Whether you have a treadmill in your home or you love going to the gym to use a treadmill, there’s no doubt that they’re many girl’s favorite ways to exercise. Unfortunately, it can become easy to get stuck in a treadmill rut or even plateau to the point where you’re no longer seeing the results you want from your workout.
If you’re not ready to give up your treadmill workouts but you want to maximize your results, consider these tips to give your workout a boost:
- Go sideways. This is a popular way many professional trainers get their clients to ramp up their time on the treadmill. Rather than simply running or walking forward hold onto the front and back rails and position yourself so those rails are in front of and behind you. Start shuffling and you’ll see results and feel the burn in multiple areas including your hips, thighs and oblique’s. It may take some getting used to so start out slow but once you get the hang of it it’s a really unique way to make your treadmill workouts not only more effective but also more interesting.
- Include your upper body. If you’ve ever been to a lot of the indoor cycling classes that are so popular right now they include upper body training while you’re working your bottom half on the bike. The same principle can work with treadmills as well. Get some weights and do strength training for your upper body while you’re running or walking. You’re getting a double-whammy as far as your workout goes and it can make the time pass faster. You can also work your upper body without using weights while you’re on the treadmill by putting your hands in various places on the rails and in front of you and doing chest presses and tricep dips.
- Use the incline settings. So many people don’t take advantage of the different incline settings available on a treadmill at all and they’re really doing themselves a disservice. Whether you’re walking or running, switching up your incline is going to get your heart pumping and it’s also a good way to tone your legs and lower body.
- Incorporate intervals. You can do Tabata-style training on the treadmill simply by doing high-intensity intervals. For maximum results combine speed with a higher incline level for periods of about 20 seconds, following these high-intensity intervals with a 10 second rest period. This is one of the best ways to ramp up the number of calories you burn.
- Go backward. Just like shuffling sideways is a good way to change up your treadmill routine, so is going backward. Doing this will not only work your body but also your brain since you have to train yourself to do something differently than you normally do. You aren’t likely to be running on the treadmill since that could be dangerous, but you can go backward and up the incline for a really good workout.
What are your favorite ways to keep your treadmill workouts interesting and effective?