A treadmill provides you with two ways of increasing the intensity of your workout. The most commonly used method is speed, but you can also use the incline function to make your workout more challenging. On most treadmills, you can control the incline manually or allow the treadmill to change the incline for you. Use both methods to take full advantage of the incline feature.
Benefits
Using the incline feature on your treadmill simulates walking or running on hills outside. You will have more challenging and simulating workouts if you include hill runs in your routine. Running uphill is more difficult and burns more calories than running on flat terrain. It can also spice up your workouts and take some of the boredom out of running on a treadmill.
Programs
Most treadmills include built-in programs that automatically adjust the speed and incline settings for you during your workout. You can use these programs to instantly integrate incline training into your workouts. Look for programs that have names such as "hill training," "incline training" or "hills and valleys." Check out the picture profiles, if available, of the workouts. Select workouts that show increasing levels of height, which indicates hills.
Steady-State Incline Training
Steady-state cardio is when you maintain an activity at the same intensity level for a prolonged period of time. Think of taking a nice, easy jog around your neighborhood for 45 minutes. Adding incline training to a steady-state cardio session is fairly straight forward. Incline the running deck a few degrees to increase the intensity of your session. If you increase the incline too much, you won't be able to maintain your pace throughout the entire session, so start with a small incline and gradually increase it as you adapt.
Interval Incline Training
Adding inclines to your workout is a great way to do interval training, which involves alternating between an intense activity and a less-intense activity, often called the active recovery segment. The American Council on Exercise, or ACE, notes that interval workouts take less time than steady-state workouts and they train both of the body's energy systems: aerobic and anaerobic. Use the treadmill at a flat level for your active recovery periods and use the incline feature for the intense periods. Try different interval ratios such as 60 seconds recovery to 30 seconds intense, or 30 seconds for both.
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