Treadmill Training

fig. - www.nordictrack.com

As this past Labor Day weekend turned a cold cheek it got me thinking that I may be starting my indoor running routine earlier than planned. I much prefer to run outside as I find running on a treadmill can get tedious and monotonous so these are a few tricks I've learned to curb the boredom.

Sprint Intervals - For 30 sec. - 1 min turn up the mph for a speed burst. Repeat several times through-out your run. Some treadmills have a pre-set program for running intervals or one touch speed change.

Incline Intervals - Increase the incline for a brief period of time.

Research has shown that varying the intensity of your treadmill exercise and your corresponding heart rate increases the body's metabolism more than running at the same pace for a long period of time. So in order to burn fat efficiently you should vary the speed of your treadmill belt accordingly.

Here's a workout example- increase or decrease intensity as needed.

Warm-up: 5 minutes @ 5 mph

Run: 15 minutes @ 7 mph

Speed intervals: 10 minutes - rotate 2 minutes @ 6 mph with 30 sec. @ 9 mph

Cool down: 5 minutes @ 3 mph at 7% incline.