Depending on where you live, it’s possible that any running you do is apt to be on a treadmill. Make the most of your treadmill workouts by changing them up on a regular basis.
If you plan to run 5 times a week, then doing each these workouts once a week will challenge your body in different ways, and maybe help keep you from getting too bored.
Note: the speeds provided in these workouts assume that 6mph is a good long-distance speed for you. Feel free to modify the speeds according to your own abilities. Determine the speed that you can maintain for half an hour (your first time, you might start with 5 mile per hour. It should feel pretty easy at first, and you shouldn’t be gasping for breath even at the end of the workout). If it feels too easy, increase the speed a bit next time.
1) LSD – long slow distance – the objective of these runs is to build blood volume and to increase muscle strength, endurance, and aerobic fitness
Turn on the TV (there better be one around, because this is the workout that desperately needs to be done while watching action films, or murder mysteries, or thrillers…)
2 minutes – warm-up ( 5mph )
=> 28 minutes – 6mph
2 minutes – cool-down walk
2) High Intensity Interval Training – high intensity interval training is far superior to steady-state exercises when it comes to increasing your VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen you can uptake during exercise.
2 minutes – warm-up
=> 30 seconds – 7.5mph
=> 1 minute – recovery 5mph
=> repeat, at the same speeds, a total of 19 times. If you have no trouble completing this workout, increase the speed next time, or possibly increase the incline. If you’re not slacking, you should be gasping by the end.
2min – cool-down walk
Continue reading on page 2 for the other three treadmill routines that you can alternate through the week to maximize the effectiveness (and minimize the boredom) of your workouts.
In the news:
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In what could stand up as the most powerful evidence yet that exercise prolongs life, a study by McMaster University researchers in Hamilton found that signs of premature aging were halted — and even reversed — in virtually every tissue and organ in the bodies of exercised mice.
The finding, which could be a turning point in anti-aging medicine, suggests the proverbial fountain of youth won’t come from a pill or from an exotic berry from the Amazon, but rather plain old exercise.
I agree with you Siobhan. I workout everyday and i feel really good.
Tips for Treadmill Workouts
Remember, you can slowly increase the speed but don’t overwork yourself when you are not used to it. Faster does not equal better and will do more harm than it will help. For a good aerobic workout, you need to walk at a pace that brings your heart rate up to 70-80% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). Then you can do a 5 minute cool down, slowly bringing the speed of the treadmill back down.
Kevin, you’ve got a good point about not overdoing things. I love all of these workouts, but I’ve been running (both treadmill and trail) for years, so I’ve gradually increased my strength and stamina. The high-intensity interval workouts mentioned in this article are not intended for someone who’s brand-new to running – they’re intended for people who have been doing the same-old treadmill workout (15 minutes at an ‘aerobic’ pace, for example) and have gotten bored with it, or would like to see more results.