Back on Track

Whether you are just starting to work out again or are looking for a new workout to get yourself out of a plateau, the treadmill offers everyone an opportunity to improve their stamina. Many runners might dread the idea of running on the treadmill (perhaps you’ve even heard the “dreadmill” nickname) but it does offer some distinct advantages over running outdoors.

First of all, running on a treadmill offers the advantage of consistent and safe footing while running; it would be quite a feat to roll your ankle or get a rock in your shoe while running on the treadmill! Similarly, working out on a treadmill at the gym will allow you to avoid high winds, unbearable heat or chills, and other potential weather pitfalls.

Running on a treadmill also lets you easily control the pace and elevation at which you are running. While you might have a “feel” of how quickly you are running outdoors, the treadmill will tell you accurately just how fast you are running. And you don’t have to worry about finding a hill to run up! Just crank up the incline and watch the amount of calories you are burning increase.

If you consider yourself a “couch potato” or if you have a certain TV show you love to watch, then a treadmill with a TV attached can be a more feasible bridge to exercise than simply trying to will yourself to go outside for a walk. If you know you are going to spend an hour watching your favorite TV show, why not get on the treadmill and burn some calories rather than cracking open a package of cookies on the couch?

If you’re just starting out and are using a treadmill that has a TV, consider using the commercial breaks as a time to speed up out of your comfort level. If you don’t have a TV but are listening to music, use the song choruses as your cue to amp up the intensity. If you are not a stranger to exercise, consider one of the following workouts:

Beginner:
Start out with a 3- to 5-minute warm up to get your blood pumping, then do 3 intervals of each round.
1.0 incline:
1 minute fast
2 minutes of recovery
2.0-3.0 incline:
1 minute fast
2 minutes of recovery
3.0-4.0 incline:
1 minute fast
2 minutes of recovery

Intermediate:
Round 1: Hill Climb
Constant speed with incline gradually increasing.
Round 2: Acceleration
Constant incline with speed gradually increasing.
Round 3: Combo
Building on both speed and incline every 30 seconds to push it to
the end!


Advanced:
This workout is intense. The super-slow recoveries are essential to allow you to be able to work to your max at each interval. Take them slow and enjoy them!
Round 1: 12% incline
Do 1 minute as fast as you can without holding on, then recover for 30 seconds – SUPER SLOW.
Repeat 4 times for 6 minutes total.
Repeat above intervals at:
Round 2: 10% incline (6 mins total)
Round 3: 7.0% incline (6 mins total)
After Round 3, take a long recovery of 3.5 minutes
Then Round 4:
5% as fast as you can for 2 minutes. Push the endurance to the end!