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Treadmill Tip: Adjust the Grade
To keep things exciting on a treadmill, you have to mix it up, and one way to do so is to play with the incline. For folks with troublesome ankles and knees, going faster can make cranky joints even crankier. By adjusting the grade you can increase the difficulty of your workout without compromising the joints of your lower legs.
Add Incline to Cardio Like Hayden
Hayden Panettiere is one super hero who's in super shape. She tones her legs and maximizes her cardio workouts by working the incline. Adding a little uphill action to your walk or jog will boost your workout and target your backside as well.
Running Tip: Raise the Incline
If you run like a bounding deer on a treadmill, but as soon as you hit the road outside, you feel more like a stumbling, out of breath snail, here's a tip for building your strength and stamina. When you're running on a treadmill, raise the incline. Even a slight increase will make a huge difference.
Treadmill + No Incline = Shin Splints
When running on a treadmill, I believe you should keep the incline set to at least one percent. The added incline helps make up for the lack of environmental resistance indoors, such as wind, making your workout a little tougher. Another reason to set your treadmill incline to at least one percent is to avoid every runner's nemesis, shin splints.
Do You Use the Incline?
I'm a huge fan of using the incline on the treadmill. It's a great way to prepare for hiking and running up hills outside. Not only does it work my butt and hamstrings more, but I love the feeling when I lower the incline back down and keep running.
Treadmill Tips: Cross Training With Incline
I have said it before and I will say it again, if you are running on a treadmill you have got to work the incline. For walking, jogging or running you should always bump the incline up to at least level 1.0, because no running surface is ever that perfect or that flat. Plus when you are outdoors you are also dealing with the wind.
Fit Tip: Pump Up the Incline
Have you noticed that you can run like a gazelle on the treadmill, but running half the distance outside gets you completely winded?
Well, do you use any incline while running on the treadmill? If you don't, you should.
Get it Up - Your Heart Rate, That is: Treadmill Mountain Hike
Maybe you don't live close to the mountains for an actual hike, but you can try and fake it at the gym with this treadmill mountain routine. Try and visualize yourself actually hiking up the mountain, getting to the peak and then heading back down.
00:00-05:00 Warm-Up Speed 2.0, Incline 0.5%
05:00-07:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 2%
07:00-09:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 4%
09:00-11:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 6%
11:00-13:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 8%
13:00-15:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 10%
15:00-17:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 12%
17:00-19:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 14%
19:00-20:00 Speed 3.5-4.0, Incline 15%
20:00-22:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 14%
22:00-24:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 12%
24:00-26:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 10%
26:00-28:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 8%
28:00-30:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 6%
30:00-32:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 4%
32:00-34:00 Speed 3.0-3.5, Incline 2%
34:00-40:00 Cool-Down Speed 2.0, Incline 0.5%
Try it out and let me know what you think.
Spring Running Tip: Prevent Knee Pain
Whether you are hitting the treadmill or the trails outside, knee pain or injury is always on a runner's mind. Here are some preventative tips:
- Warm up!! Stretch and do some warm-up exercises like Sun Salutations before you run.
Have You Heard: An Uphill That's Worth the Battle
Treadmills are great for an indoor workout but if you run with the incline set at zero you are not burning as many calories as you would if you were running (for the same amount of time) outdoors. The reason for this is that a treadmill does not account for outside elements (like wind) and it can propel you along a bit.
Fit's Tip: Adding at least 1% incline to your treadmill routine will help you burn as many calories as you would if you were running outdoors.
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