Interval training may be done on any piece of equipment, but the treadmill is a particularly effective tool. Treadmill interval training can help you burn fat and calories in a short period of time. It also helps improve your speed, oxygen capacity and overall running performance. The treadmill is an easy to use machine that requires little skill, so it is appropriate for most fitness levels.
Features
Interval training involves alternating periods of higher intensity activity with more moderate work levels. On the treadmill, this may involve alternating walking and jogging, jogging and running or walking and sprinting. Another effective way to perform intervals on the treadmill is to alternate steep hills and flat terrain.
Types
Interval training does not have to follow a precise format. Intervals usually range from between 30 seconds to five minutes of work. Recovery times may be shorter, longer or equal to the period of work. You may also perform intervals based on distance--watching the treadmill's counter and alternating high speed ¼-mile or ½-mile with comfortably paced equal distances. Treadmill intervals may be even less precise in terms of timing. For example, if you watch television while on the treadmill---you may perform periods of high intensity work during the commercials and ease up during the programming.
Benefits
Treadmill interval training helps combat boredom by offering a constantly changing program as opposed to a steady state routine. According to Rick Morris, author of "Treadmill Training for Runners," interval training allows you work at a competition level or even faster consistently without over taxing your body. Beginners benefit from intervals because it allows them to gradually introduce their bodies to running, without causing injuries like shin splints or plantar fasciitis that accompanies doing too much too soon.
Warning
Interval training is not for everyone. People with heart conditions should avoid overtaxing their cardiovascular system notes Walter R. Thompson, professor of exercise science at Georgia State University, in a May 2007 "New York Times" article. Although interval training is an effective training modality, it puts a lot of stress on the body. It is advisable to interval train just two or three non-consecutive days per week to avoid injury.
Sample Workout
To perform your own interval workout on the treadmill, warm up for about five minutes. Set the treadmill at a comfortable pace--perhaps a 5 mph pace and jog for one minute. Immediately raise the speed to the fastest you can manage and run for one minute. Return to the 5 mph pace for another minute. Repeat this sequence 10 times. Cool down for five minutes to complete a 20-minute workout.
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