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For many years I had a rather snooty view of reality TV. Not for me were "Keeping up with the Kardashians," "American Idol" or "The Bachelorette." I had better things to do than watch "Big Brother," "Survivor" or "So You Think You Can Dance?"

Then I joined a gym. Boredom had always been my primary barrier to engaging in regular exercise. Planet Fitness is a low-key place where ordinary folks, an encouraging number with gray hair and imperfect bodies, can exercise while watching TV with handy on-board controls. Some people listen to music while working out; I need the visual.

As I plod on the treadmill, arrayed before me is a vast choice of channels. And when I'm struggling to stay fit, any distraction will do. With the touch of a finger I can channel surf, avoiding commercials, without breaking a stride.

I now look forward to what I used to look down on. I watch "Dr. Phil," "Judge Judy" and "Hoarders." As for "Say Yes to the Dress," the fact that I'm currently planning my daughter's wedding makes the folks at Kleinfeld Bridal my special pals. Watching parents, bridesmaids, friends and siblings sabotage the bride's choices makes me feel like I'm doing okay as mother of the bride.

As a fashion illiterate, I can feel a little better about myself while enjoying "Love, Lust or Run." Between wisecracks, Stacy London mentors women who dress in ripped jeans; loudly printed, skin-seizing leggings; spiked necklaces; skirts up to the stratosphere and underwear on top of their clothes. Not to mention green hair. And this is what they wear to work. I especially enjoy the before and after shots, as Stacy's protégés emerge stylish and perfectly accessorized.

Before and after shots are also the best parts of "Hoarders," when the monumental piles of garbage are contrasted with rediscovered and usable living rooms and kitchens. The possibility that these rather pathetic folks might backslide is something I just don't want to think about. Another great thing about "Hoarders" is that I go home psyched to clean out my house. After one such post-"Hoarders" binge I almost singlehandedly supplied the yard sale at the animal shelter where I volunteer.

If you want to feel better about your life, watch "Dr. Phil." Uncontrollable teens, husbands who cheat and laugh about it, older relatives who send their lifesavings to Internet con men. I watch and I feel functional. Sometimes, however, it does seem that the good doctor is scraping the bottom of the dysfunctional barrel and exploiting the pitiful. A recent show featured a drug-addled mother whose children and siblings are held captive by her hypochondria and her addictions to pills and bad wigs. Face it, Phil, some cases are hopeless.

Some shows are a treat for very personal reasons. Watching "Wahlbergers" gives me a warm, hometown feeling. TheWahlberg Family is from Dorchester, Mass., where my father was born and which is a stone's throw from the city where I grew up. And I just love to hear the Boston accent I worked so hard to get rid of. "Undercover Boss" crescendos with the moment of the big reveal, when the CEO discloses his/her true identity to the shocked employees, then gifts them with scholarships and rent money. Much weeping all around. What's not to enjoy?

Reality shows are a guilty pleasure. While visiting my niece a while back, I joined her in watching the "Kardashians" for my first time. Her life is hectic, with three small children and a demanding job. Kim and Company relax her. I don't see the attraction, but then again there are people who are too compassionate to be entertained by other people's woes, unlike myself.

Still, there are some shows I can't abide, no matter how impatient I am for my treadmilling to be over with. Sometimes while screen scrolling I pause for a moment on "Naked and Afraid." After watching two morons test their survival skills au naturel in some snake- infested hell hole, my imagination feels sand in very uncomfortable places. I have to stop myself from hopping off the treadmill and jumping in the shower. The "Real Housewives of Fill-in-the-Blank" are so self-involved it's hard to see the screen for their egos. For me, cooking shows are, like exercise, boring, thus eliminating "Top Chef," "Chopped" and "Hell's Kitchen."

In the end, binging on reality TV is not just about distraction while putting one foot in front of the other. It's about feeling that whatever issues I deal with in life, there are people who are worse off than me, and, incredibly, they are okay with the whole world watching. So, I just keep treading, and the schadenfreude keeps me going.

- Ann Green

Ann Green is a freelance writer, editor, PR consultant and tutor.