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.

What’s your point?

So is running so you could apply the same to anyone using the treadmill by your logic?

people being active is good whether it’s the way you would do it or not.

NRTFT so in addition to the already good reasons for walking on a treadmill that I have seen, I’d also add that after other workouts; weights, or other aerobic based machines etc, a walk on the treadmill is an excellent warm down activity to help prevent injury.

They have paid their gym membership so are entitled to use what equipment they want and how they want.

Besides the last few weeks…I’ve been the walker, due to the fact I’ve had surgery, so gentle exercise was all I could do!

I work from home mostly, and whilst I regularly do exercise sessions each week I am also trying to keep my steps up on top of that as I need to do both to meet my goals. As it’s been so awful weather outside lately I sometimes add on 20 mins of walking at end of gym session to get steps up. So it might just be be the weather that more people are in the gym at the moment

People can walk on a treadmill in the same way you can run outside!

I do this at the gym because I am walking to build up strength after an injury. This type of exercise allows a constant speed and incline, whereas walking on the pavement is not constant and doesn’t allow my foot to always be placed flat because of uneven pavements. Also, if I feel a twinge that indicates need to stop, I’m not miles away from home.

you could always runs out doors too

How do you know they dont have an injury or condition that won't let them do much. Whether someone is walking for 20 minutes or running for 20 mins, that treadmill is still unavailable to you for the same amount of time. I go to a boot camp and somebody commented to the whole group about one lady "I dont know why you come, you never put the effort in" 90% of doing this stuff is getting out of a chair and making it to the gym or class for some people.

Nothing wrong with using a treadmill for brisk walking at all, we can’t all run, but that girl was obviously taking the p. I can’t stand people hogging weights machines for ages either while scrolling their phones.

Yes I’m afraid you are being Unreasonable. Soz

I have really bad knees and I use the treadmill for power walking, alternating between flat and various gradients. I can’t do anything high impact so cannot run. Didn’t consider that people might be watching and judging me!

Why not ask the management if they can suggest a better time for your work out…
YABU

This is what puts people off going to the gym because of people judging them. Any exercise is better than no exercise.

Do a different workout, find a less busy gym, or a different time of day to go, or run outside. Some women probably feel unsafe to go out for a walk in some areas or at some times of day.

Running for many can be so unforgiving on your knees and joints and I can fully understand why people decide to use the treadmill for walking, with or without incline. Plus there’s a fair amount of research that shows that walking is equally as good for you for overall health and including burning fat / losing weight.

Yes you could argue you can do that outside but equally you can run outside too! It’s completely narcissistic and entitled to assume your needs outweigh hers - so yes you are being unreasonable.

im with you on this. It is annoying. A lot of people do use the treadmill for a gentle stroll while looking at their phones. Walking at 3kph will do nothing for fitness. I have a walking pad at home and hit it most evenings at 5kph. A treadmill is used for a fast pace or running. A walking pad is for walking

There are women in their thirties (or younger or older) who live with disabilities you might not see.

There are people, including women, of all ages who might be living with injuries from active duty in the armed forces or emergency services or other areas of life.

For those of us for whom getting to a point where walking into a gym is the consequence of building up self-belief or even building up the ability to walk, yes we walk on treadmills and do you know what? We are lapping everyone sat on a sofa and deserve our place.

Please be kind and remember that for some who have become disabled in life we may once have sprinted along a treadmill, lifted weights with ease and even competed at high levels, but now we stand and walk on, despite what we have been through, which is itself a great achievement.

If a person decides to walk or run on the treadmill, it's none of your business.

They pay their membership fees just like you, so if the person was there first, you wait your turn.

If it bothers you this much, you either get to the gym during less busy periods or you buy a treadmill and use it at home.

They are probably scrolling their phones while on a rest between sets.

I think to be fair that quite alot of people doing a zone 2 type jog could end up walking briskly on the treadmill. It’s great aerobic exercise and really helps people improve their overall running speed and endurance. If you want to be able to dictate how people use the treadmill then you need to buy one for your own house…

I know what you mean. It’s the same using the weights room on various machines. Some people sit on phones while others are waiting to use.
I witnessed a woman using the cross trainer and watching a film for an hour while a few of us were waiting for vacant cross trainers. She was aware and the gym staff got several complaints as she regularly did it.

I am an octogenarian ,living in an isolated area and been advised not to go out in the cold . I like to stay fit,but obv cannot walk at your pace .I feel unsafe on my own on lonely walks. Would you like people like me to stay on the sofa all day ?

I feel like there's some thing else going on.

Like… what?

That’s a bit different to someone walking, though? The person walking is still using the equipment appropriately, just not in the way that OP judges worthwhile.

Yeah it's called low intensity.
Could be a beginner rehabilitation or just gentle daily exercise.
If you want to have a proper good run run outside .
You don't have a right to judge others skill or speed.