Treadmills, which have a wide belt that continually moves in a circular fashion, come in both very basic and high-end models. All of them have the option of changing the incline. By walking on an incline, you spare your joints from impact while simultaneously increasing your effort. The end result is a high-caloric expenditure, and multiple leg muscles get a solid workout. Find out more information about walking at an incline to ensure you make the best use of your exercise time.
Step 1
Move your body through a series of dynamic stretches before getting on the treadmill. If you start a treadmill workout, or any workout for that matter, with tight muscles, you run the risk of getting injured. Perform several dynamic stretches before you board the treadmill. Walking lunges, leg swings, alternating toe touches, side bends, trunk twists, arm circles and shoulder rotations are examples.
Step 2
Align your body in the correct starting position. Step onto the treadmill, but do not place your feet on the belt. Place one foot on each side of the belt and grab a hold of the handrails for assistance. Hit the "Start" button and let the belt start moving. It will start at .5 mph. Step onto the belt with your right foot then left foot and take your hands off the handrails.
Step 3
Walk with no incline to further warm up your body. Hit the up arrow for "Speed" and gradually increase your intensity until you are starting to breathe heavy and break a sweat. This will increase your core body temperature and further loosen up your joints and muscles before you start inclining. Aim for three to four miles per hour with your warm-up and walk for about five minutes.
Step 4
Press the up arrow for "Incline" to increase your elevation. Increase it only by a two to three percent grade and see how this feels. Increase it more if it is not challenging enough and decrease it if it is too challenging. Experiment with your incline until you feel comfortable and stay at this incline for the duration of your workout. Finish with a five-minute walk with the belt flat. Adjust your speed accordingly.
Once you raise the incline, the workout is going to get tougher. Decrease your speed slightly to accommodate this, but make sure you are still exercising at a moderate to high level. The higher the incline, the harder your workout will be.
Step 5
Incorporate intervals into your walking program for a more challenging variation. Walk for five minutes with the belt flat, then increase the incline to a high grade and walk for 30 seconds. Reduce the incline back to flat and walk for 60 seconds. Alternate back and forth for your whole workout.
Do not reduce your speed when increasing the incline during your intervals. This will maximize your high intensity effort. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you'll burn—even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 6
Exercise with good form. Do not place your hands on the handrails once you take them off for your warm-up. Move your arms steadily and push off forcefully with the balls of your feet when you are walking. Maintain a 90-degree bend in your elbows and swing fluidly from your shoulders as you are walking.
Things You'll Need
- Treadmill
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