We’ve been contemplating the purchase of a treadmill for some time now. We used to own one a long time ago, but we got rid of it when we moved from Marlborough to Berlin 8 years ago. Over this long winter when it was hard to get to the gym and we spent many days housebound, I began to seriously pine for one.
Then I became aware of two local children I know who made great progress towards their health goals by walking on a treadmill at a slow pace while watching the iPad. The theory is that moving at any pace is better than sitting. I figured that it couldn’t hurt to try it with my kids too, since they prefer a sedentary existence and avoid organized sports. When Jonathan’s pediatrician endorsed the idea last week, it really gave me the impetus to move ahead with the purchase.
We were lucky to find one in good shape on Craigslist locally, and despite some frustrations with getting it moved (pieces that wouldn’t fit through doors, pouring rain etc.), it is finally installed at the end of our family room and working great. I think the fact that it is not hidden away in the basement but visible in plain sight really helps.
Both kids have been keen to try it out, albeit not for long periods so far. But I have also used it twice already. Yesterday I caught up on Facebook on the iPad while walking at 3.7 mph for 40 minutes. Tonight my back was sore, since I had been sitting for 8 hours straight at work, but even walking for 15 minutes eased the pain considerably.
Let’s hope the novelty doesn’t wear off and this piece of exercise equipment continues to get daily use!
Coming Around Again 