Treadmills are a popular choice for indoor cardio exercise, but doing the same workout day after day can lead to boredom and potentially a plateau in your fitness results. If you're looking for ways to spice up your treadmill workouts, you've come to the right place! Consider trying one (or all) of these three methods to enhance your treadmill training sessions and keep them fun and effective.
Interval training
Interval training is a great way to break up the monotony of steady-state cardio and can also help you burn more calories. The concept is simple: alternate between high and low-intensity periods of exercise.
Try this example of an interval workout:
- Warm-up for 5 minutes at a slow pace
- Run at a high intensity for 1 minute
- Walk or jog at a low intensity for 2 minutes
- Repeat the high and low-intensity periods for 20-30 minutes
- Cool down for 5 minutes at a slow pace
Incorporate inclines
One of the benefits of a treadmill is the ability to adjust the incline. Adding hills to your workout can mimic outdoor running and add an extra challenge to your workout. Here's how you can incorporate inclines into your treadmill routine:
- Warm-up for 5 minutes on a flat surface
- Increase the incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 1 minute
- Increase the incline by 1% every minute until you reach a challenging but sustainable incline
- Decrease the incline by 1% every minute until you’re back to a flat surface
- Cool down for 5 minutes on a flat surface
Use entertainment
Although it's important to focus on the workout, adding some entertainment can make your treadmill session a lot more enjoyable. Try listening to an audiobook, watching a TV show, or even playing a video game while you workout. Just make sure you maintain good running form!
Incorporate these three methods into your treadmill workouts and you'll likely find them more enjoyable and effective.
