I used to hate running on the treadmill. I found going nowhere boring. But while training for the New York City Marathon a few years ago, I had to log some of my miles on the treadmill, due to darkness (when I got home from work late) and extreme summer heat. I made my peace with it, thanks to some quality TV shows, and learned to embrace the treadmill, with the help of one affordable upgrade.
Enter: the $30 box fan from Amazon Basics. Yes, I have air conditioning in my house, but even with it, I would still get hot and sweaty after a few miles. To make matters worse, I have the fan-less Peloton Tread+ treadmill. Even if it had fans built in, most are about as strong as someone blowing at you through a straw and only point at your face. So I ordered this simple box fan and put it in front of the treadmill, cranked to max speed.
Suddenly, my runs were much more pleasant. I was no longer overheating and was able to go for longer stretches in comfort. To be clear, I have always loved my treadmill itself. It’s one of those huge ones that feels really substantial underfoot, but the act of running on it would just feel so draining until I added the fan. Then, every run felt like I was having a Beyoncé moment, minus the voice of an angel.
If you find your face getting really hot while running on the treadmill, I also recommend a fan with bendable legs that you can attach to the arms. They are cordless and rechargeable, which make them perfect for ’mills. (You can also attach them to strollers when out on a run with your kids.)
If you’re looking to upgrade your treadmill running, consider getting a fan. It’ll help you stay cool and comfortable while you cruise through your workouts. And if you’re on the market for a treadmill, we can help with that too.
We’ve tested hundreds here at Runner’s World, and our current recommendations for the best treadmills can help you narrow down your own search.
If you want to spice up your workouts, we also have a huge catalog of treadmill training plans, ranging from distance-based training to fat-burning plans.
Fans I Recommend
Aly is the Director of Content Hype at Runner’s World. She started running over a decade ago when she saw a Star Wars themed race happening at Disneyland and thought it looked like fun. Since then, she has run 8 marathons (so far!), and hundreds of shorter distance races. She is known for signing up for 5Ks in every city she travels to. She loves watching reality competition shows, playing board games with her husband and taking naps with her dog.
