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| Wednesday, December 02, 2009 |
| Step Up Your Treadmill Workout |
Are you one of those people who go to the gym to walk on the treadmill? Or do you have your own treadmill in front of your TV at home? Do you do the same workout every day? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then it’s time to step up your treadmill workout! Walking on the treadmill is a great form of exercise. The only problem is that most people never change their workout. They do a very similar workout every time they get on the treadmill. Therefore, once they have become proficient at that workout, they aren’t getting all the benefits they could be getting. There are so many ways to change your treadmill workout. Simple changes can help you burn more fat and calories as well as work muscles that you haven’t been working.
First, you need to evaluate your treadmill workout. Figure out what you are already good at. If you can walk at 4 mph with an incline of 4 for 45 minutes and hardly feel winded or tired, you need a change. Start with small changes and challenges. Here are some ideas for treadmill workouts that I use with my own clients.
- Hill Workout. Most treadmills have an incline on them. Warm up with the ramp flat for 2-3 minutes. During a hill workout, you can keep the speed a little slower than normal. Increase the incline to 2 for 5 minutes, 4 for 5 minutes, 6 for 5 minutes, 8 for 5 minutes, 10 for 5 minutes, 12 for 5 minutes and finally 15 for 5 minutes. Cool down for 2-3 minutes with the ramp at 0 or flat. Try not to hold on to the sides while climbing the hill. At inclines of 12 or 15, you may feel the need to hold on. You can hold on, however try not to lean over forward. Keep good posture. This workout is fantastic for your legs and glutes. It’s also a great cardiovascular workout and will burn a ton of calories.
- Skipping workout. A skipping workout is not for everyone. If you have any problems with your knees or hips, don’t do a skipping workout. To do a skipping workout, start out with a 2-3 minute warm up. Increase your speed to between 3.5 and 4 and start skipping; just like you did when you were a child. Swing your arms while you skip. Skip for about 3 minutes then walk at a challenging pace of between 4 and 5 mph for 5 minutes. Repeat. Continue this pace for 30 to 40 minutes. This workout will really get you sweating and you will burn a lot of calories.
- Walk backwards. Of course you will have to keep your speed slow to start but all you have to do is just walk backwards on your treadmill. Try not to hold on to the sides. You will find yourself engaging your leg muscles, glutes, back and abdominals. All of these muscles will be working to help you keep your balance. Try to walk backwards for 5 minutes, turn around and walk forward for 10 minutes, backwards for 5, forward for 10, backwards for 5, etc. Cool down for a few minutes at the end. This is great to use all of your core muscles and will challenge your mind as well. Anyone can do this workout.
- Shuffle workout. The shuffle workout is not for everyone. People with knee or hip problems should avoid shuffle workouts. For a shuffle workout, warm up at a comfortable pace for 5-10 minutes. Slow the speed down and slowly turn to the left. Start shuffling while holding on to the sides. As you start to feel comfortable, let go of the sides and increase the speed. Shuffle on the left for 3 minutes then go back to walking for 5 minutes, shuffle on the right for 3 minutes then return to walking for 5 minutes. Repeat the pattern 3 times and don’t forget to cool down. You will burn a lot of calories and work your inner and outer thighs.
- Jumping. A jumping workout is not for everyone. Anyone with knee or hip problems should avoid this workout. Start with a warm up for 5-10 minutes then slow the speed down to about 2 mph. You can start with your hands holding on to the sides. With feet together, jump up and land softly with knees bent. Try jumping for 15 – 20 seconds at first, then go back to walking for 3 minutes. Work up to 30 seconds of jumping and 3 minutes of walking. Repeat this interval 10 times for a great workout.
Try some of these workouts to give your metabolism a boost and keep your treadmill workout exciting. You can also check iTRAIN to download some great treadmill workouts. Good Luck!
- Jennifer
Labels: Exercise, Jennifer, Physical Activity
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posted by My Sensei @ Wednesday, December 02, 2009   |
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| 4 Comments: |
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I am all for changing it up! I use 3 different cardio machines but even on the treadmill I change it up with hill walking, hill jogging, flatter jogging, backwards walking & side shuffle. You have to keep the bod guessing!
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I don't have a treadmill, but could definitely use some of these ideas in "real road" workouts. I wonder what my neighbors would think about me skipping down the road?
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Good routine, I never thought about variety workout. When I work out, pull the treadmill that bought lifespanfitness.com.au in front of TV,which bought from Harvey Norman, and set up my new XBOX360 that bought from ebay. Here we go FIFA, just imagine I was the football player, running, chasing the ball. Of course safety key is essential.
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I love using the treadmill to continue burning calories without taxing the body hard.
Many people criticize the treadmill for not being as intense as running on pavement...and that is exactly why I believe it is such a great piece of equipment. After a tough workout with weights it is nice to have the ability to tweak the treadmill to go as intense or mellow as desired.
Great post! I have typically only done basic running, but may switch it up with a few of these variations.
Cheers,
-Rusty
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I am all for changing it up! I use 3 different cardio machines but even on the treadmill I change it up with hill walking, hill jogging, flatter jogging, backwards walking & side shuffle. You have to keep the bod guessing!