There are days or times when you can’t get out for your regular walk or run. However, running or walking on a treadmill can deliver similar results to an outdoor jog or walk- more so if you tweak the incline.
Working out on a treadmill with an incline boosts your heart rate without you having to change your pace. Aside from that, it is also an excellent way to spice up your routine and prevent boredom during your workout session.
According to fitness and sport experts, a treadmill with an incline can help you get a solid workout in a short time.
A challenge many people face is how best to use the incline to get the most out of the treadmill session. Here are pro tips that will help you reap the benefits from your treadmill workout session.
Get to Grips with the Proper Form First Before Speeding Up
An incline of between 2.5 to 3.5 helps you get to terms with the proper form. The proper form will involve making shorter steps or strides with your arms swinging in a backward and forward motion. You will probably want to continue with that form as you boost the speed or up the incline on your treadmill.
If you notice your form dropping, its best you slow down to a pace you’re comfortable with. While at it, you can get workout supplements from valkyrie-online.org to help you maintain proper form during your workout session.
Slow and Systematic Changes
If you are used to running on flat tracks, it’s best you make the changes on the incline gradual while monitoring how your body responds. For instance, fitness experts advise you start at a comfortable incline, say 2.0-2.5, and then move on to steeper inclines.
This will minimize the risk of you injuring yourself during your treadmill session. What’s more, always create sessions for flat inclines before switching from an ascent to descent. This will give your leg muscles time to adjust.
Simulate your Outdoor Track
Inclines help build your intensity which, in turn, helps boost your walking or running efficiency. However, to support this, you need to make sure you set your treadmill incline to be the same as your outdoor track.
Getting your inclines wrong will often lead to poor form, which may result in injury if not corrected early enough.
Don’t Forget to Warm Up
Many people forego their warm-up session. However, according to health and fitness specialists, it is crucial you partake in a 5-10-minute warm-up – with the incline set at 1.0-1.5- before tinkering with it.
This will help stimulate your muscles and make sure your joints are entirely in range before you increase the intensity of your workout session.
Use the Treadmill for Active Recovery
Strength workouts can be blended with cardio sessions in a single training routine. Most people take a few minutes rest between their strength exercises. However, you can hop onto your treadmill during that rest period.
This will help your body burn excess calories all through the day even after you’re done working out.
Get Some Music to Motivate You
Motivation helps you give your all during training sessions. Similarly, you can download workout music to keep you motivated while you’re on the treadmill. Another important thing, avoid using your mobile phone when you’re working out as it will lead to a loss of concentration and poor posture.
Let’s Get Some Weights
Weights add more resistance to your body, forcing you to use more power. As a result, this leads your body to burn extra calories. For this you can get yourself a weight vest or better yet use a training ball.
When using the training ball, hold it close to your chest. Aim at going for extended periods walking on the treadmill without dropping the ball. This exercise will help you work your legs more since they’ll be tasked with maintaining your balance.
Use the 10-20-30 Trick
This is a common treadmill routine to help you implement high-intensity interval training. To understand this technique better, you start with a 30-second light jog followed by a 20-second average-paced run, and then cap it off with a 10-second sprint. This you will do for a minute and then repeat for the entire session.
This routine will help you burn a significant number of calories. Aside from that, it will trigger a post-workout metabolic boost, meaning your body will continue burning calories hours after you’re done with the workout.
Stay Hydrated
An effective workout session will likely leave you sweating and your body dehydrated. Ensure you drink adequate amounts of water during and after you’re done with your training drills.
Research has shown that staying hydrated also speeds up your recovery time. Additionally, it helps prevent muscular complications such as cramps.
Conclusion
In as much as the treadmill can offer you a solid workout, it shouldn’t replace your outdoor jogs or walks. The reason why is because it can’t provide you the same workout benefits as walking or running outside over real terrain.
