Incline treadmills aim to mirror the realities of outdoor terrain by raising and lowering the treadmill track. Once the incline moves up a few inches, you'll feel like you're running on a hill. Though flat treadmills are excellent for calorie burning and conditioning, incline machines can add a level of difficulty to your workout regimen and help you meet your fitness goals more quickly.
Increased Calorie Burning
An incline treadmill provides more opportunities for calorie burning. As the slope increases, more calories are expended during a workout. For example, NutriStrategy.com suggests that walking at a moderate pace can burn around 246 calories an hour in a 155-pound individual. When that same person walks uphill, the burnt calories increase to 422 per hour.
Time Saver
TreadmillTalk.com points out that incline treadmills let you increase the impact of your workout without spending more time exercising. An incline workout increases the difficulty without increasing the time you spend on the treadmill. For example, if you're using a flat treadmill and want to stay at speed 5.0, you will have to spend more time on the machine for a greater challenge. On an incline treadmill, you can spend the same amount of time at speed 5.0, but increase the incline for a greater challenge.
Muscle Conditioning
Incline treadmills also provide different opportunities for muscle conditioning. Walking or running uphill puts the emphasis on the butt and the muscles of the posterior leg. If you're looking to condition these muscles, vary the incline on the treadmill during your workout. The increased difficulty of moving uphill on a treadmill also helps condition the muscles of the ankle and anterior leg.
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