Treadmills are a popular piece of equipment in the gym and at home. They offer an effective way to get your daily dose of cardio, burn calories, and improve overall fitness levels. However, if you’re looking to take your treadmill game up a notch, then incline walking is the way to go.
Incline walking on a treadmill can help you burn more calories than regular flat surface walking or running. It also helps target different muscles in your legs and glutes while providing cardiovascular benefits. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can step up your treadmill game with incline walking.
Contents
What is Incline Walking?
Incline walking involves raising the front end of the treadmill so that it simulates uphill terrain. This creates an angle between the floor and the moving belt which requires more effort from your leg muscles as they work against gravity.
Walking on an incline increases heart rate and oxygen consumption compared to flat surface walking or running. This means that you will burn more calories per minute when exercising at an incline than when exercising on a flat surface.
Benefits of Incline Walking
There are several benefits associated with incline walking on a treadmill:
Burns More Calories
As mentioned earlier, incline walking burns more calories per minute than flat surface exercise because it requires greater energy expenditure due to working against gravity.
Targets Different Muscles
When you walk uphill on a treadmill, it targets different muscles in your legs such as hamstrings, quads, calves & glutes compared to regular flat surface exercise which mainly focuses on the quadriceps muscle group only.
Low Impact Exercise
Incline Walking provides low impact workout option for people who have joint problems or injuries since there’s less stress placed upon joints during this type of activity compared with high-impact exercises like running.
Improves Cardiovascular Health
Incline walking increases heart rate and oxygen consumption which improves cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart muscle, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes or obesity.
How to Incorporate Incline Walking into Your Treadmill Workout
Incorporating incline walking into your treadmill workout is easy. Here are some tips to get you started:
Warm-up
Start with a 5 to 10-minute warm-up at a low intensity on a flat surface before increasing the incline level.
Gradual Increase in Intensity
Begin with a small incline (around 2-3%) and gradually increase it over time until you reach your desired level. You can also adjust speed according to your fitness level.
Interval Training
Try incorporating interval training by alternating between periods of high-intensity incline walking followed by recovery periods at lower intensities or flat surfaces. This will help burn more calories while improving cardiovascular endurance.
Cool Down & Stretching
After completing your workout, cool down for 5 minutes at low intensity on a flat surface before stretching major muscle groups including hamstrings, quads & calves etc., this helps reduce soreness and prevent injury.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, if you’re looking to step up your treadmill game then adding an incline walk could be just what you need! Not only does it provide numerous benefits but it’s also easy to incorporate into any treadmill routine. So why not give it a try today? Remember always consult with medical professionals before starting any new exercise program especially if you have pre-existing conditions that may affect physical activity levels.
