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?

I know you said no obvious mobility issues. I’m arthritic, only 40 now but had arthritis since I was 17. Weirdly the kerb dips can be awful for walking as they sort of twist my ankles to one side. Waking on the treadmill eliminates this. Also I find walking outside makes me sweaty and I worry I’m being judged whereas I can walk in the cool air-conditioned gym without having to worry.

I would imagine if I started running this would happen to me as well. I stick to low impact exercise for this reason.

I do think it's a newish thing OP so I can see why you think it's funny!

There's been a push on walking as a exercise that doesn't stress your body and thus helps fat loss, so that might be a reason too.

But yes, walking outside is more beneficial - ie getting off the phone, getting fresh air, sunlight etc. We spend too much time indoors as well.

@MagpiePi i can’t run to save my life. I like to walk and do so outside but I can’t cope with the heat and I have very very bad hayfever so I’ve been walking when it’s late at night. And then I don’t feel comfortable or relaxed.

So I walk on a treadmill where I can play with the speed and incline. Where it’s safe and air conditioned.

I can also safely listen to podcasts and wear headphones.

And then do the rest of the workout after a good walk. Also, I just like being around other people.

Have you felt the temperature outside lately??
I used yo use the treadmill to walk briskly uphill, being somewhat elderly and not up to running. I could do this whatever the weather, without being disturbed by chatty neighbours or dogs. And there isn’t a hill for
miles round here.

Time? Quicker to jump on the treadmill then get dressed and go for a walk. Not everyone enjoys walking outside either but if they are in the gym environment it’s maybe to motivate yourself.

I find it weird too OP (health/mobility complications aside). I can think of nothing worse tbh, would much rather be outside in nature.

I usually walk to warm up or cool down at the gym. Also, if I haven’t done many steps that day I’ll do a couple of km knowing that once I’m home I won’t have chance to go out for a walk.

I do the Chester Treadmill Test. It's a fantastic 12 minute workout.

Define "newish"? I first joined a gym back in the early 90s and lots of people, myself included, walked on their treadmills (alongside cycling, weights etc). It's not a new thing.

It was the ‘ no obvious mobility issues’ comment that got my back up.
Like you, my mobility issues aren’t obvious ( apart from the 4 weeks post surgery when I was on crutches) but I’m training myself to walk again and have to focus on technique so that I use particular muscles. That’s a million times easier on a treadmill where the surface is even.

People should focus on their own workout! I had a someone tell me I was using the ski machine incorrectly. No, I was using it as prescribed by my physio as I’d had a hip replacement 3 weeks previously and wasn’t allowed to bend my hip!

Anyway, I don’t think the OP is coming back.

I have knee injuries, uneven pavements etc would not be as safe for me in my recovery.

i mean there are tons of reasons. Why do people run on them, if we’re going there?

I hurt my back recently and my Osteo said only walking on the treadmill and cross trainer until I’d recovered. So that’s why I’d be walking, people who want to run on a treadmill could also run outside. The gym is for whatever people want to use it for, as long as they are being respectful (not hogging equipment etc).

Lots of reasons…if I’ve done a gym workout then want to get some extra steps in I’ll walk on the treadmill for abit, warm up like others have said, I usually have to do excercise late due to children’s bedtime I don’t always feel comfortable walking around the streets when it’s dark. Where as I wouldn’t specifically go to the gym just to walk on the treadmill if people are choosing to use that as their form of exercise then good on them.

"I'm not goady, just curious"....
Come on, you have to be very obtuse to ask such a question, or goady indeed.

Why don’t people run outside instead? What a dumb and stupid question

It's part of my workout. I'd look a bit of a tit with my weights outside & there are no gym machines outside either. I do walk outside in addition to going to the gym though

Warm up
Cool down
Injury rehab
Wanting to be somewhere with others
Women feeling safe if the only time they can walk is evening
Habit forming as part of a wider routine
Allergies
Wanting aircon for excersise even if its not super hot outside
I doubt any are going to the gym just to do a walk.

You can set pace and incline and u find walking fast on a steep incline burns more calories than a slow, flat jog. So I think it depends. People also use them to warm up, track metrics that are harder off a treadmill, no impact from weather (especially when it's 30 degrees), no need to plan a route or worry about safety etc etc

Could be the warm up or warm down to their session.

The assumptions that people don’t walk outside as well are a bit weird. I run twice a week (outside) and walk an average about 16000 steps a day (including a hilly walk with the dog 3-4 times a week) in addition to 3 trips to the gum
a week where I walk on the treadmill.

I love it when people say things like this as though the walkers somehow aren’t doing the gym ‘right’ 🤣

I walk on the running machine at a gradient to get zone 2 training. Do you know what that is? It’s the heart rate zone that increases mitochondria production, increasing cardiovascular fitness. You don’t get that benefit at zone 3+ which is where most people sit when they are running, unless very fit. You can’t get it walking unless you are very unfit. Walking outside naturally results in dips in heart rate when you have to stop to cross roads etc. Most people will sit at zone 1 when walking. Some people will wear weighted vests but it’s still variable due to stops. I hate to promote them as they are such gym bro dudes and have very dodgy attitudes to women but Peter Attia and Huberman (🤢) have good info on the HR training zones. All to be interpreted with a pinch of salt, but interesting.

Alternative answer - why do you care? Do you believe you know the best way to do everything in life, or just in the gym?

I do walk outside, every day. I also walk most times when I go to the gym. It’s a good warm up and I like to zone out and listen to a podcast for 15 mins, which I can’t really do outside as need to concentrate on traffic/other people

FFS

I walk on a treadmill because I can't run. Why I can't run or even jog is none of your business.

But yes, I walk because I can program it to an incline and walk steadily up hill for quite some time. It's safe, it's a good work out, and I won't get caught out if I can't walk any farther as I haven't actually gone anywhere, and the gym is climate controlled so I won't overheat or freeze to dress or get drenched depending on the weather.

Why do people run on treadmills???? Why not running the outdoors?

Exactly

A treadmill is there so that people can run or walk on it

I have a treadmill at home and I use the treadmill at the gym because I enjoy it
Ironically , it is walking on the treadmill five days a week for forty five minutes that helped get me into really good shape