Whoever invented the treadmill deserves every accolade. Too cold outside for a walk? Use a treadmill. Too hot outside for a run? Use a treadmill. It’s perfect for cardio, can replicate a hill, is adaptable for all skill levels, and tracks your progress. What’s not to love? But while many of us hop on the treadmill for a 30 minute stroll, there are numerous other benefits and under-utilised treadmill workouts for you to try.
“A treadmill improves your cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, can help with weight loss or maintenance, and can improve your mental health,” says Ben Lucas, Director of Flow Athletic. “An added benefit, is that the treadmill is usually housed indoors so you can use it rain, hail or shine, while running can be very weather dependent.”
What are the best treadmill workouts?
There are so many to try, but here are some of the best.
The interval treadmill workout
“For example, you might sprint for 400m and then jog for 400m,” says Ben, adding you can play with speed. “Or even sprint for a minute, and rest for 20 seconds. There are so many variations of this workout. You can workout on an incline and mix that up, i.e. 5 minutes jogging on an incline of 10, and then running on an incline of 3 as an example”
Hiit treadmill workouts
- Sprint for 400m, jog for 400m for 25 minutes
- Sprint for 30 seconds, then pull yourself off the treadmill and rest you legs on the unmoving part for 20 seconds
- Sprint for 50 seconds, rest for 20, Sprint for 40 seconds, rest for 20, Sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 20, Sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 20, Sprint for 10 seconds rest for 20, x4
Treadmill workouts for beginners
- 30 minute power walk at a 3% incline
- 30 min jog at a 0% incline
Incline treadmill workouts
- The current workout that is trending on TikTok is the 12-3-30 which is where you set the treadmill up for an incline of 12, a speed of 3 miles (or 4.83 kph) and you do the workout for 30 minutes.
- You can do an around the world workout where you set your pace at a light run and start on an incline of 1 for 30 seconds. Then every 30 seconds you go up 1 point until you get to the highest incline, and then you go back down 1 point every 30 seconds till you get back to 1.
- You can also do 90 seconds at a low incline, such as 2 or 3, and then do a 90 seconds on incline 12 to really work your legs and cardiovascular system.
Ready for your treadmill workout? Here’s your essential kit:
- Nordictrack S25I NT22 Treadmill, $2799
- Adidas Ultraboost 1.0, $260-$280
- Ryderwear NKD high waisted scrunch shorts, $64.95
