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.

Maybe OP thiniks the 8kph runner will get there faster so the treadmill will be available sooner 😂

Despite claiming to be sorry for putting people off the gym, and it being pointed out again and again, you're still being judgemental.

"Performative"?

Fuck off. You really are being a dickhead. Like I said in a previous comment, you don't know these people. You don't know their lives, their health, their reasoning.

Do better.

I was hoping that the research you randomly googled presented would confirm your confident assertion that “high intensity workouts can affect women’s hormones and how that can show visually on the body”. Nobody is saying walking isn’t good for you. But I’m struggling to see here, in any of your I links, how running, or any other high intensity training, directly affects my hormones.

I speak as a woman who runs and spins and lifts. I’m 58. Menopausal.

and I think claiming you have scientific backing for your assertions that cardio workouts have a specific effect on women’s hormones is, either a low blow, or a massive, unscientific generalisation.

What an ableist judging asshat!

Do you lift weights? I am interested because I do lots of walking and I have no upper body strength. I want to know what works for our bodies. I don't want to train like a man I want to train like a woman. I don't expect you to understand me because it's my own personal journey to fitness.

Bet you’re the same type of person that would tell someone anxious about going to the gym that ‘no one even cares what you’re doing’ ‘no one’s looking at you’.

I’ve said from the outset I recognise I’m being l unreasonable and having a bit of a vent.

i’m feeling somewhat more sympathetic to the “performative youngsters” than I was before I started this thread because I can see they’re using the gym for a totally different reason. Though I still think if there main reason for being there is a scroll or chat they could be doing it on the equipment without a queue.

This is why I have social anxiety.

You have no more right than anyone else who pays a membership fee. I am very unfit and can currently only walk on the treadmill. Various reasons, none of which are important here. I don't like to walk outside because I don't know how far I'll be able to get, to know when to turn back. If I'm in the gym I know when I need to stop, and go home. I also know that I'm safe, and can sit down when needed, if I suddenly feel exhausted.

Also, I feel like people seriously underestimate the benefits of walking as an exercise! For people who do very little, 15 mins walking on a treadmill a few times a week is great.

(And for all those people who say you can walk outside.. you can run outside too, there's no speed limit!)

Jesus Christ if I do go to the gym I'll be on the lookout for St Tread of Mill and her judging.

Are the Instagramming Gen Zers strolling on treadmills at 5am? That surprises me.

It doesn't matter if you don't judge certain people (injury, new starters, health issues etc)... what matters is YOU DO JUDGE others.

I hope your DC don't learn this particular trait from you.

The juxtaposition of your comment that you had no balance and that you trapped nerves initially gave me a mental image of you stumbling and your nerves getting somehow trapped in the treadmill - which was quite an alarming image! Mind you, trapped nerves are no fun either.

Get a walking pad from amazon. They fold away so they don't take up too much space.

I find it annoying too. But I realise that's an unreasonable thought.

A woman I know who took up running in her 40's ended up with bone issues (Don't ask me what). From what I have read hormones does change when a woman hits peri or full on menopause. None of the women in my family spoke about the menopause. I have to assume it depends on genetics and how well a woman takes care of herself. From what I have heard weight lifting is beneficial to womens fitness and with the jogging it's a good all-round work out for the body. The woman I know became skinny and after her diagnosis she could only walk and gained back all the weight she lost. I think she's in her mid 50's now. Eating well is also important for all round body health.

I’m not in gym at 5am. It’s running in the gym early evening when the DC are a class in same building as the gym OR 5am run outside before DH leaves the house for the day. I squeeze some running in other times but it’s not reliable.

I’ve looked into getting home treadmill but I’ve measured up and I can’t fit one in the house unless we lose the sofa or the dining table.

Came to this chat quite late and have only read your responses.

Part of why you are seeing more people (mostly younger women) is that it was a massive thing on tiktok. The new 'craze' is low intensity cardio, so doing 3mph (4.8km on uk treadmill) on a 12% incline for 30 mins, as apparently that burns more fat.

Some people take that as any form of slow walking on zero incline. Any movement is better than no movement

Kids carrying on on the weight machines during peak times are way worse.

It’s the same in my gym it’s ridiculous 😂

Yeah. People are horrible.

I think that's what it comes down to OP.

Things are annoying, but you have to grit your teeth and be tolerant.

I find toddlers on stairs (with proud, grinning parents revelling in their ability to descend at snail pace and block everyone) are a pain and have mental images of the trajectory if I were to give a little kick to clear the way but you just have to be tolerant around other humans.

In those weird bum leggings. They are horrific

One of the things I particularly like about the treadmills at the gym is that if 2 friends want to walk/run together and are completely different fitness levels, they can keep each other company and exercise together in a way that wouldn't work outdoors. If people want to walk on the treadmill, they are perfectly entitled to, they pay the same membership as the speed bunnies and the ones that pay and never go. I must admit in the past I once turned the speed down to walk on the treadmill for an extra 30 mins as I wanted to watch the end of a programme on the TV screen.

So I've said it before and will say it again: nobody - and that's NOBODY, even you who think you do - looks good from the back view in leggings.