When we’re trying to get in a cardio workout, we tend to defer to what we know. For a lot of us, that’s running at the gym. Running can be a great workout…or not, depending on your intensity and how long you go for. Hitting a plateau in your fitness goals is a clear sign that something needs to change and often making small tweaks to your cardio is enough to put those changes in motion. Here are some ways to step up your treadmill run.
Have a Strategy
If you’re just hopping on the treadmill without a plan you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage, because you’re a lot more likely to push harder or longer if you actually have a goal to reach. Don’t let boredom slow you down. Before you get to the gym have a game plan, including how far you want to go and/or for how long you want to run, as well as any intervals that you’re going to throw in there.
Make the Most of Your Time
To get the most efficient treadmill workout in the least amount of time, intervals are going to be your best friend. Try going from a normal run speed to a sprint every three minutes for about 30 seconds. You can switch up the times and pacing of the intervals however you’d like, but be sure to make it a challenge. Shooting your heart rate up is the goal, so you should feel out of breath. Try not to take too many breaks and use the run as the portion where your heart rates stabilizes again between intervals. (But be safe, you should still be able to breath.)
If you get bored of running really easily, you might consider changing up your intervals by taking them off the treadmill altogether. Keep a jumprope and some free weights nearby and when it’s time for an interval you can actually hop off the treadmill and hold planks, do some tricep dips, or speed jumprope, and then hop back on the treadmill.
Don’t Hold On
If you have the treadmill raised to an incline at any point in your workout, resist the urge to hold onto the rails. It might feel stable, but it’s not doing you any favors since your arms will be supporting part of your weight and causing you to work less and expend fewer calories. If you absolutely can’t keep up with the pace without holding on, lower it a bit until you can and then continue on from there.
Stay Relaxed
Running can be tough, which causes a lot of people to tense up their faces, necks, and shoulders. Try to avoid doing this and instead breath through the pain. Getting rid of the tension in your body is going to free up some of your energy to do the actual hard part of the run, and therefore allow you to run comfortably for a lot longer. Although you’re going for relaxed your form is still important, so try not to swing your arms too much which is another waste of energy. Keep them pulled in towards the body and focus on your hands moving up and down as opposed to forward and back.