OMG. Are you as excited about the final season of Game of Thrones as I am? It’s the return of all my favorite characters: Jon Snow, Daenerys, Tyrion; and the people I love to hate: Cersei and Jaime Lannister—Not to mention the ones we all hate to hate: The Night King and the White Walkers!
In honor of the new season of Game of Thrones, for “Workout Wednesday” when each week I share a new running workout or strength training for runners exercises, I invite you to try the Game of Thrones inspired treadmill workout.
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You Can Sit on the Iron Throne or Get in Shape with this Game of Thrones Inspired Treadmill Workout
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I highly recommend a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. One of the strategies that the book suggests for building a healthy habit is called temptation bundling. What does this have to do with Games of Thrones? The idea is that you pair an action that you want to do with one that you need to do to make it more attractive.
Makes sense right? If my guilty pleasure is a weekly viewing of Game of Thrones, which could lead to at least an hour on the couch with tasty snacks, I can use my excitement for the next episode to motivate myself to jump on the treadmill for an hour instead. What if I only watch Game of Thrones while on the treadmill? I’m hyper-motivated to watch the latest episode, so the treadmill becomes instantly more enticing.
I may be tempted to miss a treadmill (dreadmill) session, but I’ll be sure I won't miss the latest episode of Game of Thrones. I can combine the two activities to build healthy habits with temptation bundling. I can make it even more fun, by playing a game each episode, aka my Game of Thrones inspired treadmill workout
While the show’s plot is surely enough to get your heart pumping, try this Game of Thrones inspired treadmill workout during the next episode. After six weeks of the final season, you may not be as fit as The Mountain, but you’ll have enough stamina to ride with Khaleesi on Drogan’s back (or with Jon on Rhaegal!) and run faster than Arya Stark in the season eight trailer.
Get the most out of you Game of Thrones obsession with this treadmill workout.
GAME OF THRONES INSPIRED TREADMILL WORKOUT
The Opening Credits
Increase the incline to +5 (more or less depending on your fitness) on the treadmill while maintaining a walking pace; Walk uphill for the duration of the opening credits. Return to a flat or +1 incline at the close of the credits.
As the episode begins, increase the speed to a slow jog (or fast walk), a pace that is easy enough that you could likely maintain for the entire episode. This pace is your baseline speed.
FIRE AND ICE
Every time Daenerys appears in a new scene, increase the incline by +2. Every time Jon Snow appears in a new scene, decrease the slope by -1 (until you reach 0 incline don’t go below 0). If Daenerys and Snow appear in the scene together, return to flat incline.
NIGHT KING
Run at a sprint pace for 30 seconds when the Night King appears in a new scene.
Run for 15 seconds anytime someone mentions his name.
SOMEONE DIES
Run at a sprint pace for one minute when someone dies in a new scene.
SOMEONE MENTIONS THE “WHITE WALKERS” OR “WHITES”
Increase your pace by +.2 when someone mentions the “white walkers.” Continue at the increased pace until…
(Note: This is .2, so if you baseline is 5.0 mph, then increase to 5.2 at the mention.)
SOMEONE SAYS “TARGARYEN”
Decrease your pace by -.1 (until returning to your baseline pace) when someone says “Targaryen.”
REALITY CHECK
While reality is not a factor in the plot of Game of Thrones, keep a reality check in mind while doing this workout. Since I have no idea what the new season will bring, I don’t have any way of knowing how difficult (or easy) this workout will end up becoming. If “the white walkers” are mentioned 200 times in the episode, your pace could get out of hand.
If Jon Snow dies in the first five minutes (hah- unlikely) and Daenerys appears in every new scene, your incline could become unreasonable. If the episode runs (pun intended) longer than an hour, stop the workout at the hour mark (or sooner, if necessary).
Use common sense and the knowledge of your fitness abilities to apply the appropriate level of intensity. This workout is intended just for fun. Make it easier or harder as you see fit. Take a rest day or low-intensity day following this workout. Don’t follow these rules so strict that you get beaten up more than Ramsey did by Jon Snow. Have fun!
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Questions? I’d love to help.
It happens to the best of us, sometimes, race day doesn’t align with our expectations. Read about my experience at the Dallas Half Marathon and learn how to bounce back after a poor race performance