The treadmill’s no longer a cataclysmic-weather default for runners. Tech has brought competition and camaraderie to what used to be just running on a belt in your basement. These three options are changing everything.
Peloton
What it offers: Streaming workouts and a leaderboard
With Peloton, on-demand streaming puts the running workout you want right in front of you on a the big screen on the console. It also puts the stats of everyone doing the workout at the same time on a real-time leaderboard so you can be sure you’re outpacing that 18-year-old in L.A. (or your dad). Buy the whole treadmill—sleek-looking and stable, with a special belt for softer landings, starting at $4,295—or get the workouts, but not the stats, on your own treadmill via an app for $19.50 a month.
Zwift Running
What it offers: Virtually run with friends
If you’re in St. Louis and your running buddy is in Toronto, you can still run together via the Zwift app. Set it up on a tablet or on a computer by your treadmill, pick an avatar, and have your friend do it too. You’ll both show up on the same virtual course, alongside everyone else who’s running or cycling that course at the same time. The app is free, but you’ll need a foot pod (as little as $30)—a device that clips to your shoe and sends your pace and distance to the app. You’ll stay “honest” about not slowing down or quitting when everyone else can watch what you’re doing, and you can push yourself even more by signing up for a virtual race.
Treadmill classes
What they offer: Run indoors, together
Remember when you thought it was weird to ride a bike in a room with 30 other people going nowhere? And how a year later, there were waiting lists for every class? Treadmill workout classes take the camaraderie and coaching that you get with an indoor cycling class and apply that same game to running. Stand-alone indoor running studios have popped up nationwide, including Mile High Run Club in New York City; Stride in Pasadena, California; and Fly Feet in Minneapolis.
Of course, if you want to go old school some days, discover how to get faster with this treadmill workout and a standard machine.
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