Why do some people choose to walk on treadmills at the gym?

[MagpiePi]

I will start off by saying, I am not trying to be goady or suggest that people are wrong, I am just curious.

When I go to the gym there are always people who walk on the treadmills and I wonder why they don't walk outside instead. They are often young (it is in an area with a lot of student flats) with no obvious mobility issues, they are not using cars as they are walking too and from the gym. It is daytime, the weather is fine - not raining, not too hot or cold, the gym is not in a dodgy area or surrounded by roads clogged with traffic and pollution. They are not setting the treadmill to an incline or walking at a sustained brisk pace, but are generally ambling along on the flat.

The only reason I can think of is that it means they can watch videos or scroll on their phones without worrying about walking in dog shit or having to look up to cross roads or avoid other people but still get their step count up.

Am I missing something?

Literally this!

Because I can set it to a very steep incline.

Indoors I don’t get sunburned. I get sunburned ridiculously easily.

your too hot or too cold are your definitions of temperature and other people may not share them.

the distraction of being able to watch something while I walk is what helps me actually exercise. If I just walk my mind wanders and goes to dark places.

I warm up with a nice walk on the treadmill, but equally when I run, I run on a treadmill too. I hate this heat and I don’t like the rain much either, so a treadmill, inside in the AC works beautifully for me. Likewise, my husband would choose to do this as he has ulcerative colitis and needs to be near to a toilet most of the time, so for him it’s about knowing he is in a safe location at all times. I also had ACL and meniscus surgery 13 months ago and I’m getting back into running etc, but to the unknown person, they wouldn’t realise that. All sorts of different reasons for it! 😁

Sounds pathetic but genuinely because I feel scared walking alone outside

Young women - yeah... have you considered harassment from dickhead blokes in cars if they're walking outside?

Right now London is pretty sweltering to walk outside, I imagine the gym has some nice air con!

I will start off by saying, I am not trying to be goady

Yes you are

Going on a hiking holiday soon. My area lacks mountains so I walk on the treadmill at varying inclines and sometimes flat to mimic a hike.

Sorry if that pisses you off but nobody cares.

Because I am recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Two years later I still have a way to go. HTH.

Because I want to.

I do it because I want to. That’s what a treadmill is for. I pay for the gym and will use it as I see fit. It’s hot outside and I’d much rather walk on a treadmill in the aircon with a steady path not having to dodge people or cross roads either. But none of that matters.

Anyone can walk outside and anyone can run outside.

As others said, it’s part of the warm up, or cool down, or maybe it’s the build up to running. It’s very normal use of a treadmill.

I’ll be rehabbing my ankle on the treadmill in walk.

I used to do a 5k fast walk on the treadmill. I walk further outside but in the winter inside the gym was easier, dryer,safer and I could
watch TV while doing it. Also
I was 54 and running had become difficult on my knees suddenly. I never went at peak times so I wasn't getting in anyone's way.

I'm a wheelchair user now so my treadmill days are long behind me, but back when I was trying to preserve my mobility I went for treadmills.

The main benefits were being in an air conditioned room which stopped me from overheating. Being near a toilet at all times as exercise triggered my IBS. And being able to listen to music which helps me set a pace by walking to the beat, but which was dangerous to do near traffic as I already had limited situational awareness and wouldn't hear any hazards.

It was safer, more comfortable, and I could go until the pain got too overwhelming and stop immediately rather than getting stranded somewhere far from home when it turns out my stamina that day was far lower than I thought.

It’s just a convenient cool down/ warm up. It’s not that deep.

Loads of reasons given on this thread OP! Hope it has satisfied your curiosity somewhat.

Because I have had surgery on both knees and walking outside is too uneven for this point in my recovery process.

I did it yesterday because my training load is very high and I worked out intensely for more then 2 hours every day for 3 weeks.

I noticed on Sunday I was struggling with my usual routine and feeling fatigued and slow so had planned for a rest day yesterday.

I find exercise is the best thing for my mental health and I’m working hard to lose weight and was finding it hard to sit and do nothing at home (I also have ADHD) so I went to the gym anyway.

I did an easy swim and walk on the treadmill to exercise without pushing myself.
It closed my Apple rings, improved my mood and stopped me from sitting feeling bored at home and will hopefully have helped contribute to weight loss.

I do regular walks and runs outside but it’s nicer to do in air conditioning out of the heat and I have plantar fasciitis so it’s low impact on my feet.
It also means I can scroll on my phone or watch something so time passes quicker and I can keep up with anything that needs doing on my phone!

I have had one hip replaced and am waiting for the other one, so I feel safer walking on a treadmill than walking outside on potentially uneven paths.

It’s a cool down and unless you’re following tnem you’ve no idea if fhey are walking home, nor is it ok to decide they need to leave the gym to walk 😂

I walk outside or on the treadmill and it isn't a warm up or cool down. So far I've lost a stone and a half in two months. You don't have to be doing heavy cardio. I have a treadmill at home and sometimes I'd rather jump on that than do an 8pm walk on my own.

It can be a warm-up or perhaps it's enough exercise for some people, or they live somewhere where they feel safer walking at the gym than outdoors.

I did have a phase when I was 2-3 stone heavier and got plantar fasciitis and didn't exercise for a few months. I started off walking on the treadmill listening to an audiobook and gradually built up again from there.

I don't use a treadmill but I do cycle on a static bike in my living room. I run outside a lot, but I have to admit to finding exercise excrutiatingly boring (at least running I can take the dog with me and kill two birds with one stone). So I cycle in front of YouTube and thus burn calories whilst being entertained.

You can run outside too so why have treadmills in a gym ?

I'm so confused as to what you think treadmills are for 😂

Of course everyone could walk/jog/run outside, but they're at the gym???