This Treadmill Hill workout gets the job done by changing up the speed that you are doing as well as the percentage of incline. Starting with a higher incline and working your way to an even surface, you’ll be working with interval speeds that jump from 3.5 all the way up to 7.0.

The workout also calls for an increase in speed at varying times for every section. In total, this treadmill hill workout takes 21 minutes.

Check out the full breakdown of the treadmill hill workout next time you need a challenge!

2. Interval Training 

Not all boredom busters have to be set workouts. Sometimes you can make them up as you go, which will also help keep your mind engaged. For instance, you can do this with interval training on the treadmill.

To keep your treadmill experience interesting, jump back and forth between lower speed settings and higher ones. This will keep your body on its toes, literally, and help you get a great workout!

You can push it even more by changing the speed settings as well as the incline percentage and the amount of time spent on certain speeds and inclines. So play around with your settings and have fun with it!

3. Momentum Builder Workout by Run to the Finish

This next workout to beat treadmill boredom comes from Run to the Finish. As you go through the workout, you’ll progressively get faster and faster.

This momentum-building workout starts with a warmup of walking for half a mile. From there, you will start out at a medium speed of 5 and work up to 5.9, with an increase of 0.1 every minute. From 6 to 6.9, it’s an increase of 0.1 every two minutes. Lastly, from speed 7 to 8, things go back to an increase of 0.1 every minute.

The entire workout ends with walking for half a mile. Check out a visual breakdown of the momentum-builder workout for yourself.

4. Incline With Resistance Band 

Working with resistance bands and inclines on treadmills is a great way to keep the boredom at bay. This won’t include running for the full time you’re on the treadmill, but it will allow you to slow down and really hit some of the other muscles in your legs to work on strength as well as cardio. All you need is a resistance band!

Along with these types of workouts, you can include regular lunges, side lunches and simple walking with an incline. It’s as simple as that.

5. Speed and Endurance Workout by SELF

Another treadmill boredom buster coming from Self.com is their Speed and Endurance Treadmill Workout. This workout includes one-minute intervals at high speeds with slight inclines.

The workout goes as follows:

  • 0:00 to 1:00 at 7.5 mph at an incline of 0.5 percent
  • 1:00 to 2:00 at 5.0 mph at an incline of 0.5 percent

These intervals are then to be repeated five times in total. To see a visual breakdown of this workout, check out the original for yourself.

6. Incline Butt Buster by He and She Eat Clean 

Want to stop the boredom and get a great butt workout? Then this is the perfect treadmill boredom buster for you!

To successfully do this workout, you will have to put the incline on a higher setting, close to 10 or 15, and then alternate between speeds 3 and 4. He and She Eat Clean also make it a point to say that this is basically an outline. Feel free to change it depending on what fits your needs!

So don’t wait any longer! Get rid of your boredom and get your butt burning with He and She Eat Clean’s Incline Butt Buster Cardio Program.

Include Items as Treadmill Boredom Busters

Besides trying out these six amazing treadmill workouts, there are also other ways to spice up your treadmill run when you can’t go outside because of the cold. These include a few workout items that can intensify the workout, from your muscles to your lung capacity.

You can use items such as ankle weights, dumbbells and weight vests to push your muscles to the max. Also consider resistance bands to target specific areas such as your butt. Elevation masks can be used to work on your breathing and heart rate to promote endurance.

Now that you are equipped with all of these treadmill boredom busters, go confidently hit that treadmill when you can’t hit the pavement!

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