treadmill running Archives - My Inner Shakti

I go months without talking about my workouts, and then blog about fitness two Fridays in a row. Who am I?

Anyway, today I want to talk about how I’m taking the dread out of the treadmill. But first a back story.

When I first started working out, the treadmill was my cardio machine of choice. Looking back, I think I really enjoyed knowing how fast I was running/walking and how far I was going. The exactness of it drew me in.

I only realized how fun and liberating outdoor running was when I started training for my first half marathon. After a while, I actually looked forward to my long runs on the trail.

Then I moved several times, and once again became a slave to the good old treadmill, only to rediscover my love for running outside when we made the move to Miami. I can honestly count on one hand how many times I ran on the treadmill during our time there.

But as you all know, St. Pete is a bit different than Miami. I’m still familiarizing myself with area, and believe it or not, the heat and humidity are much more evident up here.

Because I don’t want to stop running altogether until I (and the weather) figure things out, I’m resorting to the treadmill a couple of times a week. And one big lesson I’ve learned so far is that while I can run long distances outdoors, I just can’t do it while on the treadmill. Yes, I realize this more than likely a mental thing, but I just find it so boring and blah.

So to take the dread out the treadmill and to keep my boredom at bay, I came up with a little run/walk workout. I’ve completed it a few times now, and I must say it does a decent job of keeping things just interesting enough!

So here’s how it works – complete minutes 0-10 and then repeat three to four times for a great cardio workout. And I know this has you changing the speed a lot, but the pattern is easy to grasp after the first go around (I just think 3-1-1 and 2-2-1). The best part is that it’s 100%customizable – adjust the speeds to your liking and add an incline to make it even more challenging. The possibilities are endless!

Just for the record, I still call the treadmill the dreadmill. I just tolerate it a lot better now!

Happy Friday and thanks for reading!

There was a time when fitness posts were a more regular thing around here. Oops!

I guess I’m more likely to blog about my exercise routine when there’s a routine to talk about. Ever since my half marathon, my workouts have been a mix of a little bit of this and that and a fair amount of running. And I’ve honestly kind of enjoyed the freedom of not having a set plan and just being active.

The idea of being active was an easy one to grasp with Brickell Key in my backyard. At the very least, I could always count on a beautiful evening walk.

St. Petersburg is a little bit different. We live in a walkable area, but I’m not super comfortable venturing out on my own just yet. The gym in our apartment complex is amazing, so there’s that. Lots of equipment/cardio machines, free weights, and space. So far, I’ve been able to squeeze in a few gym workouts and an outdoor run with Vishnu.

But here’s the thing. Even though I don’t want a super structured routine, I still want to have a general idea of what I’m going to do every day. So here’s what I’m thinking…

The first thing I want to focus on is getting my 10k steps in a day. My day job requires me to be glued to my laptop and phone all day long, so this one’s going to be a bit of challenge. Vishnu suggested taking a short break every hour and walking around for a few minutes. I think I’m going to try that and see where it gets me!

With the outdoor running thing on hold (unless Vishnu wants to wake up super early and come with me…hint hint!), I’m resorting to the dreadmill for now. It’s been so long since I’ve regularly ran on a treadmill so we’ll see how it goes. Hopefully, I can find a good outdoor running route soon!

In terms of strength training, I want to get back to a 2-3x a week schedule. Again, not following a specific program or anything, but just doing something and challenging myself with different workouts. I’ve been pinning workouts like crazy and can’t wait to try them out! Follow my Fitness board on Pinterest if you’re interested!

In line with my strength training goals, I also want to gain a bit more core strength. BUT I absolutely despise core work. Go figure. The one thing I don’t totally hate is the plank. I actually enjoy plank variations and coming up with different timed sequences to complete. And the best part is that I can do my planking in the evening while watching TV or before going to bed.

And if all of the above fails me, I can always look for a gym/studio in our neighborhood. I really don’t want to go down that path though because Vishnu and I have some pretty solid savings goals right now, and a $50-100 gym membership is not going to help!

Well, just thought I would share where I’m at in terms of my fitness goals and workout routine. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but like I always say, every little bit counts!

Happy Friday and thanks for reading!

What does your fitness routine look like right now? Do you prefer to run outdoors or on a treadmill?

How to Take the Dread Out of the Treadmill

Fitness Friday

categories

Archives

Top Posts!

Follow me on Instagram!