7 most effective treadmill workouts

With a new year brings new resolutions, and many of us have vowed to hit the gym and start 2024 off right. But where to begin? Gyms can be daunting, full of equipment that seems complicated and people that seem in perfect shape. Hopefully reading this guide will help eradicate those fears and get you excited to head to the gym.

While of course there are plenty of easy at-home workouts to help you keep fit, you may decide to kick your fitness journey up a notch and head to your local gym. The treadmill is a great way to begin your gym journey, as you have full control over the type of workout you go for. Alternatively, why not buy your own treadmill to workout from the comfort of your own home? Below are some of the most effective treadmill workouts whether you’re a beginner or a fully-fledged gym bunny.

The warm-up

If you’re not quite ready to channel Usain Bolt, why not start off slow with a stroll? You can choose to keep this pace for the duration of your workout if you’re just looking to do a light session or use it as a warm-up if you’re planning on upping the ante. Plus, a warm-up makes a great treadmill workout for beginners.

Personal trainer Julie Floyd-Jones told ‘Eating Well’ that it’s important not to dive right into a workout. "When I do any type of treadmill work with my clients, I always have them do the first couple of minutes flat—at 0% grade—to acclimate to the treadmill and begin to warm up.” While this may not be as effective as the rest of the exercises on this list, it is no less vital and is majorly useful for beginners who want to conquer the gym slump. Building confidence on the treadmill is the first step to any of these workouts.

The side-step

After you’ve done your initial warm-up, you may want to graduate to some moves that will get your heart pumping a bit more. The side-step is the perfect option for those who either aren’t ready to do a full run, or simply find the act of jogging boring. Let’s face it, even athletic aficionados need a bit of variety when it comes to their workouts.

For the side-step, turn to the side and hold onto the side rail of the treadmill for support. Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your back neutral and straight, almost like a crouching position. Walk sideways along the treadmill at a pace you’re comfortable with, but don’t try any fancy footwork for this move. Keep it simple and shuffle your feet along for 30 to 45 second intervals before returning to front-facing and increasing to a higher walking or jogging speed.

The side-step is perfect if you’re looking to target your glutes, hips, thighs, and calves.

Sprint intervals

This treadmill interval workout is better suited to those who are looking to work on their speed and endurance. This is a more intense workout than the side-steps but is by no means strictly for advanced runners. It involves sprinting in 30-second intervals, so don’t be put off if you’re not an experienced sprinter. To figure out your comfortable jogging speed for this HIIT treadmill workout exercise, consider the pace you can maintain for a 25 to 30 minute treadmill workout—says Ellen Latham, personal trainer and co-founder of Orangetheory Fitness.

Latham says, “The goal is to try to match or slightly increase the speed from the previous effort… The purpose of this style of interval training is to increase your muscles' ability to produce power on the treadmill.”

The 12-3-30 method

First introduced by YouTuber Lauren Giraldo, this TikTok treadmill workout went viral in 2020 and consists of no running at all. While it sounds easy, this treadmill walking workout didn’t go viral for no reason, and many were shocked at how challenging it was.

The 12-3-30 treadmill workout consists of setting a treadmill to a 12% incline and walking at 3 miles per hour (or 4-5 kilometres per hour) for 30 minutes.

Even walking can help keep your heart strong and has all the mental health benefits of any other workout. Since this is an incline treadmill workout, it will also help strengthen your leg muscles- glutes, hips, thighs, and calves.

The Six/ Sevens workout

Coined by long-time coach Gary Silver, this workout is meant to simulate running on hills from the comfort of your local gym. According to Silver, he recommends completing four to six sets for your first week trying this workout, then increase it to six to eight, and finally eight to 10.

The Experienced Runner’s Strides Workout

Karli Alvino, NASM-certified personal trainer, coach at Mile High Run Club developed the following workout for those who regularly run and are looking for a more intense and challenging workout. And if you’re unsure, Women’s Health describes a stride as “a quick, fast burst with an exaggerated stride.”

Progressive Pyramid Intervals

This workout was developed by Maria Simone of No Limits Endurance Coaching. This was created with runners in mind and is aimed at those who want to continue training off-season. “While many of us will spend most of our time in aerobic training this time of year, small doses of threshold and suprathreshold training can provide benefit as well.”

In this workout, each interval gets harder, but it also gets shorter. As per usual, start off with your warm-up before you begin.

The workout is as follows:

Including warm-up and cool-down, this is a one-hour intensive workout, and naturally will benefit your stamina, strength, and help burn fat.

FAQs

Is it better to walk outside or use a treadmill?

If you’re considering getting a treadmill, the main disadvantage is the cost, the amount of space it takes up, and the maintenance that may be involved. Therefore, walking outside proves to be a better option if you’re looking for a low-cost workout.

What are the benefits of using a treadmill?

There are countless benefits to using a treadmill and working out in general. It can greatly benefit your heart health, sleep quality, mental health, and weight loss- particularly through HIIT training.

Is the treadmill good for weight loss?

Using the treadmill for around 300 (5 hours) minutes a week could help you to noticeably lose weight when paired with a healthy diet and eating foods to aid weight loss. If you don't want to spend that long on the treadmill, break this time up with other forms of exercise, such as long distance walking, which is gentler on your joints.

Is it good to walk on treadmill after a workout?

As with all of these workouts, do not forget to do a 4-5 minute a brisque walk or gentle jog post-workout as a cool-down. This helps relax the muscles and won’t leave you feeling as sore and stiff the following day.

Any form of speed training can improve cardiovascular health and helps to build a tolerance to lactic acid build-up- this is also why cool-downs are necessary after any workout. Repeatedly completing sprint intervals also naturally helps increase speed and endurance. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, a mere six sessions of sprint interval training can improve the running performance of trained athletes.

What is RPE?

If you’re doing a lot of research into running you may see the term RPE scattered around, even in this very article. RPE stands for ‘rate of perceived exertion.’ Karli Alvino explained to Women’s Health, “On a scale of 0 to 10, think of 0 as an effort equivalent to relaxing on the couch, 5 a recovery jog that’s easy enough for you to talk, and 10 your all-out sprint, explains Alvino.

Sarah O’Byrne has been an editorial assistant at heat, Closer and Yours since May 2023. She has a BA in English with Film and an MA in Literature and Culture - both from University College Dublin.

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