Does it make sense to drive to the gym to use a treadmill when instead, one should just walk to the gym or even just walk around the neighborhood?
This question comes up all the time, because it’s a well-known fact that people will drive to a health club to walk on a treadmill.
Here are some reasons why people don't walk or jog to the health club, and drive instead:
A treadmill has settings that a street or sidewalk does not. Set the machine at 4 mph and you guarantee a 4 mph pace. Outdoors, you may slow down and not realize it.
The popular cardio machine offers an incline.
Walking or jogging outside is not always a practical option for self-conscious people who feel as though motorists will stare at them. Though this describes very few motorists, it’s a real issue in the minds of some individuals.
Many people don’t like walking or jogging under a minimal or over a maximal temperature, and/or don’t like exercising outside if it’s windy.
Though the treadmill may be the main focus of the workout, oftentimes people will use some other equipment after their walking or jogging workout.
A person who drives to the gym to walk on a treadmill might also have plans afterwards to do some shopping.
Some people do better cardio workouts on a machine than outside; outdoors it’s easier for some individuals to cut the workout short. But at a gym, one is more apt to exercise longer to make the trip worth it.
I have driven to the health club to use a treadmill, but I’ve always ended up doing other things at the club after the workout, that I would not have done if I had instead walked or jogged outside around the neighborhood.
On a similar note, I have driven to a nearby section of town to do high intensity interval training on its hilly streets, as well as sprints on a high school track.
Don’t fault those who drive to the gym to walk on a treadmill!
Comments