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.

They are allowed to use their time however they like.

Some people walk on treadmills after they have done weights etc just to do something while they recover for the next thing.

So long as they are not monopolising the equipment whatever they choose to do is fine.

If you are having to wait too long to get onto equipment, your problem should be with the gym owners who haven't installed enough compared with the number of users rather than the users themselves.

Jeez. For some people, walking is the only form of exercise accessible to them. Perhaps for medical reasons.

And let's me honest, the UK weather doesn't allow for nice leisurely strolls outside very often, especially during winter.

If I do a weight session then decide to do 20 mins walking to up my daily steps that is 100% nobody else's business and any hint of superiority from the high-incline, competitive speed brigade will be met with a shit eating grin and a lengthier stint on said treadmill.

Oh but runners are SUPERIOR, don't ya know?

I guess they're there more for the social side than the actual exercise!

Considering that social isolation is correlated to about a 30% increase in mortality, that's probably as beneficial as interval training.

Well, I only walk on the treadmill. The knee consultant I saw told me that I'm not allowed to cycle or run, so walking it is. (At the age of 64, I was finally diagnosed with patella alta.)

I use the treadmill for HIIT training as best as I can. I can currently get to 6.2km ph without doing a cartoon-like backwards fall. That's my warm-up and then I wait my turn for the apparatus and hand weights.

I can understand your frustration, OP, but it may be that many of the young people can only manage walking for their warm-up - people do tend to be very unfit these days.

But you could also choose to run your intervals outside? You don’t because it’s more convenient to you do to it on a treadmill. Presumably they are making the same decision.

Gymzilla in the house.

Actually I don't think you are being unreasonable - should be a time limit on the machines for both sexes (some men run for half an hour). Where I think you aren't being reasonable is that I can why women might chose the safety of walking after work hours in a gym, rather than walking around the streets. Although for the cost of a gym, you can get a nice little foldaway treadmill that does the trick for walking.

but well actually you are!

I'm not even allowed to incline the treadmill. My consultant told me to avoid slopes and "working in schools with stairs"....

I nearly wailed "Have you noticed that we're in Scotland?!"

It’s people like you, @crinklechips , who put less fit people off going to a gym.

Yes, many of the people at our gym are training to stay mobile. There are various classes that people have been referred to by their physios.

People then 'graduate' to independent training.

The fuck has it got to do with you?

They have paid to join the gym and are as entitled to use the equipment as you are, in a way that meets their needs. You have no knowledge of their reasons for walking as they do instead of running.

For a long time now, when I go to the gym, I walk on the treadmill. At different points in time I have had different injuries, not caused by exercise, but that could be made worse by jogging/running, or would cause discomfort when jogging/running.

I do walk at a faster average speed than 3km per hour - but sometimes the pace would drop down to that.

I am getting exercise in a way that is best for me. I could go for a walk elsewhere, but sometimes that doesn't work as well for me.
Eg dark or wet out
I can measure my distance/progress etc on the treadmill
I am more focussed and more likely to actually do the walking if I have booked the gym and go with a purpose, than if I just decide to go for a walk later.

At least they’re not just sitting on a machine doing no exercise and looking at their phones like lots of people at my gym

Thanks this is very much where I'm coming from and has given me a bit of food for thought. I think gym culture is a lot less cardio focused in general at the moment too so if they are working hard it's probably on the weights not the treadmill.

I've got 50mins I can use at the gym when my DC is in a class in the same building which is about enough time to get an interval session done but not if I'm waiting 20mins for the treadmill.

On the one hand I'm thinking yes they have every right to use the equipment, on the other hand I always hop on and off as fast as I can when it's busy and I wouldn't hang about scrolling my phone.

Ultimately gyms have to do whatever makes them most profitable.
If they please the heavy lifting crowd they risk attracting the heavy lifting freaks and weirdos who put off the regular types.
The lifting gym that I currently use regularly bans people and they end up going to the gym where all the other banned people go, you can imagine what that's like 🤣

So for me I spend hours walking on a treadmil- but between 6 and 7.5km an hour. I am training for a ridiculous step challenge of 125,000 in 24hrs. So some days I do 40,000 steps on a treadmill... I love in a not so great area so on a treadmill it is. I really don't care what others think. If you aren't on a treadmill- try something else if you hate waiting.... And yes I don't run and am 120kg but I can out cardio and out lift lots of people.... And often do 5hrs of movement in a day!!!

It doesn't matter if YOU think it's "barely exercise" every medical authority disagrees.

There could be lots of reasons why someone doesn't feel comfortable walking outdoors - they live in a dangerous area, work long hours so can only walk at night, have mobility or joint issues...but tbh none of it matters, they pay the same gym fee as you therefore they are as entitled as you to use the treadmills however they want.

OP really do take notice of this. Im a PT and I have a knee issue that means I can't now run for exercise - but I can walk on a steep incline which I love (it actuallydoesn'taffect me in any other way other than running as an exercise choice so you'd probably judge me, although I exercise 5-6 days a week). You're bloody lucky to be able to run whenever you like, just take the win!

The health benefits of fast walking on an incline are impressive, btw.

Sure its annoying when some people are arsing around but if you see someone on their phone genuinely ambling on a treadmill, talk the gym staff as usually they'll intervene (I would if I worked there).

My old gym did used to have an automated cut out after a certain time on the treadmill. You could restart it and go again but it did discourage people staying on for protracted periods.

All this treadmill talk!
What about the stairmaster?
What about the cross trainer?
Come on people, variety is good for you😄

They're doing the exercise of their choice. You aren't entitled to a treadmill because you run on the treadmill rather than walk. LISS is cardiovascular training.

Maybe suggest the gym get some more treadmills.

It is this type of attitude that puts people off joining gyms and annoys me. There are many reasons why you might walk and not run on a treadmill. Every reason is as valid as your thought that it is only for running. If you don't like it, go somewhere with more treadmills or at a least frequent time.