Whether you have one in your home or hit the gym to use one, a treadmill gives you the opportunity to get in better shape without braving the elements to run or walk outdoors. Beginners should start slowly, allowing their muscles to adapt to more rigorous running. Always begin your treadmill workout with a five-minute walk to warm up your muscles, followed by stretching your quadriceps, calf muscles, hamstrings, hip flexors and adductors.
Routines for Toning
If you wish to tighten and firm your legs and backside with a treadmill workout, use the incline feature to change the amount of work the muscles must perform. "Fitness" magazine recommends a routine that divides a 20-minute workout into one- to two-minute intervals. Begin with a five-minute warmup at an incline of around 3 percent. After warming up, increase the incline to 8 percent to 10 percent for two minutes, and then drop down to 4 percent to 6 percent for one minute. Increase to 10 percent for two minutes, then back down to 5 percent or 6 percent for one minute. For the next two minutes, set the percentage at 12, followed by a minute at 10, then two more minutes at 12. Finish the workout with a five-minute cool down at 2 percent to 4 percent incline. Beginners should set their speed at 3.5 mph.
Speed Interval Routines
Alternating between brisk walking and intense running, even if the running is for only a short period, gives your heart a workout. The Runners Guide indicates that interval training actually helps a runner increase overall speed with time. Consider walking or running at your top speed for one minute, then walking at a more comfortable rate for two minutes, repeating the cycle for your entire workout. You will soon find yourself getting stronger and able to increase your top speed if you maintain this workout routine.
Training for Distance
Beginning runners who wish to use the treadmill to train for a distance run should begin with an interval training program that works up to long running sessions. These programs all revolve around the same basic concept: alternating between periods of gentle running and walking, gradually increasing the length of time you are running until you can run a full 3 miles. For example, Cool Running's Couch to 5k program begins the first week by alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 total minutes, gradually adding more jogging to these sessions each week, until by the ninth week the runner is completing 30 minutes of running. At a speed of 6 mph, this translates into 3 miles.
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