There are mixed feelings towards treadmill running. Treadmills a bit like Marmite, you either love them or you hate them. Many runners lean towards the latter, often referring to said piece of equipment as the “dreadmill”.
However, treadmill running has several benefits:
- Treadmills are safe and convenient – if you’re a fair weather runner, a stint of rainy weather may put you off getting outdoors and could affect your training. It doesn’t need to though, if you’re faced with a rainy day, put the miles in on the treadmill instead.
- Treadmills give your muscles and joints a break – continually pounding the pavements can put a lot of pressure on your joints. Swap one of your sessions outside for the treadmill, it will have lower impact on your muscles and joints.
- Treadmills can increase your mental strength – running miles on a treadmill can be boring and monotonous, without distractions of the outdoors, you have to have the determination and willpower to continue. Training your mind is just as important as training your body.
- Treadmills are a great tool for interval/speed training – with the speed and incline settings totally in your control, it is easy to simulate an interval session.
Jamie Lloyd, health and fitness coach and personal trainer, has given us six 10 minute treadmill workouts. It is important to warm up before starting these workouts, with a short jog and some dynamic stretches – you can see some warm up stretches HERE.
Follow the speed and incline settings shown in each workout; if your treadmill isn’t in kpm or if you’re a seasoned runner and want to mix up the sessions to your own pace, use the below speed and pace calculator.
[toggle title=”WORKOUT 1″ state=”open”]Keep the incline at a steady 2% throughout this beginner workout but vary your speed between 5km/h and 7.5km/h every minute for 10min.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”WORKOUT 2″ state=”open”]The incline is really upped in this workout. Start with 1min of running at 6km/h at a 7% incline, then drop down to 5km/h and 1% incline for 1min 30sec to recover. Repeat four times.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”WORKOUT 3″ state=”open”]The incline stays at 1% throughout this four-interval workout. Start with 2min 30sec at 8km/h, then 2min 30sec at 5.5km/h. Repeat for 10min.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”WORKOUT 4″ state=”open”]Time to forget the incline and focus on speed. Set the incline to 0% and run at a flat-out pace (14-18km/h, depending on your ability) for 1min, then jog for 1min 30sec at 6km/h. Do this four times. Be careful when finding your top speed that you don’t overdo it and fly off the back of the treadmill.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”WORKOUT 5″ state=”open”]Having to change the speed and incline settings every minute or so might seem annoying, but it’s actually a great way to distract yourself from the pain in your legs.
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[toggle title=”WORKOUT 6″ state=”open”]The incline gets steeper with every minute of this workout but, mercifully, the speed drops at the same rate.
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