How to Make Time Fly on the Treadmill
If you’re a runner that enjoys exercising outdoors, chances are that you’re probably betting against the elements during the winter months. And, if it’s snowing/raining/just too darn cold, then you may be forced to go to the gym and use the dreaded treadmill, instead. If you are only using the treadmill for short spurts of time, then it’s not so horrible. But if you’re a long-distance runner and are spending an hour or more on the treadmill, then you know just how boring it can be.
However, all hope is not lost. The easiest way to get through a long treadmill session is to distract yourself, in order for the time to seemingly fly by. Here are few tricks to make the treadmill more tolerable:
#1: Concentrate on your form.
One of the best ways to distract your mind from the monotony of the treadmill is to run through a mental checklist of your running form. Is your neck scrunched, or is it reaching up towards the ceiling as it should be for optimal running form? Are your shoulders back? Are your elbows at a ninety-degree angle? Are your hands relaxed? Are you taking nice, long strides and are your hips, knees, and ankles streamlined? Keeping your focus on your body and its movements will make you less likely to focus on the seconds ticking slowly by.
#2: Change the settings.
Experts believe that using the interval method (with short bouts of high intensity) is one of the very best ways to improve your fitness and stamina, as well as burn fat. Use the buttons on the treadmill in order to change the incline and the speed. Try doing one minute intervals, switching between walking and jogging on an incline, and then one minute intervals of walking and sprinting on no incline.
#3: Focus on your breath.
Try this: for thirty seconds, stop whatever it is that you’re doing and concentrate on your breath. Feel it going in and out, recognize the feeling of your lungs filling up with air and then how it feels when it’s being released. Try breathing deeply through your nose and then out through your mouth. What you may realize while doing this short exercise is that you are distracted from whatever else may have the ability to hinder your performance.
Use this when you are on the treadmill in order to distract yourself from the time. Also, breathing deeply during exercise can help to lower your blood pressure and heart rate, ultimately helping your body to run much more efficiently.