Editor’s note: Before starting any new exercise program, consult your physician. Stop immediately if you feel pain.
CNN
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Walking has long been hailed as one of the The best exercises for public health. This physical activity can strengthen your heart, lower your blood pressure, keep your bones strong, and burn calories. When you’re done outside, you harvest the extras The benefits that come from spending time in naturesuch as lower stress levels, improved attention, and improved mood.
It is not always possible to take your daily constitutional place outdoors. When the weather or other factors push you indoors, consider exercising instead.
Treadmills are among the top three most popular pieces of equipment in american health clubs, according to IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report 2022. About 53 million people They were using it in 2017, and the treadmill manufacturing industry in the United States has been growing 2.3% annually on average between 2018 and 2023, according to a report by industry market research group IBISWorld.
Before you hop on the treadmill and start walking at your preferred pace, consider a workout where you can vary your speed and incline, which can make for a more productive session.
“Most people don’t think about using the treadmill’s incline feature,” said Dan Polay, certified personal trainer and co-owner of Zone Training Facility in Livingston, New Jersey. “But most research will support the idea that the metabolic cost of walking on an incline will greatly increase the difficulty of the exercise.”
Creating a steeper ride is also an option, Boulay said, if you’re having trouble increasing your walking pace or transitioning from walking to running.
For those who can vary both the walking speed and the incline of the treadmill, fitness experts recommend some type of interval training, which involves frequently switching up the intensity of the exercise and/or the activities you do.
There are countless interval workouts available online and on fitness apps, said Jillian Dalby, vice president of fitness at CAZ Training Club in Newport Beach, California. If you find the options too daunting to consider, I’ve offered two easy possibilities.
First: Use the treadmill and substitute 1 minute of walking, 1 minute of jogging, and 1 minute of running for 18 minutes. “This keeps your mind engaged, doesn’t feel monotonous, and is a great way to build stamina and speed,” said Dalby.
Second: Walk for a minute without an incline, one minute at an elevation of 4% and a minute at an elevation of 8%, then repeat this sequence five times. If either exercise feels easy, double the time to 36 minutes or do both exercises together.
“The goal is to feel comfortable on the tread, and then you can play with speed and downhill together as you continue to progress,” said Dalby.
If you prefer something trendy, two treadmill exercises that have gone viral on TikTok are the “Taylor Swift Treadmill Strut” and the 12-3-30 workout.
37 minutesTaylor Swift Treadmill StrutIt requires you to march to the beat of 10 Taylor Swift songs. Created by Ali Bennetta TikTok influencer known for setting treadmill workouts to popular music.
The tempo of the first song should be similar to a walking speed of about 3.4 miles per hour. From there, the tempo increases on each of the next six songs, requiring you to increase your speed by 0.1 mph for each song. The eighth and ninth notes are much faster. You may need to start running to match the tempo, although you can stay with a brisk walk. The ending, song 10, is a lull and is the slowest of the group.
“I’m a huge fan of Taylor Swift’s butt,” Bolley said. “The general public can do this exercise without a lot of training experience, and it’s fun enough to keep most people consistent and engaged for its duration.”
The 12-3-30 Workout, created by a TikTok influencer Lauren GiraldoThe incline is used to increase your fitness and lose weight. A 30-minute workout is simple: Set the treadmill at an incline of 12% and the pace at 3 mph, and go. An easier version geared towards beginner calls for the first 15 minutes at an incline of 2.5% and the second 15 minutes at an inclination of 8.5%.
“The 12-3-30 workout is a great workout, too,” said Boulay. “High-incline walking at a low intensity has been a staple in the bodybuilding community for decades.”
This training style is known as Low Intensity Steady State, or LISS, Boulay said. It’s great for those looking to burn a lot of calories while avoiding the stress and fatigue that come with high-impact workouts like running, tennis, and basketball.
Not in a workout group? Then try walking on a non-motorized treadmill. These new treadmills are powered by two feet, and their curved shape is the equivalent of walking on an incline about 6% to 8%.
People who walk on curved, non-motorized treadmills have significantly higher heart rates and oxygen uptake variables than those who use motorized treadmills, according to published a study In the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
similarly, One study was published In the journal Frontiers in Physiology it was shown that running on treadmills provides a significantly higher rate of muscle fatigue compared to using a motorized treadmill or running on the floor.
“If your gym has both types of treadmills, try both,” said Dalby. “At the end of the day, what keeps you consistent with your workouts and stay interesting? The more you enjoy working out and discovering ways to challenge yourself, the more likely you are to continue your fitness journey.”