Your warm ups should last 3 minutes, your steady pace should last you 22 minutes at about 4.5 and an incline of about 4.5;  your cool down should last 5 minutes. Try that for a week and then every week go up on your incline and speed .

Another workout to try is; Start with a 10 min warm up to interval training and up hill walking/jogging. Do not hold onto the treadmill when you run, your arms will get a better workout than your legs. Then increase the incline to about 3-5 % grade (Uphill).Run hard uphill for 3 minutes then slow the pace for 1 minute 30 seconds (90sec).

Repeat this process for 3-miles the first week, then add 2 more miles for a total of 5-miles. The following week increase the percentage (% )of incline a little more. This will make the run even more challenging for you.

You can also increase the time you run hard (and the recovery as well) by 1-2 minutes. That’s a good workout, but if you’re trying to lose fat with the treadmill,  add an extra 5 or 10 minutes for max results. Maybe 5 minutes of walking, or split it up between a jog and a walk. One thing you might want to try as well, if the run for 3 on 5 kills you, consider adding a minute or two to walk in-between the jog and run. That might help you build up your stamina so you’re not so winded.

Also, if you really want a workout, consider kicking up the incline to 1.0. It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a big difference. A treadmill is at a natural decline, so putting it at 1 or even .5 will make a difference. If you want to save your knees, you might want to do the bike 2 days a week as well.

Maybe you treadmill doesn’t have an incline function. Doing intervals really helps to burn fat because it forces your heart rate to constantly change. When you run at the same pace all the time, your body acclimates to it. However, if you switch it up, then your body has to constantly work hard. Try this program from a personal trainer.

Warm up at a decent pace (around 3.8-4): 3 min (3:00)

Run (as fast as you can, almost a sprint, probably 6.5): 1 min (4:00)

Fast walk (around 4-4.5) 1 min ( 5:00)

Run: 2 minutes (7:00)

Walk: 1 minute (8:00)

Run: 3 minutes (11:00)

Walk: 2 minutes (13:00)

Run: 4 minutes (17:00)

Walk: 3 minutes (20:00)

Run: 5 minutes (25:00)

Walk: 4 minutes (29:00)

Run: 6 minutes (35:00)

Walk: 3 minute (38:00)

Cool down (around 3) for 2 minutes (40:00).

You can make the workout longer or shorter (40 – 60 minutes is a good amount of time); but just make sure you always are running a minute more than you are walking. You’ll be sweating a lot! You can also do intervals by running 5 min, walking 1 minute or whatever ratio works for you.

You could watch TV or listen to music. Listening to music is really helpful whenever walking or running. Choose upbeat music with a quick beat to keep you stimulated.  You can Tivo your favorite shows and save them for treadmill time. This alone may give you incentive to get on the treadmill.

Try a “book on tape”. Many times it is hard to read while running as your eyes don’t stay level. You could end up with motion sickness! A book on tape may help distract you from obsessively staring at the slow moving timer. Which leads to the next easy suggestion.

Put a towel over the timer so that you’re not watching the time click by. Many times you can easily get bored staring at a timer! Like the old saying of the watched pot that never boils, you will feel as if it was the longest 20 minutes of your life!

Compete with yourself! Everyday challenge yourself to go a little farther. For some people a little competition goes along way for motivation!

Mix up your workouts. Varying the speed and elevation gives you  something else to focus on. If your treadmill is equipped with programmed workouts try a new one each time. This is also good for keeping your muscles from getting bored also!

Think of past relationships  that have ended badly. Although not the most positive tip sometimes people who are angry can get the extra adrenaline going to keep them going. This could end up therapeutic also!

If these things don’t work maybe running outside would excite your senses. You can smell, feel the wind, see things, and enjoy the time. You could also join a running group or makes friends with runners and go with them. The added peer pressure can really pay off!

If you have tried all of these things and you are still bored, maybe running is just not your thing. Try something else like biking, swimming or something. If you keep running when you don’t like it, then you wont keep it up forever.