Treadmills are one of the most versatile pieces of workout equipment out there, and there’s no shortage of treadmill workouts you can incorporate into your fitness routine to stay healthy and spice up your workout plan. Whether you have a folding treadmill to use at home or prefer to hit up your local gym, these workouts are an efficient and effective way to incorporate more cardio into your fitness routine. We provide.
“The treadmill is a common machine that targets the cardiovascular system. This machine improves balance and endurance, and strengthens all muscle groups in the body at once,” says RDN, ACSM Ex-P , explains Jim White, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition. Additionally, “the speed and intensity of the machine can be controlled, creating versatility that is useful for people recovering from injury or surgery,” he says.
Meet the experts: Jim White, RDN, ACSM former P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios. Noel McKenzie, CPT, co-owner of Leading Edge Personal Trainers
Below, learn more about the benefits of working out on a treadmill, then lace up your treadmill walking shoes and get ready to try some expert-recommended treadmill workouts.
Benefits of treadmill training
“Working out on a treadmill is a great way to build aerobic fitness,” says Noel McKenzie, CPT, co-owner of Leading Edge Personal Trainers. points out that it’s especially useful for zone 2 aerobic exercise, or when your heart rate reaches zone 2. 60-70% of maximum heart rate. Zone 2 training helps improve endurance and is a great way to build base fitness.
“Using a treadmill can help you burn calories and fat in a relatively short period of time, especially if you increase the intensity,” McKenzie adds. “It helps build muscle strength and improve muscle activation in the lower extremities when you’re increasing your pace and applying resistance.”
White added that in addition to cardiovascular benefits such as strengthening the heart, improving blood circulation and lowering blood pressure, treadmill training also has mental health benefits. “As seen with strength training, treadmill exercise can help reduce stress and improve mood,” he explains. “The (release of) dopamine that accompanies exercise makes people feel more energized and productive, making them feel good about themselves and more able to move.”
7 treadmill workouts
12-3-30 Training
This incline walking workout “went viral[on social media]when multiple people noticed weight loss and changes[in their bodies]while adopting the treadmill routine,” White said. explains. What about numbers? 12 represents the incline used during the workout, 3 represents the speed, and 30 represents the duration of the exercise in minutes.
12-3-30 Training is very easy. Simply set the treadmill speed to 3, increase the incline to 12%, and continue at that pace for 30 minutes. As an added challenge, “try to walk upright without holding on to anything to avoid losing your balance,” says White. “This helps with posture, balance, and core stability.”
zone 2 training
McKenzie says being in zone 2 means you’re hitting 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is “the most effective for burning fat.” Fitness trackers with heart rate capabilities are the most accurate way to measure when you enter Zone 2, which McKenzie describes as “conversation pace,” or the pace at which you can comfortably converse without getting out of breath. Expressing.
Follow Mackenzie’s instructions and maintain this pace for an hour at zero to slight incline, depending on the difficulty of getting into Zone 2. “Once you’re here, please maintain this pace without increasing your speed any further.”
side step training
White explains that this side step routine targets the muscles of your lower body, specifically your glutes, hip abductors, adductors, and inner thighs. It especially helps improve balance, stability, and lateral strength. Below are White’s instructions for this 30-minute workout.
First, start by warming up. Set the treadmill speed to slow (between 1 and 2) and the incline somewhere between 1 and 3. Walk (forward) for 1 minute, then jog for 4 minutes at your preferred speed.
Before you start sidestepping, reduce your speed by an inch or two. Take a few steps facing forward to let your body adjust to the speed, then turn your body to the side to face the machine’s handrail. Next, get into a squat position and sidestep for about 30 seconds before walking forward again. Turn your body to the other side and side step again for about 30 seconds.
Turn forward again and walk for about 1 minute. From here, we’ll take it to the next level. Increase your speed to a slow jogging pace, turn on your side, and sidestep for 2 minutes. Continue this pattern of walking down a side street for two minutes, walking forward for one minute, and changing direction each time you go down a side street.
Once you’ve finished your 30-minute workout, cool down by walking forward at a slow pace for 5 minutes.
hill repeat
If you want to get stronger on the treadmill, try this both incline and interval-based workout developed by MacKenzie. “Because you’re running uphill, it strengthens your rear chains (glutes, hamstrings, and calves),” she explains. “It also improves recovery and muscular endurance.”
To perform the workout, set the treadmill to a 5-degree incline (slightly higher or lower depending on your fitness level) and a speed that you can only maintain for about 30 seconds. The incline remains the same throughout the workout, but you alternate between running speed and walking recovery pace. Alternate between 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. Repeat this interval for at least five rounds, but McKenzie says the ideal duration would be eight to 10 rounds.
steady hill training
“Training on hills burns more calories and uses multiple muscles during the exercise,” says White. “This type of treadmill exercise simply involves finding the optimal incline that an individual can maintain for 30 minutes.”
Start by warming up for 5 minutes with a gentle walk, then set your speed to a moderately vigorous pace (somewhere between a brisk walk and a jog). Next, choose a difficult incline that you can maintain for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, reduce the incline to zero and walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
interval training
“Interval training on a treadmill can be performed in a variety of ways,” explains White. These workouts are suitable for beginners as well as advanced athletes because you can adjust the speed from a power walking or jogging pace to a full sprint, and the length of the intervals. Below, White outlines an example of an interval training treadmill workout that involves sprints.
Start with a 5-minute slow walk to warm up (ideally at about 3rd speed). Then alternate between sprinting and resting. Sprint for 30 seconds (speed will vary for everyone depending on your fitness level), then rest with your feet on the side of the treadmill for 30 seconds. “This is a 30-second on, 30-second off cycle for a total of 10 minutes,” White explains. If you want more of a challenge, you can increase the incline to your preferred level. Once the 10 minutes are up, cool down by walking for another 5 minutes.
fartlek training
Fartlek is a training exercise performed at various speeds. The difference between fartlek and interval training is that fartlek involves a combination of different paces, whereas intervals have a complete rest period. “The benefit of this training is that it improves your speed and endurance,” McKenzie explains.
This Fartlek designed by Mackenzie will cover 10km. Start by running 2 miles at a pace that is difficult to maintain. Then, each mile, switch to a slower pace (such as Conversation Zone 2 pace). Continue this for another mile at a slower pace (Zone 2 conversation pace). Repeat this method alternately for a total of 6.2 miles (10k). Not interested in running that far? Just alternate back and forth until you reach the desired distance.
What speed and incline are appropriate for beginners?
Our experts agree that it’s always best to start low and slow in terms of treadmill incline and speed. When it comes to speed, McKenzie says the goal is to find a pace you can maintain with good form. In general, she explains, the average walking or jogging pace is:
Walking: 2.5 to 3.5 miles per hour Brisk walking: 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour Jogging: 4.5 to 5.5 miles per hour
Start at a slow speed that matches your desired activity level and gradually increase speed in half-mile increments until you reach a challenging but comfortable pace.
When choosing an incline, McKenzie suggests starting at 0% (flat) and gradually increasing to a 1-2% incline for the average wake-up or running treadmill workout. If you’re trying hill or incline-based training, you may want to aim higher.
Related articles
Source link
