Walking Workouts for the Treadmill

Walking Workouts for the Treadmill
Photo Credit Barry Austin/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Even if you are on the same old treadmill every day you don't have to follow the same old workout. Vary your routine with different walking workouts. Start each workout with a five-minute warmup and five minute cool-down. Include gentle leg stretches before and after your workout.

Power Walk

The power walk is a steady, brisk walk for the full duration of the workout. Start with a 30-minute power walk at a speed between 3 and 4 mph at a zero incline. Pick a moderate pace that increases your heart rate but still allows you to talk while you are moving. Once your body adjusts to your power walk, increase the duration, speed or incline on subsequent walks to keep improving your fitness level.

Interval Training

Interval training involves short bursts of intensity throughout the workout. You can boost the intensity by increasing your speed or the treadmill incline level. Start at a comfortable pace and incline, such as the one you use for your cardio walk, and keep it up for five minutes. Increase the intensity for one minute then resume your comfortable pace and incline for another five. Keep boosting the intensity for one minute after five minutes of moderate activity throughout the workout. Other options include boosting the intensity for two or three minute intervals between the moderate activity, or varying the lengths of the intervals.

Hill Climb

A hill climbing workout consists of slowly increasing the incline of your treadmill so it peaks at the highest point in the middle of your workout then slowly decreasing the incline until you are back where you started. Keep a pace of 3 to 4 mph throughout the entire climb. Start with your incline set at four and walk for one minute. Increase the incline to five and walk for one minute. Repeat the sequence until you hit an incline of eight for one minute, then start going back down the hill.

Interval Pyramid

The interval pyramid workout alternates between a steady base speed and faster speeds that increase incrementally throughout your workout. Start with one minute at 3 mph, then switch to 4 mph for the next minute, then back down to 3 mph for the third minute. Increase for one minute again, this time to 4.5 mph, then back down to 3 mph for another minute. Keep increasing the speed until you are halfway through your workout, then decrease incrementally to the end of your workout. You can use the same method but increase incline instead of speed to vary the workout even further.

References

Article reviewed by Allen Cone Last updated on: May 26, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments