3 Ways to Refresh Your Treadmill Workout

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3 Ways to Refresh Your Treadmill Workout

Don't Get Stuck in a Treadmill Rut

-- By Holly Little, Certified Personal Trainer

Is there anything more boring than the treadmill?

After endless hours staring at the same wall, anyone

would start to wonder if that’s all there is to

exercise. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By

shaking it up and loading your workout with variety,

you can rediscover the fun of a good treadmill

workout.

The first thing to remember is that any workout is and

can be what you make it. The opportunity to go all out

or to barely break a sweat is completely up to you.

With that being said, even though the treadmill might

be an uneventful and boring thought to most, you have

the ability to make it fun and challenging. The

following are several tips on how to create your own

workout.

1) Change up the pace

If you always walk at the same speed for the same

amount of time, your body will get used to the routine

and you might not see the long-term effects that you

desire. Keep in mind that the body responds to changes

in pace and sparks your metabolism accordingly. You

can begin by trying a pyramid scheme. For example:

walk at 3.2 mph for 1 minute then pick it up to 3.5

mph for 1 minute, then go to 3.3 mph for 2 minutes and

then 3.6 mph for 2 minutes, etc. You can continue up

the pyramid until you reach a point where the speed is

at a level where you cannot hold it for the time

period and then go back down. Before you know it, you

will be walking faster and the time will have flown

by.

2) Change the incline

With the same thinking that was behind the change in

pace, you can do the same with the incline. Shock the

body a little bit and do some hill repeats. Your body

will respond positively and you will gain some

cardiovascular strength in the meantime.

3) Engage in another activity while on the treadmill

If you see an opportunity to spark a conversation with

the person next to you, go ahead – talk your time

away. There have been many studies that show the

positive effects of having a training partner. You

might also find some benefits to reading or watching

television. Just be sure that you are safe and don’t

lose too much focus on the task at hand.

These are just a few tips that can help transform the

monotony of working out on a treadmill into a very

rewarding experience all around. Now get out there and

keep on walking!