Spiraling down a pandemic depression hole so I bought a treadmill

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godzillla

New member
I am severely immunocompromised. This means I’ve been under strict quarantine for 10 months now. No gym, restaurants, grocery stores, friends, family etc. I haven’t left my property. I’ve snacked myself out of my clothes and I’m mentally checked out.

I stress bought a treadmill two weeks ago in the hopes it will give me an outlet for movement. But I feel overwhelmed with the idea of it. I don’t really know what I’m asking. I just feel like I’m starting from the beginning again. I have absolutely no equipment for weight training, so I feel like I’m mainly just going to be walking/jogging. But, that’s valuable, right? Was this a depression purchase that was a mistake?
 
Um, hey. You guys are so amazing and encouraging. In this current climate I guess I forgot how much goodness still exists. I am overwhelmed in a good way. I think I’m going to hope on my treadmill and go for a walk.
 
@godzillla I just bought a treadmill too!

Between holidays and quarantine and a second baby and working from home and a rather big birthday, I felt the need to workout both for my body and my mental health. But it’s very hard for me to get away from my little family right now. I had a treadmill years ago and it’s how I lost 20lbs. (I have since regained double that due to two pregnancies.) I find running on a treadmill more convenient but also easier on the joints - especially when carrying extra weight. Also, Headspace, which I LOVE has running meditations now! And that’s definitely safer to do on a treadmill. I use it as an opportunity to meditate or to listen to an audiobook or a podcast. When I lost weight the last time, I had the treadmill in my living room and I would run during the show and then do a different exercise (planks, dumbbells, etc.) during commercials. This time I have it in my garage because now I have kids I want to keep off it and frankly the privacy and time alone is a huge part of what I’m trying to achieve.

I do not think this was a bad purchase at all. The couch to 5k app is a great place to start but even if all you do is walk on it 20 minutes a day, it will be money well spent. Good for you for doing something positive for yourself!
 
@godzillla I think you made a good decision. Now you need to find a way to use it every single day, even if that means just 10 minutes because you’re particularly low that day. Start with 10 and if you’re feeling good, keep going - but don’t miss that mark!

I hope you feel better soon. Keep that chin up, friend!
 
@godzillla If you feel up to it also, you could check out 12minuteathlete.com She's changed things a bit now with an app, but you can still find bodyweight only workouts on the website for free. They are 12-16min high intensity interval training sessions.
 
@godzillla Walking has done wonders for my mental health. It has improved my mood, and overall made me less irritable. I hope you will enjoy walking and its benefits as well
 
@godzillla I don’t think you’ll regret it, so long as you use it over time. It’s a purchase (investment, really) for your well-being, physically and mentally.

Similar to you, I’ve been home since the first week in March, and the only time I go out is for curbside grocery pickups. I had been meaning to get back into a consistent workout routine but between traveling for work, housekeeping, groceries... life? etc. I had trouble making time for it. Edit: And then covid stay-at-home orders happened.

My anxiety and depression continued to amplify as weeks went by, and working from home certainly made me conscious of the fact that my phone pedometer barely recorded 1500 steps a day.

Despite the VERY few options online, I ended up buying a stationary bike. Ive never done any cycling/spin classes before (usually just stuck to elliptical for cardio), but I knew I had to get myself moving more somehow so I could feel better. Something is better than nothing, I thought. I started with cycling just 5 mins (yep, 5 minutes) before I logged into work. And slowly increased my cycling times. Honestly, the bike + fitness blender YouTube vids have helped me stay sane the past 8ish months, and I really hope the treadmill does the same for you. Stay safe and well!
 
@godzillla Walking is definitely valuable. I have been walking and I've found it really changes my day. I basically haven't really left my house because I'm working from home and everything has been locked down. The days when I walk I feel a lot better.
 
@godzillla No absolutely NOT. I have owned and used a treadmill for years now. The thing to do is to start slow and be consistent. 10 minutes everyday is greater than 70 minutes once a week. Commit to 10 minutes EVERYDAY. It doesn't matter how you do them, do them fast, do them slow, do them in your bare feet, just do them. Have a look at this subreddit /r/theXeffect/

I took to the treadmill years ago. I got healthy and fit using the treadmill. I still do it daily. I think last year I took 9 rest days. You can do this
 
@godzillla Other people like peloton, but I love putting on things like Kinomap,
Which makes you feel like you are walking along a beach, a forest,
Etc.

But I haven’t had a subscription to that in a while, therefore I also like putting on long go-pro videos of people doing hikes or climbing Everest etc!
 
@godzillla Just walk. Don't over stress yourself planning a big workout. Watch TV or listen to music while you walk.

You don't need weights. There are LOTS of body weight exercises you can do in addition to walking. Pick a few and cycle through some sets.

If you're looking for apps to help with exercises the Down Dog family of apps are free until February and if you're a school employee or student they're free until June. There was also a free promotion for health care workers but I don't know when that one expires. I've loved their yoga app, I just cast it to my TV.
 
@godzillla I also bought a foldable treadmill with the same idea in mind. Depression, winter, and Covid can't be used as an excuse now that I can walk in my living room and finally catch up on all those shows.

All it takes is a couple steps to get going. Good luck!
 
@godzillla Start with one minute a day. Do that for a week. Increase to two minutes again for a week. Commit to the same time every day. Repeat. You’ll be doing ten minutes, then 15 and weirdly, you’ll start looking forward to the daily habit.
 
@godzillla Running is one of my main ways of dealing with depression, anxiety, ptsd, and the “H” part of my ADHD. It’s literally been one of the best things for my mental health.

Start slow. If you’re really unsure, tell yourself “give it 10 minutes, and if you stop then, it’s okay.” You’d be surprised how many times you want to keep going!

Starting over again... it’s something I’ve done a lot. Something I likely will do many more times. That’s okay! You’re allowed to start again, and again, and again.
 
@godzillla We used to have a treadmill, but it was a really big and bulky one, so we got rid of it and got a peloton. While I absolutely love the Peloton (I’ll throw in my own plug for their awesome app here!) I honestly miss having a treadmill. I love to take outdoor walks, but the weather where I live doesn’t cooperate about 4-5 months out of the year. Having the treadmill was great because I could just hop on, turn on a tv show, YT video, audiobook or podcast and do whatever I wanted. Want to run sprints? Go for it! Want to take a leisurely six mile walk? Go for it! Want to train for a marathon? You can do that, too! I think it’s honestly an awesome purchase. Enjoy it!!
 
@godzillla Hey it’s not a bad purchase. You’re investing in yourself to stay alive and sane. You are trying to survive right now! My therapist has this line where she says “survive and advance”. To survive right now is to advance, and by purchasing something that will make you happy, you’re surviving AND advancing. Congrats!
 
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