This story is from Manual, GQ’s flagship newsletter offering useful advice on style, health, and more, four days a week. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

Fitness in the chiller months, generally speaking, requires a tad more effort than the long, warm days of summer. Instead of lacing up your sneakers and hitting a quick 5K around the neighborhood, now your miles are subject to some contingencies. Is it too cold? Too dark? That’s typically when the good old treadmill comes into the mix.

To many, the treadmill may as well be equivalent to a torture chamber. Are you moving? Sure. But you’re also not going anywhere. A workout that otherwise involves sights and sounds in the great outdoors turns into something entirely different when you bring it into your own basement—or local gym, complete with dudes and their tripods. The good news? A treadmill workout doesn’t have to be dreadful, with the right attitude and approach.

“There will inevitably be days that it’s not appropriate to be outside, especially as we transition seasons,” says Rebeka Stowe, a coach for Nike Running in New York and Endorphins. “But once you can be better about letting go of the resistance you feel toward an indoor session, you’ll realize there’s potential for a massive mental unlock.”

1. Do a workout.

Is the treadmill different from a track? Sure. But breaking your run up into intervals can turn the otherwise mundane into a bit more of an entertaining experience. Stowe recommends leaning into longer reps: “Some treadmills need a second to get up to speed, so you want to have the bandwidth to set it and forget it without needing to change anything up immediately,” she says.

You might start with ten minutes of warmup, six three-minute efforts at 10k pace (with three minutes of rest in between), and ten minutes of cooldown.

2. Link and build.

Yes, buddy up for your indoor run. In our experience this isn't as common as meeting up for IRL run club, but it has some real advantages: “It’s great when a friend runs at a different pace than you,” says Stowe. “You have an opportunity to connect with someone you may not typically run with.”

Another option is logging on to a specific class that a friend is also taking through a platform like Peloton or Apple Fitness+—this might encourage you to show up on days you may otherwise be lacking motivation.

3. Try an actual treadmill class.

We just mentioned some of the top virtual group fitness options, but if you’re in an area that offers treadmill-based fitness studios like Stride Fitness or Mile High Run Club, now is as good a time as any to give them a try.

4. Do a power hour.

Not the kind you partook of in back in college. Research has shown that listening to music can have a positive impact on running performance, increasing speed and duration, without negatively impacting heart rate or rate of perceived exertion. So, turn up your favorite workout playlist, and then keep things dynamic by pressing “next,” on the minute, every minute, for the duration of your run. By breaking it up into smaller sections, you may be surprised at how fast the session goes by.

5. Binge watch.

“Maybe it’s an NBA game, The Golden Bachelor, or just a movie,” says Stowe. “Turning on something to watch will help you zone out a bit, which would be ideal if you’re on the treadmill for a steady state effort.” When you’re looking at something that’s not your run statistics, you may also be less likely to feel like the time is crawling by. It's perfect for sessions when all you're after is time on feet.

More Great Wellness Stories From GQ

The Only 6 Exercises You Need to Get a Six-Pack

You Should Be Doing Hamstring Stretches Every Day—Here’s Why (and 7 To Try)

The Many Stealthy Ways Creatine Boosts Your Health

Flexibility Is a Key to Longevity. Here’s How to Improve Yours, According to Experts

How to Actually Build Muscle When You Work Out

Not a subscriber? Join GQ to receive full access to GQ.com.

Related Stories for GQRunning