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 agree with you op . You are getting a hard time from people even though you acknowledge you appreciate people do have different exercise needs and capacity . You also acknowledge you can’t complain , but needed a rant .

Yes, treadmills are being unreasonably hogged by perfectly fit young people barely moving above a slow stroll while scrolling on their phones . I’m an oldie , I don’t run fast but I run with purpose. If gyms are to be where perfectly young fit people go to hang out and scroll then there are simply not going to be enough treadmills to satisfy demand and it is frustrating.

I will also add , people who rest between sets for several minutes sitting on the equipment doing nothing . It’s not unusual for someone to stay on a machine resting then walking off without doing another set because they had already completed.

And again I agree , it’s mainly the under 30’s .

This isn’t bashing people who are not uber fitties , we all started somewhere but it’s frustrating looking around to see so much inactivity while staring at phones while the rest of us want to crack on .

Yep, I lift weights. I bloody hate cardio so have fully embraced this shift that has happened in the (admittedly long) gap between when I last regularly attended a gym and now. Lifting weights is it, for me. I’ve got (developing) defined muscles for the first time in my life and I feel so healthy! I had no idea of the importance of resistance training for women of my age before so I’m so glad I’ve got into it before it’s too late - hopefully!

Jeez calm down. We all have little things that unreasonably get on our nerves.

Drivers driving at 20mph in a 20mph zone is my one.

Agreed. But the weird bum leggings are another level

Is it for safety or injury recovery?

They got to the treadmill before you. Makes no difference to you whether you wait half an hour while they walk, or half an hour while they run. You are not top of the chain. There will be plenty of people looking down on you because you can't run on an incline outdoors.

I can own being a bit judgey.

II always find it somewhat amusing that being judgey is such a crime on here when it’s basically the lifeblood of the entire forum. What is AIBU if not having an opinion on other people based on small snippets of information?

Really? I’ve seen some absolutely cracking (pardon the pun) bottoms in leggings in my gym.

You’d be quite strange if you went to the gym and got annoyed about sweaty people pounding on treadmills…

My gym limits treadmill to ten minutes during busy times

Walking is much better for you and your joints than running so actually they are being sensible

Why does it need to be either of those things? A brisk walk on the treadmill is perfectly good as a warm up or cool down for strength training.

Walking works every muscle in the body. Running causes injuries and long term damage

Do you mean the ones with ruching up the crack?

My elderly dad was sitting in the car at the garden centre and a woman was loading plants into her car when he gasped in horror and said "WHAT has HAPPENED to her trousers?"

I cannot believe they are ever worn by choice, by I guess they must be.

For significant chunks of recent years it would have been a dream of mine to be able to have a gentle stroll on a treadmill. I feel you are showing your ignorance on the subject of health. There is a LOT to be gained from a gentle stroll on a treadmill compared to, for example
8 pints in the pub
Being lonely in poor tenancies
Being trapped by a domestic abuser
Being otherwise immobile due to lack of transport/funds/ability to navigate streets/kerbs/outdoor spaces.

The list goes on..or maybe they just fancy a stroll.
Why dont YOU go and run elsewhere? Turn your views back on you and see how it sounds.

The only issue I see is if the gym has a 20 min max rule for equipment and people hog it when busy - people of fast and slow speeds do that

Nope. Not once they swing into action. Not unless you like the look of sandbags and water balloons.

Yes. Like super wedgies. They are…graphic to say the least. And I’ll be honest, in my gym they are worn exclusively by under-25s who spend most of their time taking selfies and looking in the mirror.

Not that I’m saying all under-25s do that. But the wearer of those atrocities absolutely do.

I was a treadmill walker and a slow cyclist on the static bike during recovery from cancer treatment. I wasn’t scrolling, but I’d watch a podcast while exercising. If I went for a walk outside, fatigue would kick in without warning and I may not have the energy to get back home. So driving to the gym and doing a gentle treadmill walk and a gentle cycle was my way back into exercise.

I do take the point about extended use of a piece of equipment when the gym is busy, which is annoying whether it’s a runner or a walker.

Yes but do you do outside rather than in gym if it’s not raining / dark? Is it a safety / weather thing or just prefer treadmill?

What I get out of it?.....
Gentle exercise following cancer
Slow pace kinder to my hypermodile joints.

Want to judge me any more?

BTW - couldn't care less if you do, you know why? Becuase I pay my membership, plus that of the 4 other adults in my household.

Yeah maybe for 5 mins or so but surely not longer than ten ?

My DD did this for ages (we go to the same gym). Literally as you say 3km and scrolling her phone. It was so she could say she’d been to the gym to her friends. After a few months she did catch the bug though and now works out properly. I saw a couple of people roll their eyes at her at different times and I don’t blame them!

You sound awful

None of your business what they are doing. They are entitled to use the equipment how they want and you can't dictate how they exercise. I walk on treadmills and will continue to do so because why shouldn't I?
YABVU

I’m feeling more sympathetic following the this thread - it is a very different stage of life and frankly there are limited options for young people to get out of the house. If it’s a gateway to doing more exercise so much the better.

i’d only ever eye-roll internally but I’ll try to be a bit more forgiving in future!