I've Been Treadmill Reading – And Reckon It's The Best Hack For Building Ultimate Muscle and Brainpower

Hands up - who else finds treadmill workouts dull? If I can help it, I avoid them with a ten-foot barge pole. I’ll always choose a real pavement over a moving belt; running in crisp air, walking with a podcast, feeling the weather on my face. But as winter sets in and the afternoon light disappears before most of us have shut our laptops, the lure of a warm, well-lit gym becomes harder to ignore.

Still, even with the best intentions, I’ve often struggled to make treadmill sessions feel genuinely enjoyable. So when I first came across the idea of “treadmill reading” on TikTok - courtesy of running creator Hannah Trenches, who strolls at a gentle pace while reading - I felt unexpectedly intrigued. It looked calm, productive, and notably low-pressure. A way of making time for movement and reading without treating either as a chore.

There’s scientific grounding, too. A 2024 study suggests that even a natural-pace walk can enhance divergent thinking, which is the process linked to creativity and generating original ideas. Meanwhile, research from the University of Sussex found that immersing yourself in a book for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68 per cent. Put the two together and suddenly a slow treadmill session looks less like a winter compromise and more like a clever form of habit stacking.

So, I tried it, both in the gym and on my walking pad at home. To my surprise, it’s become one of the most consistent elements of my cold-weather routine - a steady, soothing way to move without the pressure of a ‘proper’ workout, but with all the benefits of one.

Keep reading to find out exactly how to perfect your treadmill reading routine. Whilst you're here, discover our guides to the best walking workouts, the many benefits that walking has on our bodies, and our favourite indoor walking challenges, as well as the best walking pads Team MC have tested and rate. Interested in more walking and reading challenges? Read what happened when MC UK contributor Georgia Brown tried Kindle walking.

Treadmill reading has gone wildly viral - so I tried it for a week

What is treadmill reading?

Treadmill reading is exactly as it sounds: walking at a comfortable pace while reading a book, Kindle or magazine. It sits neatly within the growing interest of slower, more sustainable fitness trends - the ones that favour gentleness over grind and consistency over intensity.

“Treadmill reading is such a great example of how people are finding creative ways to fit movement into their day,” says personal trainer Georgia Olley. “Low-impact activity like walking is hugely beneficial, especially when paired with something enjoyable like reading.”

The speed is deliberately modest. Most people settle somewhere between 3–4km/h, allowing enough movement to elevate the heart rate without making the text blur into oblivion.

What are the benefits of treadmill reading?

1. It counts as meaningful movement

Even gentle treadmill walking offers genuine physical benefits. “Even at a slower pace, you’re supporting your circulation, posture and cardiovascular health,” says strength coach and nutritionist Georgia Garlick. “What matters most is consistency, not intensity.”

Georgia, who is the founder of The Self Care Academy, adds that walking supports joint health, lymphatic drainage and the regulation of stress hormones - all crucial during winter, when many of us feel mentally flatter and physically stiffer.

2. It supports cognitive function

Walking boosts blood flow to the brain, while reading stimulates memory, focus and comprehension. Together, they can create a sense of clarity that carries into the rest of the day.

Dr Suzanne Hackenmiller, wellness expert and Chief Medical Advisor at AllTrails, explains that combining sensory-based habits strengthens neural pathways. “By pairing actions like walking and reading, you create predictable patterns that the brain learns to anticipate and reward,” she says. Over time, this repetition can support calmness, focus and stress resilience.

3. It’s clever habit stacking

For those who struggle to stay consistent with exercise - especially during the colder months - pairing movement with something intrinsically enjoyable removes a significant barrier.

As Olley puts it: “It taps into what many people are looking for: a low-pressure way to stay active without having to carve out time for the gym.”

4. It genuinely boosts mood

With the warmth of the gym, the rhythm of the treadmill and the escapism of a good book, treadmill reading occupies that rare crossover of soothing and stimulating. Throw in the proven stress-reducing benefits of reading, and you’ve created a built-in mood-lifter.

Who is treadmill reading best for?

Treadmill reading is particularly useful for anyone who:

• Struggles with gym motivation
• Prefers gentle, sustainable forms of movement
• Finds reading time slipping out of their schedule
• Works a sedentary or high-stress job`
• Wants a winter routine that feels comforting, not punishing

From a physiological standpoint, Garlick notes that it especially benefits those who need help regulating stress hormones or easing muscular tension without the intensity of high-impact exercise.

Are there any risks?

According to experts, the most notable risk isn’t tripping; it’s posture.

“The main risk is tension in the neck, shoulders and upper back from leaning forward or looking down,” says Garlick. “Over time, that can shorten the muscles through the chest and weaken the ones that support your upper back.”

To counter this, she recommends keeping your Kindle or book lifted to eye level so your gaze stays neutral, relaxing the shoulders rather than drawing them upward, and resisting the urge to hold onto the treadmill for stability.

Outside of the gym, simple strength work can help. “Exercises like rows, pull movements, core work and glute strengthening build the muscles that keep you upright and balanced,” she says. Paired with chest-opening mobility work to offset hours spent at desks or looking at screens, these movements create the postural strength needed to walk comfortably while reading. With good form and a little awareness, treadmill reading is considered very safe.

As a Health Writer keen to find the best workout hacks, I tried treadmill walking for a week - and I'm surprised at how much I love it

Days one to three

On the first day, I arrived at the gym armed - somewhat stubbornly - with a physical paperback. While there’s something undeniably charming about reading a real book, I realised almost immediately that a Kindle would have made far more sense. Turning pages on a moving surface requires a surprising amount of coordination, and I spent the first ten minutes holding my breath every time I tried to flip to the next chapter. Still, once I found a comfortable pace, the rhythm of the treadmill and the rhythm of reading settled into something oddly meditative.

Initially, I kept the treadmill flat, but this was also when I noticed the biggest flaw in my setup. Walking on a level surface meant my gaze naturally dipped downward, and even with my best posture cues, my neck began to tighten. Between the need to look down and the awkward page-turning, the first couple of sessions felt more like practice runs than anything else.

That said, by the third day, I did feel my confidence had grown with the multitasking. I couldn’t always make it to the gym, so I tried mimicking the same steady, rhythmic movement on my walking pad at home, propping up my book on my desk - and I loved this combination for home workout days.

I stopped overthinking what my body was doing and actually found myself slipping into the book. Even with the imperfect setup, it still felt surprisingly soothing: a small, gentle pocket of calm carved out in the middle of the day.

Days three to five

By day four, I decided to pair treadmill reading with the 12-3-30 method - the viral workout where you walk at a 12% incline, at 3mph (around 4.8 km/h), for 30 minutes. It only took one session to realise how much better this worked for me.

Walking uphill naturally lifted my gaze and opened my posture. My shoulders dropped, my back stopped rounding, and my neck felt noticeably more supported. I didn’t need to crane downward to see the page; my book was suddenly in a far more ergonomic position, and I felt the difference almost immediately. The incline also made the walk feel more productive: a little effortful, but still calm enough to read comfortably.

Turning physical pages was still mildly chaotic, but by this point I’d accepted that a Kindle would have been the wiser choice (and will absolutely be my setup going forward). The rest of the session, however, felt almost effortless. The time passed quickly, and for the first time all week I felt like I’d found a rhythm I could actually maintain.

By the end of the seven days, I realised I wasn’t just tolerating these sessions - I was looking forward to them. The combination of steady incline walking and the immersion of a good book created something surprisingly grounding. And crucially, it felt good on my body. No neck ache, no shoulder hunching, no post-treadmill stiffness.

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