5 Easy Treadmill Running Tips

For whatever reason, you've found yourself spinning in place, a hamster on a wheel, and you're desperate for five easy treadmill running tips. Maybe it's the middle of winter and you're avoiding all the nastiness that comes with the season, frigid temperatures, icy footing, knee high snow. Or perhaps you'd prefer to scope out the female clientele at your local gym while you work up a sweat, rather than fighting to avoid oncoming headlights in the dark morning hours. Regardless of what brought you there, you're on the mechanical road and need to occupy your mind as you log the miles without moving an inch. How do you do get in your workout without losing your sanity?

1. Occupy Your Eyes. One key method to beating treadmill boredom is to find some form of visual stimulation. If your gym has TV sets positioned appropriately, this shouldn't be a problem. But perhaps you don't have such a high tech place to workout, or you're tired of watching "Wheel of Fortune" or trying to follow CNN's subtitles. Or maybe you have a treadmill at home, but it's been relegated to the empty bomb shelter that's void of electrical wiring. What other options do you have?

2. Occupy Your Ears. If you look around at many of your treadmill comrades at the gym, you'll notice a majority of them with wires dangling from their ears. Before accusing them of being cyborgs, consider it's likely they are rocking out to their mp3 players. What better way to fight the monotony of the 'mill than by striding along to your favorite tunes, the songs you illegally download late at night when no one was looking. And if music isn't your thing, many of your favorite TV and radio programs offer podcasts of their shows. Podcasts are a great alternative to the usual pop rock rhythms most people secretly put on their devices. Just think of all the informational podcasts that could fill those endless spins of the wheel. While increasing your physical endurance, you might just learn how to endure a bear attack in the Alaskan wilderness.

3. Modify Your Pace. It's easy to get lulled to sleep when you jump on the treadmill and lock into your usual pace, the same speed you've been cruising at since you started your New Year's resolution earlier in the year. But what could be worse than running at the same speed each slow minute, each long mile, each boring day? Try throwing in some occasional pick ups during your workout. Find a comfortably hard pace that you can maintain for five minutes, and then follow that up with a two to five minute recovery period. You can repeat this cycle several times throughout a workout provided you are relaxing your pace enough in between pick ups to allow your body to adequately recover. Just don't overdo the speed sessions, or you might end up an embarrassed heap on the floor.

4. Modify Your Incline. Maybe you don't want to change your speed. You love the way the 6.9 mph speed looks on the display panel. Try modifying the incline periodically to break up the doldrums and get yourself out of the rut of the even effort you're experiencing. You might not be running faster, but you'll be gaining strength as you ascent the equivalent of the Alps.

5. Monitor Your Strides. Studies have shown that most professional runners achieve 180 strides per minute, no matter what speed they are running. To occupy your mind, try counting how many times your right leg touches down during a one minute period. Double that number to find your stride rate and see how you compare to your rival Kenyans. Not only will you be accessing your own form, but you'll sharpen your math skills in the process.

Now, the next time you jump on the dreaded 'mill, you'll have five quick techniques to make the experience less rodent like. Enjoy the experience, enjoy the workout, and keep running in place.