It seems the world is divided. A lot of runners will only run outside, and the rest of runners will only run on a treadmill. Very few choose both, everyone seems to have a clear preference. But sometimes, we don't always have the luxury of running outside. Maybe it's raining or snowing, or it's simply too cold to get in a good workout. On days when you can't run outside, running on a treadmill is not as bad as some runners make it out to be! You don't have to just run at a steady pace when you run on a treadmill, use the speed and incline to your advantage to get a killer workout.
Whether you're new to running in general, or new to running on a treadmill, try this treadmill workout!
No matter what kind of treadmill workout you're doing, it's always important to get in a quick warm up to get your blood flowing and to warm those muscles up. Start by jogging at half your max speed for 5 minutes. Once you're warmed up, it's time to get started!
There are two main features to focus on when running on a treadmill, your speed and the treadmill's incline. If you want a treadmill workout that focuses solely on speed, alternate between running and sprinting every two minutes after your warm up is over. So run for two minutes, sprint for two minutes, repeat. After 14 minutes of alternating, finish off this treadmill workout with a max sprint for one minute. Then slow down for a cool down.
If you're more inclined to do an incline-focused treadmill workout, crank that bad boy up to a level 5, or higher if you'd like, and keep it there for the duration of the workout. Now that you're on the incline, you'll be doing the same treadmill workout as above, alternating between running and sprinting, but in different intervals. Try 5 minutes of running, and 2 minutes of sprinting, since sprinting will be much more difficult at the incline. Alternate for 20 minutes, and then do a 5 minute cool down remaining at the level 5 incline.
You can modify either of these treadmill workouts to fit your needs. If you can only sprint for 1 minute, that's fine! Work up to the 2 minute sprint. But these workouts should keep you from becoming bored of the treadmill, and they're also great ways to burn some calories! Don't dread the treadmill!