People walking on treadmills in the gym

[crinklechips]

OK to start with I know I'm being a bit U but I need to have a mini-rant.

I use currently use the gym mainly for running intervals and speedier sessions which are easier to manage indoors.

Every time I go in all the treadmills are taken, and mostly by people walking.

Now I can totally understand that people have different fitness levels, might be using the treadmill to warm up or for recovery and that's absolutely fine.

But there seems to a growing number of people (actually, exclusively younger women in my observation) just using the treadmills for a gentle stroll while messing around on their phones.

I ended up next to a young woman last night who spent the entire half hour I was on the neighbouring treadmill walking at 3kph, no incline, while scrolling instagram. I can barely call that exercise, it's below a normal walking pace. If that's how you want to kill time then I guess it's up to you but it just seems selfish when there's a queue of people waiting for a treadmill.

I don’t judge, I just wonder. Quite often I see people walking up and down the DL pool, too, but I don’t have to wonder about that - I know it’s recommended therapy for various conditions. There’s always plenty of room for me to do my 20 lengths.

They're getting the use of equipment they paid for just like you are.

What would you do OP if you developed a condition where you could only walk at 3kph and felt safer doing that in a gym than out on the pavement due to the handrails and having people around you?

How would you manage that?

You've no idea what they're getting out of it because it's none of your business

@EvangelineTheNightStar I'm setting my Italian relatives on you. You have bought it entirely on yourself with your perverse tropical fruit ways

I could have wrote this exact same message. I've noticed this at my gym. 50% of the time I go, all the treadmills are taken (six of them). And 90% of the people are walking.

It's annoying when I can't get a spot but good on them for getting some exercise, though, you're right that they do seem to spend most of the time on their phone.

OP you’re exactly the sort of person who puts me off accessing a gym. Knowing there are people judging me because I’m not using the equipment in a way that meets their standards is really disheartening.

Maybe the problem is that your gym doesn’t have enough treadmills to cater for everyone who pays to use them. Or maybe you’re just a gym snob 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m not judging people for wearing Lycra.

I’m agreeing with the observation that it is a bit weird to get all the gear, get all ready to go to the gym, travel to the gym….and then sit there looking at your phone.

I find it strange. They prevent me from using equipment as they are sitting or standing on it doing nothing. I just use something else until they eventually move.

I wonder why they bother doing it.

That’s all.

It’s a big thing at the moment
proven to walk for longer than a shorter run has nearly the same affect but reduces injury massively

Joey Swoll would have a field day with you.

Please can I reassure people that most of us at the gym are just there to do our thing and we aren't analysing or judging you. If we've been going long enough, we've probably had injuries or setbacks ourselves that mean we were taking it very gently at some point and maybe we still are for whatever reason.

Anyway, if you saw me at the gym with my red face, frizzy hair and hideous gym wear, you'd piss yourself at the idea of me standing in superior gym judgement over anyone.

Yes running isnt great for you

Totally unreasonable.

Why don’t you run outside?

I walk for some time after a heavy weights session. I need active recovery after lifting 100 kilos about 5 times.

As someone who only walks on the treadmill for knee injury reasons, I 100% agree with you! It's the phone issue for me.

If people want a leisurely scroll on their phones then do it at home.

If you're paying to use gym equipment, at least try and use it with some purpose, even if the purpose is walking!

I now have a treadmill, a rower and a reclining bike at home. Easier for me to do that than muck around going to the gym, waiting for machines to be free or going at a quiet time. I walk at a brisk pace, I don't run.

And yes totally agree with @ThatCyanCat - no one but the unreasonable OP will worry about you walking on a treadmill.

I go to a private gym with a lot of powerlifters and body builders. Most of them use the treadmills for Zone 2 walking. If I’m running intervals ( bleurgh but I have to do them for my training) I use the Assault runner not the treadmill.

Running is not bad for you.

Yes. Disingenuous is exactly the right word for a lot of responses on this thread. Why do people want to deny that this phenomenon exists and that it is a waste of gym equipment? Is it because they feel that their own efforts at exercise are being discredited?
Why should they feel that? The reality is that it is easy to see the difference between (on the one hand) people who are challenging themselves but who are only able to move quite slowly (or who are warming up/cooling down), and (on the other hand) people who aren't really exercising at all (except in the technical sense that all movement - even flipping open a tub of Pringles - is exercise)?

Why are people pretending that difference doesn't exist? Even to the extent that it is hard to know in individual cases whether someone is dealing with an impairment, it isn't hard to see the difference between a gym ten years ago , when no young women were strolling on treadmills while checking their socials, and gyms today, when a lot of young women are.

I don’t have an issue with this provided that they aren’t hogging the treadmill for ages at peak times.

Same for runners.

Basically at peak times when there are more people than machines then there ought to be a rationed amount of time per person but you can do what you want with that time.

I’m not judging people for wearing Lycra.

You thought it necessary to point out that these lesser beings are "all clad out in Lycra", who do you think you're kidding?

Don't worry, the insinuation is not lost on anyone. We know that what you were saying was that these are vapid posers showing off their bodies and therefore morally dubious. Not "weird" or anything like that, just that you know you can't say it outright or you won't have even plausible deniability for the judgement. Like OP side eyeing the young women on the treadmill and telling us "something else is going on" like it's a great moral failing but won't be explicit.

And I say: so frigging what? Obviously you are aware that some people have what you consider to be a valid excuse for going slowly because you gave them a bit of lip service, so that you could lay into the ones ALL CLAD OUT IN LYCRA to say how "weird" they are when they aren't at all.

It doesn't matter if they're vapid Insta posers. They pay their fees, they can use the equipment as they like, wearing Lycra, and you can feel superior and go another time.

Yes yes we get it @crinklechips - gyms should prioritise very important real athletes like you not silly little girls doing their silly little walking, inconveniencing VIP you.

I didn’t go to the gym for years because I didn’t feel like I could work out at my own pace without judgement from sweaty, snotty treadmill pounders who think flinging sweat and slapping their feet loudly makes them somehow superior.

Anyone who pays a membership can use any equipment at whatever pace they want as long as they are doing so safely.

If you are such a serious important runner who needs access over the silly girls, why aren’t you outdoors on a track with other serious important runners? Or have your own treadmill in your own space where you can be the main character 24/7?

You do know about the importance of rest between sets don’t you?

In the words of the incomparable BroScience, “Do you even lift, bro?”

I thought walking was better than running in some aspects? So you might want to do some research into the benefits of walking if you are questioning what benefits people are getting by doing this exercise

Avanti!.. not to be confused with andante… op would not be pleased!!

No.

I'm a runner (outdoors) and I don't behave like this.

I do get frustrated though when I'm approaching a group of people from behind and I'm shouting "excuse me" and none of them hear me to let me pass.

So I could add "entitled walkers" to a list of complaints.