Creative Treadmill Workouts That Will Motivate You To Workout
You walk up to the front entrance of your gym, promising yourself you’ll use the weights this time. But when you walk in, there are people everywhere. As usual, you walk straight to the treadmill and start walking at a 3.5 speed. Sigh! I know this feeling all too well, and you don’t have to be ashamed of that treadmill, girl! You can get really effective workouts from the comfort of your little moving rectangle at the gym. Now, I don’t want to discourage you from building the courage to use the weights, but until you climb that mountain, let’s get inspired by new motivating treadmill workouts, you can try the next time you work out.
1. Walking at an Incline
Walking at an incline will give you a better workout because it engages more muscles and mixes things up a bit, adding motivation to your workout routine. All treadmills are different, so you will have to play around with incline levels and speed, but generally speaking, if you are a beginner to walking at an incline, try 2-3 MPH and 2%-4% incline (adjust the incline button by 2 to 4 notches up). Intermediate to advanced levels of fitness can adjust the incline on some machines all the way to a 15 incline! However, remember that the higher the incline, the more challenging it will be.
Here are some incline workout options:
Beginner:
2.5 MPH at 3% incline for 20 minutes
3 MPH at 3% incline for 30 minutes
2 MPH at 4% incline for 25-30 minutes
Intermediate to Advanced:
2.5 MPH at 8% incline for 30 minutes
3.3 MPH at 5% incline for 20 minutes
2.4 MPH at 10% incline for 25 minutes
2 MPH at 12-15% incline for 16 minutes
2. Sprints
Sprints are a fantastic core and full-body workout; with a treadmill, you can do them whenever you want. This is considered more of an intermediate to advanced workout, but don’t be discouraged to try jogging intervals if you are a beginner.
When you try this the next time you go to your fitness center, make sure you have a towel and water bottle with you! Also, do a good stretch and warm-up routine to prevent injuries. You can burn more calories and build muscle, replacing your walking time with a few sprints.
Try any of these options:
Intermediate to Advanced:
30 seconds sprint, 30 seconds jog, x8
30 seconds sprint, 1 minute walk, x10
1-minute sprint, 2-minute rest (To rest, try placing your feet on the sides of the machine, outside the track.), x8
3. Jogging Intervals
As I mentioned earlier, if you are a beginner, jogging intervals is a great place to start if you want to work up to doing sprints.
If you’re a beginner, starting with jogging intervals is an excellent way to progress toward sprinting. Jogging will help you build both muscle and cardiovascular endurance, allowing you to gradually increase your speed for those faster bursts. Each week, move up in speed until you are able to do sprints for 30 seconds at a time.
Try one of these workouts:
5-minute warm up at 3 MPH.
Beginner:
Jog 30 seconds, walk 1 minute, 16 minutes.
Jog 45 seconds, walk 1 minute, 16 minutes.
Jog 1 minute, walk 2 minutes, 20 minutes.
4. Hill Climb
Some treadmills have built-in workouts that you can do by clicking a button. This feature is nice because it adjusts the speed and incline for you. However, if your machine doesn’t have those built-in features, you can manually do this workout by adjusting the controls yourself. While the natural rolling hills are always nice in person, try this routine when the weather doesn’t permit or you are looking for an extra challenge.
If your treadmill doesn’t have this feature, you can do it manually:
5-10 minute warm-up walking at 3-4 MPH.
Minutes 1-2: 3 MPH, 2% incline
Minutes 3-4: 3.5 MPH, 4% incline
Minutes 5-6: 4 MPH, 4% incline
Minutes 7-8: 4 MPH 6% incline
Minutes 9-10: 4.5 MPH 8% incline
Minutes 11-12: 5 MPH 10% incline
Minutes 13-14: 4 MPH 6% incline
Minutes 15-16: 4 MPH 4% incline
Minutes 17-18: 3 MPH 4% incline
Minutes 19-20: 3 MPH 2% incline
5-10 minute cool-down at 3 MPH, 0% incline
5. Incline Side Steps
If you are looking to target your booty, this workout will do it for you. While it is kind of awkward, you want to start as slowly as possible until you get a comfortable feel for the motion. Turning your body to the side, squat down a little bit, and side-shuffle your feet, making sure you land with the weight in the balls of your feet. This motion targets your quads, glutes, thighs, and calves. It is perfect for balance; trust me, it will have you tightening your core so you don’t fall over!
Try this after your warm-up:
Set an incline between 4%-8% (or wherever you feel most comfortable)
Side-shuffle on one side for 45 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Walk straight at an incline for 2 minutes.
Repeat the side-shuffle movement for 45 seconds.
Do this same combination 5-8 times.
6. Backwards Walking
Walking backward on a treadmill seems crazy to some, but if you like a little twist and adventure in your sessions, don’t miss out on this heart-throbber. While it will help with balance, hold on to the bars if you’ve never tried it before. You might also consider this if straight walking or jogging causes knee pain. Some say this helps reduce pain because their knees take less impact.
Backward Workout Routine:
Beginner:
Minute 1-2: Walk backward at 2 MPH, 0% incline
Minute 3-4: Walk backward at 2 MPH, 2% incline
Minute 5-6: Walk backward at 1.5 MPH, 4% incline
Minute 7-8: Walk backward at 1.5 MPH, 6% incline
Minute 9-10: Walk backward at 2 MPH, 8% incline
Face forward and do a cool down for 5-10 minutes.
Intermediate to Advanced:
Minute 1-2: Walk backward at 2 MPH, 0% incline
Minute 3-4: Walk backward at 2 MPH, 2% incline
Minute 5-6: Walk backward at 1.5 MPH, 4% incline
Minute 7-8: Walk backward at 1.5 MPH, 6% incline
Minute 9-10: Walk backward at 2 MPH, 8% incline
Minutes 11-15: Alternate 30 seconds of fast backward walking (2 MPH) with 30 seconds of slow backward walking (1.5 MPH).
Face forward and do a cool down for 5-10 minutes.
7. Tabata Training
This is one of my favorite ways to use the treadmill. It requires a little more space, so if your gym isn’t set up so that you can jump off and jump back on, this one might not work for you. If you aren’t familiar with Tabata training, it is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with minimal rest. You can download free Tabata apps (like the one you see on the table in the picture below), which will alert you when to perform the exercise and when to rest. HIIT workouts are highly effective for weight loss and muscle gain.
Tabata Training Treadmill Workout:
Beginner:
1. Run at a speed that is fast enough that you can’t talk through for 20 seconds
2. Rest 10 seconds
3. Get off the treadmill and do 5 push-ups
4. Rest 10 seconds
Repeat 8 times!
Intermediate to Advanced:
1. Sprint for 20 seconds
2. Rest 10 seconds
3. Get off the treadmill and do 5 push-ups
4. Rest 10 seconds
5. Five tricep dips
6. Rest 10 seconds
Repeat 8 times
Overall, working out on the treadmill doesn’t have to be to your shame or boring! The treadmill is there to assist you during bad weather days and when you haven’t entirely worked up the courage to go over to the weights area. You can build strength and endurance by using the machine to your advantage. The next time you are in the gym, try one of these workouts to spice up your cardio life. Let me know what your favorite cardio machine to use is in the comments below!
