Treadmills have crashed onto the scene and become increasingly more popular over the last 20 years. They provide an incredible convenience for folks to keep up with daily exercise. The weather is no longer a factor, which can be an unbelievable help in climates like the Northeast and upper Midwest, where the winters are long, cold and blustery.

The Pacific Northwest also has areas that are sometimes cold, windy, and/or rainy. There is also the fact that one can exercise at any time of day. The peace of mind one has by being able to get their miles in within the safety of their own home, especially in cities and later at night, is worth quite a bit.

There is, however, a small downside to all of this convenience in that the treadmill keeps you indoors, even on beautiful sunny days. The exercise routine is limited to the same old scenery day after day after day. Of course one can always elect not to use the machine on such a day, but those days are few in the aforementioned climates.

Think of the first days of spring. They always seem to be so rejuvenating. Those days remind us of the promise of spring, the newness of spring, and the change of scenery that spring brings along for us. It offers us the choice of moving on to a new view. It is a view of crisp, fresh, clean air and fragrant, blooming flowers.

We’re still glad, of course, that we had the treadmill to get us through the cold, rainy winter, but now we have a choice. We can choose to stay in and use our treadmill or choose to go outside to get our exercise, working or recreating in the fresh spring air.

It’s great to have a choice. I personally prefer to face the cold and rain or snow instead of being inside on the treadmill. I embrace the opportunity to be outside and experience the different views and even days of inclement weather.

Treadmills, however, offer us a chance to exercise and travel in our thoughts and imagination. We can listen to music, books on tape, whatever we please, and allow our minds to do the travelling for us.

The point is that we can use any of the opportunities that life presents to us, any way that we wish. We can allow our routine to be monotonous or decide to view our most mundane moments as opportunities to find something new and refreshing in them. It’s really up to us to look deeper and beyond our circumstances to the possibilities of life. In the end it is we who receive our reality and allow it to become mundane or recognize it as a treasure, from moment to moment and full of opportunities.

Blessings!

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