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.

That would have been me on the treadmill shortly after giving birth. You don’t know what that person is going through to be doing that type of exercise

Sorry don’t agree!

Having been referred by my GP, I'm currently on a gym-based physio programme that requires using a treadmill between 15 and 30 minutes. I have moderately severe arthritis in both knees and hips as well as stenosis in my lower back. Im currently awaiting knee replacement surgery. As much as I'd like to be able to run on a treadmill, I just can't but I can walk up to 4kph on an incline of 1.5 so I'm getting there.
I'm lucky to be able to use the gym off peak so hopefully I'm not too much of a nuisance to others 😅.
Not everyone using a gym is an athlete.

LOL. You're being unreasonable to the point of madness.

I totally agree @crinklechips - some posters are just being obtuse and argumentative- it’s obvious what you mean and why it’s frustrating.

I got so sick of youngsters (mainly females sadly) sitting on the resistance training machines on their phones and not actually you know Using them that I started just going up and asking “are you finished” - but more difficult to do with a treadmill.

There was one young female who came to my gym with her boyfriend - he worked out and she sat on her phone on one of the weights machines in her “outside” clothes ie jeans, boots, coat etc. she was aghast when I asked her to move so I could use the machine to help strengthen my dodgy middle aged knees.

So annoying.

But that’s not what @crinklechips is referring to and I think you know that.

I have quite weak ankles, injured my ankle as a child & never had the proper care, (I actually think i fractured it & spent weeks limping around on it) so I walk on the treadmill, spend 20 minutes on it listening to music & going at my own pace, plus I have a great fear of falling off one & making a complete tit of myself especially nowadays with cameras on phones, so I don't actually see the problem in walking on treadmills, everyone has their own way of doing things!

This has to be a wind up! Noone can take themselves that seriously to be so bothered by what other people are doing on a treadmill.

I walk on the treadmill. I have a knee injury and can't run, plus I have MS with limited energy levels. Glad to know people like you are assuming I am getting nothing out of it!

YABU, judgemental and selfish. You are the problem here.

Oh yes it is !

I’m now wondering if you were the person tapping and tutting behind me as I was walking on the treadmill last week. I’m invisibly disabled l’m not really meant to exercise because of my current physiology (or at least until it’s sorted and then maybe I can build up to nowhere near normal let alone gym bunny standards) but I enjoy it so I’ve had to pull back big style lifting light weights, fewer reps and walking on a treadmill. Someone following me around the gym complained to their pal because my weights were all lighter than theirs and they had to reset and then I got to the last treadmill first. I’m walking at about 5.5kmh but some days it’s 3. I do it so I keep doing something because doing nothing just reminds me
of how depressing and shit being physically disabled is but I might just keep doing it to annoy judgey fuck wits like OP who assume they’ll never be in a position like me. By all means you can escort me back to my blue badged car too if you want and bitch about how I don’t look disabled #twat

YANBU. They should just have a walk around the block.

As someone with fibromyalgia and has recovered from tendon surgery and numerous joint issues YABVU. Saying you can identify who is ill/recovering etc is really wrong. I may be happy and smiley and chatty but inside feels like my joints are on fire and can only manage a walk that day (better than nothing!). They pay, you pay it doesn't matter how someone works out, just that they are trying to get more steps or activity in.

Some may be getting more than you think out of it. I’m currently doing a joint pain course at the gym through nhs . Don’t judge a book by its cover we all have different levels of need

Haha! Another walker here.
Also not a fan of grunty treadmill pounders with sweat flying everywhere! But accept that gyms are a place for exercise

It's completely obvious what the op means yet we have page after page of what ifs and competitive 'I can't run on the treadmill becauses' and posters casting themselves in the role of victims. What has MN become? I suppose it's a reflection of the modern world.

Who are you, the treadmill police? People can do what the hell they like too...fgs!

Hey so in terms of what they might be getting out of it, after weight training I walk on the treadmill. It can actually help burn fat afterwards even if it's a gentle stroll and ofc is a warm down. I do this sometimes for 30 minutes and turn the inclines at different levels if I feel like it but sometimes I will just do it without incline. And as other people have said disabilities are very real, I have EDS hypermobility where my hips and knees dislocate a lot so intense exercise could cause more injury. Personally I would rather do a bit of slow walking than nothing at all. And as others have also mentioned who wants to take a stroll in the dark outside as a woman atleast in the gym you can get your headphones on and feel safe.

Yes I do understand everyone’s different and can cope with using treadmill differently.
I think some more mature people find it easier and safer in a treadmill than walking on the uneven pavement.

How can one be so unstable on their feet to the point of needing side rails for support - and scroll on phone at same time?

No its not

A reflection of the modern world.. WTF! 😆

He's behind you!

I am a “young woman” who used to do high intensity workouts. I lost my fitness levels and confidence after going through 5 miscarriages and surgery. My body went through a lot and it took a lot to get out of bed in the morning, I was also scared of doing anything too intense as I was petrified of doing anything that could possibly affect my fertility. Walking helped my mental health and the gym was somewhere I could go to for a distraction, especially in winter. You have no idea what everyone may be going through, where actually getting out of the house is a personal achievement. Besides, some people may just enjoy walking on a treadmill and that is completely okay.