Walking has long been hailed as one of the best exercises for overall health. This physical activity can strengthen the heart, lower blood pressure, keep bones strong, and burn calories. (Sergio Azenha, Alamy)
Estimated duration: 5-6 minutes
ATLANTA — Walking has long been hailed as one of the best exercises for overall health. This physical activity can strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure, keep your bones strong, and burn calories. , you can enjoy additional benefits such as increased alertness and improved mood.
However, it is not always possible to spend time outdoors every day. If weather or other factors keep you indoors, consider training on a treadmill instead.
According to the 2022 IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report, treadmills are among the top three most popular pieces of equipment in health clubs in the United States. With about 53 million people using them in 2017, the U.S. treadmill manufacturing industry will grow 2.3% CAGR from 2018 to 2023, industry market research group IBISWorld reports.
But before you jump on the treadmill and start walking at your preferred pace, consider a workout that changes both pace and incline. This can make your session more productive.
Step up
“Most people don’t think about using the incline feature on their treadmill,” says Dan Bulay, a certified personal trainer and co-owner of a district training facility in Livingston, New Jersey. . “But most studies would support the idea that the metabolic cost of walking uphill dramatically increases the difficulty of the workout.”
If you’re struggling to increase your walking speed or have difficulty switching from walking to running, creating a steeper trek is also an option.
interval training
For those who can vary both their walking speed and the incline of their treadmill, fitness experts recommend interval training, in which you repeatedly switch the intensity of your workout or ongoing activity.
Gillian Dalby, vice president of fitness at CAZ Training Club in Newport Beach, Calif., says there are countless interval workouts available online and in fitness apps. If the options were too difficult to ponder, she suggested her two easy possibilities.
First, get on the treadmill and alternate 1 minute of walking, 1 minute of jogging, and 1 minute of running for a total of 18 minutes. “This keeps your mind busy and doesn’t feel monotonous and is an incredible way to build endurance and speed,” Dalby said.
Second: Walk for 1 minute without incline, 1 minute at 4% incline, 1 minute at 8% incline, repeat this sequence 5 times. If either workout is easier, double the time to 36 minutes, or do both together.
“The goal is to feel comfortable on the tread so you can play with speed and incline as you keep moving forward,” Dalby said.
Taylor Swift Treadmill Struts
If you like things trendy, two treadmill workouts that have gone viral on TikTok are the “Taylor Swift Treadmill Struts” and the 12-3-30 Workout.
The 37-minute “Taylor Swift Treadmill Struts” requires you to walk to the beat of 10 Taylor Swift songs. Created by TikTok influencer Allie Bennett, known for matching treadmill workouts to popular music.
The beat of the first song should resemble a walking pace of approximately 3.4 miles per hour. From there, every 6 of his songs should increase the tempo, increasing speed by 0.1 mph per song. Songs 8 and 9 are much faster. You can continue to walk briskly, but you may need to start running to the beat. Finale song 10 acts as a cooldown and is the slowest song in the group.
“I’m a big fan of Taylor Swift’s struts.” , is also fun enough to keep you engaged.”
12-3-30 workout
Created by TikTok influencer Lauren Giraldo, the 12-3-30 workout uses inclines to boost fitness and lose weight. A 30 minute workout is easy. Set the treadmill to 12% incline and set the speed to 3 miles per hour, then start. An easy version for beginners is doing her first 15 minutes at 2.5% gradient and her second 15 minutes at her 8.5% gradient.
“The 12-3-30 workout is also a great workout,” Bray said. “Low-intensity, high-incline walking has been a staple of the bodybuilding community for decades.”
This training style is known as low-intensity steady state, or LISS, says Bulay. Perfect for those who want to burn more calories while avoiding the pounding and straining associated with high-impact workouts like running, tennis, and basketball.
non-motorized treadmill
Are you in a set workout? Then try walking on a non-motorized curved treadmill. These novelty treadmills are powered by the user’s own two feet, and their curved shape equates to walking on an incline of approximately 6% to 8%.
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that people walking on curved non-motorized treadmills had significantly higher heart rate and oxygen uptake variables than those using motorized treadmills. was expensive.
Similarly, a study published in Frontiers in Physiology showed that running on these treadmills resulted in significantly higher cardiometabolic stress rates than either using a motorized treadmill or running on the ground. it was done.
“If your gym has both types of treadmills, try them both,” Dalby said. “At the end of the day, how do you keep your workouts consistently enjoyable? The more fun you make them and the more you find ways to challenge yourself, the more likely you are to continue your fitness journey. “
