I’ve been hearing from a lot of people lately about how they are intimidated by running, don’t think they can run, or plain just don’t WANT to run. Hey, that’s fine! However, did you know that you can get also a really great workout without all the impact by simply turning up the incline on the treadmill while you walk? Walking uphill is an awesome way to get your heart rate up while leaving out all that pounding on your joints. You’ll also burn a ton more calories than just walking on a flat surface If you really crank it up high and walk at a brisk pace you can burn almost as much as you would jogging.
Some days I just don’t have it in me to run on the treadmill, so doing 30 minutes of incline walking is a nice alternative. One thing I like to do so I don’t get bored (or too tired!) is to break it up into intervals. Start with a 2 minute warmup with the incline on 2 or 3 and then every two minutes gradually increase the incline by 1 level (or more, depending on the intensity you want.) When you reach the point where it starts to feel too difficult, drop back down to a 3 or 4 incline and start rebuilding slowly again. Repeat this until you reach 30 minutes. The very high inclines can get pretty tough but sometimes just knowing you have a break coming up can get you through it. Plus, taking that short breather gives you the chance to recharge for another round. Another option is to alternate high/low intervals instead of doing a gradual build. Go back and forth between an incline of 8 and 3, 7 and 4, 9 and 5….you get the picture.
One more word of advice: Don’t grip the handlebars! If you start having to hold on to the bars then you’re setting the incline too high. Sure, the calorie burn reader on the machine will start to go through the roof but if you’re pulling yourself along rather than using the power of your own body you will be cheating yourself and not getting the full benefit of the exercise. You’ll want it to be tough at the highest level but not so tough that you have to lean on the machine for help.
Happy walking!
*Photo: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Araceli Alarcon
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How did you know this was exactly what I needed to hear about this morning?? It’s a great reminder of this awesome alternative. I need the variety and I’ve been getting tired of just the elliptical and the bike, so thanks for the encouragement.
I love doing uphill climbs on the treadmill! Feels like more work than running if I put it up really high. Thanks for the tip.
Set it on a 10 incline and walk at 4 speed and you’ll think running is a breeze! Great advice about doing intervals – knowing that I only have one or two minutes at each incline or speed, no matter how hard, is what keeps me going.
To get in the habit every day, my husband and I get picked up at a specific time by a friend. The 3 of us then head to the gym to get there by 5:15. It can be great to have your workout out of the way and not worry about it after work. The buddy system definitely works!
Sorry – this comment should be in yesterdays post – not sure how that happened.
Yesterday I did a combo of running mixed with incline walking and I felt like I had sprinted the whole time! I like to walk at a 4.0 speed but really if you put it the incline high enough any speed is hard.