Love it or hate it, the treadmill is a staple in nearly every gym. I used to be firmly on the “hate it” side, but I recently learned to stop hating the treadmill and embrace this versatile piece of fitness equipment and a newfound love of running. I’ve owned a treadmill for years, but it only recently became one of my favorite fitness machines and cardio go-to. I still love running outside, and nothing beats the invigorating feeling of wind in your hair, but here are 10 reasons I stopped hating and learned to love my treadmill (plus 3 of my favorite treadmill workouts!).

10 Reasons to Love the Treadmill

1. The weather inside is always perfect

Living in Texas, it’s way too hot to safely run outside for several months. Or if you live in colder climates, there might be snow and ice on the ground for half the year. The ability to run in a temperature-controlled environment, regardless of weather conditions, makes the treadmill very reliable.

2. Safety

I run early in the mornings around 5am. While I do love a nice sunrise run, I don’t want a pitch black, nearly middle of the night run! Staying indoors, I don’t need to worry about visibility with reflective clothing. I can also blast my music as loud as I want and zone out without needing to be aware of my surroundings. Also, no awkward jogging in place waiting for at the crosswalk!

3. Always have water available

No more strategically planning your run past public water fountains, planting water bottles along your route, or wearing those awkward water bottle running belts. On that same note, a bathroom is always nearby (this was crucial when I was pregnant!).

4. Control the incline

Don’t want to run? Incline walking is no joke! Kick up the incline for a serious glute workout.

5. Catch up on TV shows

Binge watch + exercise = heaven. Grab the iPad and headphones and an hour flies by! I like to tell myself I’m only allowed to watch This Is Us on the treadmill. This guarantees I’ll find time to walk or run and saves me the calories of the glass (or 2 glasses) of wine I’m practically required to consume if I’m watching the show on the couch.

6. Running/resistance intervals

I love the idea of running, stopping for some push ups, maybe a few squats or burpees, and then running for a few more minutes. But I just can’t do that outside without feeling like a total dork! I like doing this at home, but I’m not sure I would be confident enough to do this at the gym!

7. Adaptable programming

Don’t think you have to set it and forget it! Treadmills offer so many options for the types of running workouts you can do. Progression runs, hills, speed, endurance, intervals, anything you want! The ability to control your speed and incline makes the treadmill very versatile. Keep it interesting by making adjustments every few minutes (try one of my 3 workouts below!).

8. Convenience

As a parent, sometimes I can’t leave home. Maybe my husband isn’t home and the kids are still napping. Or packing up both kids into the stroller is a major chore if I just want to go for a short run. Sometimes it’s just easier to put the baby on an activity mat in my workout room and get the older one set up with a coloring book (and pray the crayons stay on the paper!) and run for as long as they cooperate.

9. Burnout run

Weight training burns through your glycogen stores, but want to really target that fat? Tack on a quick sprint burnout run after a weightlifting session. A quick, all-out run ignites your fat-burning to blast fat fast after your glycogen stores are depleted.

10. Do less laundry

Treadmill run: shorts, socks, sports bra (I use my treadmill at home so modesty isn’t an issue) = 3 articles of clothing

Outdoor winter run: compression tights, socks, sports bra, compression shirt, pullover, reflective hat or headband, earmuffs, gloves = 8 articles of clothing

Try my 3 favorite treadmill workouts!

Weight training is definitely my favorite type of workout, but these treadmill workouts are my favorite cardio workouts when I want spice up my exercise routine and run inside.