There is nothing like the thrill
and challenge of climbing a mountain. And although incline training on a
treadmill may not be quite the same experience as hiking up a mountain
trail, you can still get great results (sans the mountain air). Use
these tips to add variety and intensity to your workout with incline
training.
Incline Training on a Treadmil
Most treadmills are equipped with the
incline feature and can reach grades of 10-15 percent. You can manually
incline the tread belt to simulate an uphill workout, but many Life Fitness treadmills
also come with built-in hill climbing programs that automatically take
the grade of the treadmill up and down to simulate an uphill or rolling
hills workout. Incline training can be a great way to increase the
intensity of your walking workout while keeping it low impact or to kick
your running workout into high gear.
Benefits of Incline Training
- Training indoors means you get to determine the terrain, grade of the hill, and avoid any environmental or weather issues.
- Incline training gives an extra boost to your low impact walking workouts. The lower impact workouts on a treadmill decrease the risk of injury or strain to knees, hips, back, and ankles.
- If you are a runner, adding in a hill climb or two will kick your cardiovascular workout into high gear. Try a few rolling hills or jog up a steady climb.
- Studies show that by increasing the incline, you engage more leg and glute muscles then flat road training. This means increased heart rate, calorie burn and muscle strength.
- Using the incline feature or preprogrammed hill climbing workouts can provide variety and prevent boredom.
- Letting go of the handrails will also engage more core muscles for balance and increase the intensity. More muscles used means more calories burned.
If you are just beginning an exercise
program, start at a low incline level and speed. Listen to your body
and as your endurance and strength improve, gradually increase the
intensity and length of your workouts.
This Fit Tip was provided by Life Fitness August 24th, 2012