For folks who love variety and exploration, the treadmill can feel a bit like a medieval torture device. “Dreadmill” might be a more fitting name for those who’ve been resisting the winter transition indoors. That’s how we felt, until we read Ashley Arnold’s latest story: “5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Treadmill Running.” Ashley gathered intel from the experts to help us survive the stationary season. She learned from Coach Greg McMillan that the old “always set it to 1% incline” rule is an oversimplification; since wind resistance varies by speed, you should keep the belt flat for paces slower than 8:30 per mile and only bump it up if you’re running faster than 7:00 pace. She also picked up a sanity-saving tip from Rebecca Trachsel: swap your distance goals for time-based efforts. That way, you don’t have to fumble with the console’s pace settings mid-workout if you’re falling off target. Of course, attitude is half the battle, a struggle addressed in: “People in colder countries understand the magic of winter. What’s their secret?” Kari Leibowitz suggests fighting the gloom with a “wintertime mindset,” which includes swapping overhead lights for cozy candles or aggressively reclaiming summer joy by grilling outdoors in the snow. Even with the best mindset, biology is stubborn, so check out “Getting adequate vitamin D in the fall and winter.” Dr. Mike Ren warns that low winter sun angles make natural absorption nearly impossible, so he suggests taking a 5,000 IU supplement to cover your bases.

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