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.

This thread reminds me why i do my exercise outside or in my own living room, the pettiness and snark of gym bunnies is terrifying. Plus my way is free and doesn't require ludicrously expensive sweaty betty stuff. Win win

Add: and no one wiping equipment after use 🤢

People who don't have an incline might as well just be standing in one place lifting their leg up and down. She also people who hold onto the handles like they're pushing a shopping trolley.

@crinklechips It does seem like a waste of time 3kph. That's less than 2mph. Average walking pace is 2.5mph. Probably her pace leaving the gym/ walking home/to car would be double what she was doing on the treadmill as no-one walks that slowly if they've got anywhere to be/something to do. Unless they're pissing about on their phone. 😂

You really have no idea why someone might be taking it easy. Maybe they're convalescent. Maybe they're rehabbing a knee. Maybe they have a heart issue or are recovering from chemo or are weirdly breathless bc they're anaemic and aren't aware. You just don't know.

Gawd what a crappy remark.
so the person with MS is wasting their time?
same with the person with a heart issue?
the mum exercising after child birth, c-section, anyone post-surgery?
the person new to exercise?
the person with chronic pain?

Your utter ignorance is despicable.

I often feel irritated by the young fit people who hog the seats on london transport while older people and pregnant women are often having to stand, and the fit youngsters who clog up the lifts at stations so people who use wheelchairs, walking sticks or baby buggies have to queue for ages, the joke being how often these same young people are wearing gym kit, carrying gym bags, its almost as if the whole paying to go to a gym is a status thing. Standing up on public transport and using stairs would be good exercise, and it would improve the lives of the less able but where's the fun in that i guess.

You would laugh at me OP. I go to a gym and I don’t even go on the treadmill - or use any gym equipment. I just do yoga on the warm up mat for an hour.

People must think im bonkers. But I can’t do it at home without getting disturbed by the kids. So 🤷‍♀️

You have two issues that you are projecting onto others.

1. Your gym is oversubscribed, oversold, or just busy at the time you want to be there. That is no one's issue pther than the ones making the money from this - the gym

1. You do not have enough time in your life - so there you are jamming in something that's important to you times to the minute of you doing something else. Reality is the break between dropping your child and picking them up is not enough. If it were enough there would be contingency to complete your workout, without watching what others are choosing to do with their time.

Personally I would either hate a sit and relax during this period OR accept that it isn't long enough to do your workout but you might get a bit done most days and sometimes have a bonus of doing it all.

Mindset is key, if you can't change your mindset change to the most expensive gym in your area where you can book equipment not just roll on as you fancy with your monthly membership.

Ten minimum, sometimes I walk for longer to get my steps in.

It's none of your business what they are getting out if it. It also makes ZERO difference to you what speed they're going at. If they're using the treadmill for say half an hour, what speed/incline they have it set to makes NO difference.

they've paid to use the gym, they can use the equipment at whatever speed/weight suits them.

you can run outside if it's bothering you that much, your intervals & stuff are of no interest to them.

But so what?

if the person is using the treadmill they have paid to use, how exactly does their speed/incline affect anyone else?

hint: it doesn't.

Critical thinking is not some posters strong skill 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

It's none of your business how they use the machines they've paid to use.

Don't let twats make your social anxiety worse, they're not worth your angst. There are plenty of non judgemental people, some of us even go to the gym 😉

Utter ignorant rubbish.

don't go into rehab physio.

Jog on OP 😂😂😂

People are obsessed with 10,000 steps per day and I suspect that is why they are walking on the treadmill. every time I go to the gym my last exercise is the treadmill but I do 300 calories on a incline walk, intention Is to decrease the time it takes by increasing incline and speed in the last month I have reduced time by 2 min. there is always weight session beforehand.

For the OP, I think your post is very unreasonable those members pay the same as you to use the facilities, I suspect the users will thin out in the next few weeks as normal this time of the year

Literally. 🤣

I had noticed a huge increase in people walking on teeadmills
and assumed there must be a reason for it. Is it that actually exercising in zone 2 heart rate is an excellent way of improving fitness? Or maybe it simply is a whole variety of reasons as individual as the people. But suddenly so so many people all
choosing to do it at the same time feels like it is a ‘thing’ and I have assumed the zone 2 fitness thing might be applying. But who knows and as people have taught me from this thread why am I even considering it when it is simply none of my business.

She can’t, there’s too many people walking on the treadmills 🤣🤣

Did you ever consider the women may feel a lot safer walking on the treadmills rather than outside especially in the evenings?
They've paid their membership same as you.

Oh do stop being so tiresome.

its dark
its wet
its cold & windy
it doesnt feel safe
you can carry on until you need to stop without having to think about saving enough gas in the tank to get home again.

because they don't want to so pay to use the gym!