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.

Would you like us to start a GoFundMe so you can have pretty gym gear?

Honestly you are so judgemental. It doesn't matter if it's specific young woman type, a grizzly bear, a buff boy, someone with 6 legs.... they pay their membership and use the equipment as they see fit.

You on the other hand appear to go to the gym to judge people? Honestly horrible attitude

It’s not selfish if they’re using the equipment. You don’t get to decide the validity of someone’s workout / exercise - go run intervals outside or wait your turn!

You sound deeply unpleasant.
You don’t know the circumstances of the ( paying) gym members whom you are judging so harshly: any number of medical reasons can mean that a gentle walking pace is their suitable way to exercise.

Buy your own and use it to your heart's content at home if you're that bothered. The gym is for everyone of varying fitness levels. Gyms do not exist just for the super-fit. This attitude used to really piss me off when I used to be unfit and was still learning my way around a gym. To have you glaring at me would have pissed me off majorly.

YABU. I use the treadmill to walk as I'm trying to improve my stamina (bad asthma). The weather affects me outside. I don't fiddle around on my phone though or I'd fall off! At nearly 62 music or a podcast is all I can manage :) There are always plenty of spare treadmills at my gym.

YABU - not knowing her circumstances. She may well be recovering from injury. She’s paid her fee and every right to be there.

What are the standards for a ‘meaningful’ way?
if you’re not in the gym doing hydrox workouts, bench pressing 4 times your body weight how meaningful are your workouts?
am assuming they’re wearing yogaesque clothes and you’re being judgy about that?

OP: "I can tell people's health conditions just by looking at them, their age, and their style...."

Well fuck me OP, tell the NHS. They could use this kind of medium in A&E . You could save the treasury a fortune.

Truth is, you can never know. Young people also suffer from injuries, heart conditions, joint problems, genetic stuff.

You'd do well to keep your mouth shut.

Yes! Honestly, sometimes I keep having to check the demographic of this website. Do some women really feel like this (envy, jealousy?) or is this site just overrun by male misogynists masquerading as women.

What I fail to understand is why they don’t just factor some normal walking into their day, instead. Or does exercise only ‘count’ if you’re paying to do it at the gym?

Exactly. I had to walk on the gym treadmill when I was recovering from a miscarriage ten years ago and was finally cleared to exercise again, and to have someone like op judging me would have really upset me and set me back.

This. OP. You are not being unreasonable to be unreasonably exasperated by people scrolling and strolling on the gym equipment. Yes. They can do what they like with their membership and their time…. But really?! I’m totally with you.
plus gets women a bad name With the gym bros!!!!
now. Go lift some heavy weights and do your burpees

Putting one foot in front of the other on a flat, barely moving treadmill would really only qualify as exercise if you were recuperating from a serious illness or injury. Maybe some of them are, but given this form of "exercise" seems to be the exclusive preserve of otherwise healthy looking women in their 20s I feel like there's some thing else going on.

Maybe we could wear sandwich boards of shame with our issues on them and op could scrutinise and decide if we
meet her approval?

It does annoy me when I see men(it’s always men) sitting scrolling for ten minutes on the lats machine or chest press when I’m waiting to use it.

Yep, that’s me.

I’d probably really piss you off. But what you wouldn’t realise is, I’ve had two back surgeries over the last year and I am in constant pain.

I am bored shitless in the house, so going to the gym and walking on a flat treadmill while watching YouTube is the only thing that keeps me sane.

You never know what people are going through.

Because of safety, the weather, the environment around you, etc. It doesn’t matter. Why can’t runners run outside and factor that into their day? It’s exactly the same.

If you're working long days, then the only time to exercise outside is in the dark! It's not so easy to fit it safely into your day.

Personally, I think people should leave the supermarket when I wish to shop, stay home when I want to drive somewhere, numbers in cafes should be managed when I want to eat out (enough to still have a buzz, but not crowded), and only people less fit than me should be allowed to exercise near me. Admittedly, I can see how some people would feel aggrieved, but that's because they're misunderstanding how important I am.

You don't need to know why they don't do that. There could be lots of reasons or no reason at all. I could tell you my reasons, but it wouldn't stop you judging me if you saw me not running on a treadmill.

Yeah, maybe they like the warm, light, safe environment of the gym.

Why aren't you pounding the pavements?

If you want to control use of a machine, then you will need to buy your own🤷‍♂️

Yabu, massively so!
Good for them for getting their body’s moving (no matter whether you deem it worthy or not) that can never be a waste of time.
They pay the same as you and they’re not using the equipment inappropriately.

As someone who runs 40 miles a week outside in all weathers, I could say that any on a treadmill is being unreasonable because you can move your legs faster or slower outside and do interval and hill training very easily, so I could lump you in with the treadmill walkers. But I don't, because I don't give a damn. Use them if they are free or exercise outside if not.

For the purposes of equipment use, it really doesn't matter if they're disabled, traumatised, injured and recovering or just preening for Insta. It might be different if they're not using the machine at all for ages, but they're allowed to use the machines gently and they don't owe anyone an explanation!

You're allowed to find it frustrating but it's entirely your issue. Go at a quieter time if that works better for you. Some busy gyms put a time limit on the popular machines.

People shouldn’t drive on the roads if they are going to social activities as they are getting in the way of me going to work.
it means I have to wait at junctions and queue.

YABU. Try taking a deep breath, they have as much right to that machine as you do. Sometimes I feel like people are pissed off I exist in this world and am taking up the space they want, seems that statement is true for the op.