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By Fiona Soltes
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
And there it sits in the corner, an all – too – real reminder of the resolution
you so carelessly uttered in a moment of temporary insanity. Ah, the treadmill.
You said you’d start working out in the New Year, remember? Cut a few pounds.
Work out that heart. Get off your, um, couch.
But, it sounds so boring doesn’t it? Walking aimlessly, with no real direction,
never really arriving?
Relax. No, don’t relax. You’re supposed to be getting motivated here. So lets
think of a few ways you might actually enjoy that treadmill, courtesy of Gail
Soma, associate executive director of the Brentwood Tenn. YMCA.
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Listen to a book on tape. Tell yourself you’ll stay tuned for a chapter.
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Watch a favorite TV program. Try to get into the habit of equating exercise with
the time that the program is on.
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Keep a voice-activated recorder in hand. You could keep a journal, record childhood
memories that could be transcribed later for your kids, write letters, you name
it.
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Listen to your favorite music on CD or cassette. (To keep things interesting,
consider varying the type and speed of the music you’re listening to during different
workouts and walk in time with the music.)
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Work your upper body. Sonia doesn’t suggest using weights while on the treadmill
because the good they might do is overruled by the increased potential for injury.
But you could do punches or stretches while you walk.
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Be careful about reading. Though it’s done fairly often, it’s actually quite
dangerous, Sonia says. The treadmill is the only piece of equipment in a gym that
keeps moving even if you stop.
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Challenge yourself with different workouts. If, for example, you’re on the treadmill
during your favorite show, go a little harder during the commercials to turn it
into interval training.
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Don’t give up on other exercise. Remember. If you do the same exercise more than
5 times a week, you dramatically increase your chances of injury.
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