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.

Please can I point out that this is incredibly insulting to people with disabilities! I am disabled and am unable to do more than a walk due to the impact on my spine. I am also not able to use the incline function and would be going below what you consider to be a “normal” walking pace as I have severe heart failure. However, to keep myself fit and healthy I use the gym as anyone paying a membership is entitled to, plus my pace is normal for me. There is no such thing as a “normal” walking pace. Please do not judge someone before knowing their story. The world needs to be more mindful of things like this and it absolutely needs to be more inclusive of accepting everyone’s needs and differences. Things like this can be really upsetting to people with disabilities and I know many people who would be put off from going to the gym after reading comments like this! There are people like me and others I know who would give anything to be able to run on a treadmill, but life has dealt us a different set of cards. I am not selfish, I am just being me!

Agree op you see running as better , it’s a really common thing amongst runners (and I say that as someone who used to run regularly but my Achilles hated me) and was a member of a running club - but very much not made to feel welcome as I was slow. runners are made to feel superior.

The Hanging on to the sides users annoy me , these people don’t walk round the gym holding onto something or when they are walking to their car but, that’s a me problem , they can do what they want!

theres a Chap in my gym who moves a rowing machine to near other bits of equipment so he has his own circuit, that makes me want to scream as its so selfish but agaun a me problem as the owner does not mind and its 6am so fairly quiet.

Hi OP, you sound judgey and not very nice.

But since you’ve got a flaming here (quite rightly) and kept coming back, I’ll pick up on your points.

Women are now realising that running isn’t that great for us but walking is. I walk around 5 miles a day and sometimes in the winter it’s so wet and dark that I need to do that on a treadmill. I walk very fast, but some people might choose not to.

The benefits of walking for me have been tremendous - far greater than running. I’m not talking about losing weight because I don’t need to.

Do you have the same opinion of everyone who does things differently to you? I wonder why you are so irritable and feel so threatened?

What’s the difference between someone running for half hour and walking for half hour? Either way the treadmill is in use so you can’t use it. YABU

People can walk outside, you can run outside, no difference at all. You have a reason for using the gym and so do they.

My old gym was 50 min from my house on public transport with infrequent trains. Why is driving a bad thing?

Waiting for 20 minutes to use a treadnmill currently occupied by someone running is exactly the same as waiting for 20 minutes to use a treadnmill currently occupied by someone walking. Yet you seem only to resent waiting for people who are walking. Why? How fast must they walk/rum before you stop judging and resenting them. Not being sarky, that's a genuine question.

I totally agree about young people using gyms and taking their health seriously, male or female. Teenage boys getting fit and young women having a safe space to exercise is really important.

Whether you're walking or running on the treadmill doesn't matter, everyone has that right as a paying member. People who fanny about on their phones, spend ages posing for selfies and have no awareness of others should be lined up and shot though.

OP can you get to the gym first thing at opening time, so you get a treadmill when you need it?

Well you can ponder that while you jog on . Who knows why I wear black shoes, who knows why you eat apples . It really doesn’t matter, but you have just put me off going to a gym to try and regain some weight and fitness after a long term illness, the thought of you judging me was enough.

Haha you’d hate me! I do 20 or 30 minute slightly inclined walk on the treadmill after every weights session (4 times a week) as a bit of light cardio / warm down / relax

I can't run for a medical reason, so I walk, at about 4kph. I pay the same gym fee as anyone else using the equipment so I have every right. Your need to run doesn't trump my need to be there.

What do I get out of it? Somewhere to walk safely, without fear of being attacked, in the warm and dry, without worrying about falling down a pothole, and access to the other equipment.

Women are now realising that running isn’t that great for us but walking is.

Excuse me? Why isn't running great for me?

This is the weird part of OP’s whine. They aren’t having a nap on the machinery. It would still be unavailable if their speed was 8kph vs. 3kph

The weather has been so bad recently I’ve contemplated joining the gym so I can go for a walk on the treadmill. I like to walk about 5k a day to clear my mind and move my body - it’s the exercise I want to do and it’s quite depressing not being able to. I’d prefer to be outside walking, but not walking at all is the worst option.

keep your judgement to yourself. I am young with a chronic illness. I need to exercise daily but there are days that I m just exhausted by my illness and a gentle walk is the only thing i can do. And because you seem a bit of a ignorant and you will say go to the gym when you rest, no, tiredness from chronic illness doesnt go away by resting and you cannot tell that I m sick without me telling you.

I've not read all the entire thread, but gyms don't restrict people to only run on treadmills otherwise there would be a right uproar. When I used them in the past, the fastest pace I could get up to was a fast walk. If someone is doing a slow walk, they're obviously using it as a cool down period. If its busy and all the treadmills have been used, then its not the issue of anyone doing a slow walk. Try going to the gym at quieter times or just wait with no judgement.

IHRFT, so don't know if this has been mentioned, but a phone ban would help.

I get increasingly frustrated with people hogging machines by scrolling in between reps. It isn't the usual 10-20 second rest, it is minutes and it pisses me off no end. I am an in and out person and prefer to walk/run outside than stay in a gym longer than I have to.

Having said that, OP YABU. Someone could be sprinting on a 10% incline for the same amount of time as your gen Z'er, in her fancy gym clothes. Would you take issue with them? I doubt it.

Fast walking on an incline is BRUTAL, not going to argue with that.

FWIW I detest running on the treadmill and do most of my running outside but I have an hour a week I'm in the gym building for DC's dance class and it's a good way to do my one fast/interval session as it's so much easier to get pacing right.

And strolling at 3kph with no incline for half an hour is not a warm up, you'd get more of a warm up walking from the car park. 3kph might be what someone can manage if they're in recovery/rehab or suffering from a health condition, fair enough, but it can't really be described as a "warm up".

Wow. You have absolutely no idea why they’re walking on a treadmill, and they paid the same as you to use the facilities so it’s not up to you to dictate how they use them, either.

I’m disabled. You wouldn’t know it to look at me as I’m ambulatory, but I live with a great deal of chronic pain which has greatly impacted my fitness. I’m also hypermobile, so I’m not allowed to do anything that causes impact on my joints - like running. I slipped a disc on a rowing machine in the gym before and my GP advised me to only WALK ON A TREADMILL, use an elliptical trainer, or lift (small) weights.

So yes, I am one of those people who will walk on a treadmill. I’ve paid for the privilege and I’ll use the equipment how I want to. It’s not up to you to decide how others should use equipment, and it’s not your place to judge why they’re exercising the way they are, either. YABU.

People at the gym need to mind their own bloody business. OP included.

if you think there’s not enough machines complain to the gym but stop judging others.

Used to be a sprinter. Have run longer distances. Now knee pain and back injuries plus a sprinkling of OA in hips, back and knees prevents me from running. I walk on the treadmill. I pay. You snooze, you lose. You are snoozing by not getting on the treadmill sooner!

I get increasingly frustrated with people hogging machines by scrolling in between reps. It isn't the usual 10-20 second rest,

Ummmm, if you're lifting properly, with a sensible programme helping you to progressive overload, you need to be resting for 2-4 minutes between sets. I think you need to get some training or induction into the principles & practices of weightlifting.

It is none of your business.

How do you know what they are getting out of this? I use the treadmill for gentle walking as I have MS. Six months ago a relapse meant I couldn’t walk so a gentle walk on the treadmill is now my equivalent of high intensity training. The gym is for everyone. Stop judging. I assume you’d be the type to moan if you saw an overweight person not exercising. Just stop.