Most treadmills offer preset programs that control the speed and incline for you. These programs usually include several interval workout options and hill workout options. Interval training is a short, effective form of cardio exercise. Hill training is a form of interval training that uses an incline as the intensity factor.
Interval Training
With interval training, you alternate short bouts of intense exercise with short bouts of less intense exercise or active recovery. You don't completely rest; instead you do an easier form of the exercise. For example, you could sprint for one minute then jog for one minute. You can incorporate almost any form of exercise into an interval workout, including hill running; although not all hill running constitutes interval training. The interval duration can vary, but most treadmills break the workout into one-minute or 30-second segments.
Intensity Options
A treadmill provides you with two options for changing the intensity of your workout: speed and incline. Either factor can be used for interval training. Neither option is inherently better than the other, as long as you have an intense form of the exercise to alternate with a less intense form of the exercise. Hills offer a challenge that doesn't involve the excessive pounding and joint stress that can accompany running. You can walk at a medium pace and increase the intensity by simply inclining the ramp.
Treadmill Programs
The program settings for a treadmill vary depending on the specific treadmill. Most treadmills offer a speed interval where the incline doesn't change each segment, but the speed does. For a standard interval, both the speed and incline change every interval segment. A hill interval includes incline changes, but may or may not include speed changes. Treadmills offer the option for you to override the program's settings. Use the control buttons on the console to adjust the incline or speed for any given segment if the setting is too easy or too hard.
Non-Interval Hills
Not all hill training falls into the category of interval training. Some treadmills offer hill programs that gradually increase the intensity of each segment then gradually decrease the intensity of each segment. For example, the first segment is at a 1 percent incline, the next segment at a 2 percent incline and so on until you reach the top incline. The treadmill then reverses the pyramid, moving down 1 percent each segment. This style of training is not as intense as interval training and is a good way to gradually progress to interval training.
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