A treadmill makes walking, jogging or running convenient any time of day, regardless of the weather. Even if you love your treadmill, workouts can become monotonous. Changing up your workouts helps you improve your fitness level by constantly challenging your body. Battling boredom with creative treadmill exercises can also help you look forward to going to the gym.
Fartlek Training
Incorporating intervals of faster and slower paced running may not be new to you. Interval training---also known as Fartleks---helps improves your fat burning capacity reports a study in the December 2006 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. Try unique approaches to interval training. If you watch television while on the treadmill, run at a moderate pace during programming and sprint during commercials. Another alternative is to use the shuffle on your music player. During up tempo songs, pick up your pace and return to a moderate level when the songs slow down. If you prefer a more regimented workout, try alternating walking for two minutes with explosive running for two minutes for 30 to 40 minutes to increase your overall calorie burn without completely burning out.
Circuit Training
A treadmill can be a great tool to use for circuit training. Alternate three to five minutes of hard treadmill running with exercises like squats, push ups, biceps curls and crunches. Your heart rate remains revved during your strength training session so you burn more overall calories than you would if you rested between sets.
Dumbbell Work
Carry a set of two to five pound dumbbells on the treadmill with you, suggests Women's Health Magazine. As you walk at a moderate pace, perform biceps curls ten times, then move on to military presses for ten repetitions. Rest the weights at your sides as you walk for a minute and then repeat the sequence. Work your way up to five rounds of the exercises.
Leg Toning
Use the treadmill to perform focused training for the muscles of the legs. For the back of the thighs and the butt, set your treadmill at an incline of 12 percent or higher. Reduce your speed to 1.5- to 2-mph and lunge up the hill for two minutes. Reduce the incline to one percent and speed up to a fast walk or moderate jog for five minutes. Repeat the lunge/run sequence four to six times for a complete cardio and leg strength workout. For the quadriceps, walk backwards up an incline of 10 to 15 percent at a speed between 2 and 3 mph for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.
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