A couple years ago I whipped out the big bucks and purchased myself a good quality treadmill. It took me hours to put that sucker together and when I finally had it finished I realized that there was no way in hell I could ever move it. It was HUGE and weighed a ton.
I assembled it right in the middle of my living room. I managed to wrangle it to the side of the room where it stayed for many months. It was a giant eyesore but it was in plain sight every day so I ended up using it every day.
Christmas time rolled around so I decided to disassemble it and move it into my daughter’s room since that was the only place where I had room for it. I needed to make some space for my awesomely decorated pink christmas tree, so the treadmill had to go. Sorry treadmill.
It’s been six months since I moved it and I’ve used my treadmill a grand total of four times. FAIL.
I’ve since made the decision to sacrifice the lovely decor and stick that big ugly eyesore back in my living room. I reached my goal weight long ago, but my endurance is declining and unfortunately I’m getting a bit fluffy. I need me some cardio.
So, if you’re in the same boat, here are some ways to get better use out of that dust-collecting piece of equipment that you bought while insisting you’ll use it frequently but instead let it sit and rot.
Keep it in plain view – Even if this means smack dab in the middle of your living room. What’s more important – your health, or how good your living room looks? I vote for the first one. I hope you do too.
Include it in your schedule – If you pencil in appointments and shopping trips and meetings, why not pencil in some exercise time? My list looks something like this: clean out junk drawer, plan supper, get ass on treadmill, shower, waste time playing video games. Yes I’m boring.
Park it near a TV or stereo – Some people like to watch TV while they exercise because it keeps them focused on something else instead of how much longer they have to go, or how many calories they’ve burned so far. Listening to music also helps keep up your momentum so having a stereo with a remote handy is…well, handy.
Have it ready to go – When I get on the treadmill, I like to have some water within reach, my cell phone (in case I get an uber important text), the remote for the TV, the window open and blowing in my direction, some good running shoes, etc. Some of these things you can have ready to go beforehand so it’s that much easier and quicker to just jump on and get going. I also have a playlist saved on my computer that’s ready to go with some good fast tunes to walk or run to.
Accountability – Have a friend or family member give you the third degree if you haven’t used it in awhile. Make sure they’re really good at giving you the guilt trip.
Reward yourself – Every time you exercise, reward yourself for a job well done. Don’t include ice cream or chocolate as the reward. Bad idea. Instead, allow yourself some time to read that book you’ve been meaning to read, or go get a manicure. If you’ve got the cash, go buy yourself some awesome shoes! If you’re a guy, go buy yourself a….whatever it is that guys like to buy. You can reward yourself with small treats for every time you exercise, or reward yourself with a big treat if you’ve exercised regularly for a week or month. It’s up to you.
If your treadmill is collecting dust, masquerading as a clothes hanger, or in my case being used as a slide for the kids, hopefully you can use the above ideas or come up with your own to get better use out of it. This goes for stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, or any other kind of exercise equipment as well.
Just do it! (I stole that from Nike.)
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