FitSugar

How Many Extra Calories Incline Really Burns

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:37 PST

Pumping up the incline on the treadmill not only tones your tush and legs, increases your endurance, and can help you improve your speed, it also burns crazy calories - significantly more than with no incline. Need a little more proof? Check out the chart below for some inspiring numbers.

*All calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

Pace (minutes per mile)	Calories burned in 30 min at 0% incline	Calories burned in 30 min at 5% incline	Calories burned in 30 min at 10% incline	Calories burned in 30 min at 15% incline
7	391	526	615	708
8	338	464	550	630
9	300	420	482	558
10	270	363	420	482
11	243	326	392	432
12	216	296	362	394

Rethink Your Hill Strategy

Susi May — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:53:22 PDT

There are plenty of benefits to running uphill, but when you're racing don't take that incline too fast. A new study from Down Under found that pushing the pace while running uphill can hurt you over the long haul. It tires you out and ultimately slows you down. Australian researchers also found that running hard up the incline prevented folks from going hard on the downhill side - a great place to pick up speed, and possibly gain time, since gravity is pulling along.

To prevent overtiring yourself, focus on maintaining your effort rather than maintaining your pace. Shorten your stride to downshift, just like a cyclist would, when you hit the hill. Taking the hills with a little less gusto than you did on your training runs will help with energy management, which is especially important when competing in longer distances - regular, prerace hill training is the time to push yourself. Hopefully running hard up inclines prior to race day will make the hills less daunting after crossing the start line.

5 Reasons to Love the Incline

Leta Shy — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:04:58 PDT

I know that I should embrace the incline while I'm running, but most of the time the thought of running hills and trudging along an angled treadmill fills me with unease. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize I should be loving the hills - and why you should, too. Here's why:

You'll burn more calories. There's a pretty big difference between a totally flat treadmill and one with a five percent incline - almost 100 calories in difference. Running uphill can burn major calories, and anything helps, so the next time you're on a run, try upping the incline on your treadmill a little bit, or finding a not-quite-flat route.
They help prevent shin splints. Running on flat or downhill ground can make you more susceptible to painful shin splints by putting pressure on your shinbones, but running uphill can alleviate that stress (just make sure you're careful when you're on your way down!)

More benefits of hill running after the break.

How Incline Affects Your Pace on the Treadmill

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:30:12 PDT

Holy hotness. Summer weather has kicked into high gear, so I don't blame you for trading hot and humid runs outside for an air-conditioned gym. The only problem is that running on a treadmill requires less effort than running outside because the moving belt helps propel your feet forward, and there's no wind resistance to hold you back. If you're training for a marathon or just trying to keep up your pace, you can pump up the incline in order to make running on a treadmill compare to the effort exerted when running outside. Below is a chart from Hillrunner.com to show you just how much the percentage of incline affects how fast you're moving.

At first glance, you may be confused as to why the pace on a flat road is not the same as the pace on a treadmill with zero percent incline. Remember that running on a flat treadmill is easier than running on a flat road because of the propelling belt and lack of wind resistance, so that's why the chart lists a slower pace at zero percent incline.

Treadmill setting in miles per hour	Minutes per mile on flat road	Equivalent paces by incline
		0%	2%	4%	6%	8%	10%
5.0	12:00	12:31	11:05	10:03	9:16	8:38	8:07
5.2	11:32	12:02	10:42	9:44	8:59	8:23	7:54
5.4	11:07	11:35	10:20	9:26	8:43	8:09	7:41
5.6	10:43	11:10	10:00	9:09	8:29	7:56	7:29
5.8	10:21	10:47	9:42	8:53	8:15	7:44	7:18
6.0	10:00	10:26	9:24	8:38	8:02	7:32	7:07

To see the rest of the chart, continue reading.

Hills, Inclines, and Shin Splints - Oh My!

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:30:51 PDT

If you run or hike, chances are high that you're familiar with shin splints. These micro tears in the lower leg muscle that attaches to the tibia (shin bone) most often occur from overuse - when you push yourself too hard, too soon. A calf muscle that's stronger than the muscles on the front of your shin makes you prone to this injury too.

We recently wrote that Jennifer Aniston pumps up the incline to maximize her treadmill time. The post prompted a reader to ask: "At what point or incline does this cause shin splints?"

Learn the answer when you

read more. Running with no incline on a treadmill or running or walking down steep declines can create shin splints due to extra stress placed on the shin bone. Running uphill is easier on your shins because you naturally push off the ground hard, so you end up using your hips more than your shins. If you're prone to shin splints and running outside, avoid routes that have steep downhill slopes and look for ones that are slightly uphill. If that's impossible to find, stick to the treadmill and pump up the incline. Also be mindful of where your foot strikes the surface first. If you're a heel striker, repeatedly keeping your foot in the flexed position can strain your shin. On the other hand, if you're a toe striker, constantly engaging your calf muscles can also lead to shin splints. Concentrate instead on striking midfoot. Hopefully these tips can help prevent the dreaded shin splints this season.

Pump Up the Incline Like Jennifer Aniston

FitSugar — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:00:44 PDT

Always-in-shape Jennifer Aniston doesn't stay slim by thinking about fitness - she works for it. A source told Us Weekly, "She's obsessed with staying fit and young." The 41-year-old has been shooting her latest movie Just Go With It, and in order to feel confident wearing a bikini on the set, she hits the Four Seasons gym every day for at least an hour, and sometimes more. A guest at the hotel said, "I saw her on the treadmill, and it was angled all the way up."

Jen knows how to maximize her time on the treadmill. Cranking the incline helps you burn more calories than if you keep the machine set to a zero grade. After a 30-minute workout at a 10-minute-per-mile pace, you'll burn 270 calories with no incline, 363 with a five percent incline, 420 with a 10 percent incline, and 482 with a 15 percent incline (crazy steep, I know). Not only will you burn an extra 100 calories or more, but the steep slope also helps tone your tush, thighs, and calves, problem areas for many women. It'll also build strength and endurance, so when you run outside on flatter surfaces, you'll move faster and with more ease. The next time you're hitting the treadmill, add a little uphill action to your walking or running workout. Not a fan of the gym? Then opt for hills outside or go hiking.

Treadmill Tip: Adjust the Grade

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:51 PST

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. If you walk on a treadmill, use that incline button to take yourself for a hilly hike with this walking workout.

On last week's episode of The Biggest Loser, trainer Bob Harper also reminded us all that increasing the incline means you burn more calories in less time, and who doesn't want to be more efficient in their workout? It's not only efficient, but turning up the grade also means you work more of your muscles and in a greater range of motion. Try cranking the incline on your next treadmill walk up to 10 - just to see how it feels.

Add Incline to Cardio Like Hayden

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:12 PDT

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. You don't need a super steep ascent to feel the benefits of working with an incline, just a slight upward angle is all you need. Increase the incline while walking or running on a treadmill, or search for hills to climb on your bike or for a hike.

Running Tip: Raise the Incline

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:30:35 PDT

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. Since the treadmill belt makes running easier by propelling your feet, the incline will add more of a challenge, so you'll end up using more energy. Gradually work on raising the incline over a few weeks, and you'll find that putting a little more stress on the body with an incline will burn more calories and develop more lean muscle tissue. Then when you run outside, you'll have the endurance and energy to run as long and as fast as you do on a treadmill.

Treadmill + No Incline = Shin Splints

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:00:00 PDT

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. Running downhill can create shin splints due to the extra stress placed on the shin bone. A zero incline on a treadmill can mimic a slight downgrade; a negative incline, if you will. To avoid this problem, run with at least some incline when on a treadmill.

Fit's Tip: If you have recently increased your mileage on a treadmill, say because of the shortened days due to the seasons changing, be careful. A treadmill surface is constantly the same whereas roads and trails vary, even when they are flat. On a treadmill every stride is the same, which can lead to overuse/repetitive injuries like shin splints.

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