Training for your next (or first) race? Don’t let dark mornings and evenings get in the way. Use this plan to up your running game on the treadmill.
When people ask why you enjoy running, getting outside into nature probably ranks pretty high on your list of responses. What likely doesn’t feature at all: the treadmill. The idea of trundling along with only a TV or someone else’s workout to look at – wonder where she got those leggings? Maybe I should try that with my squats… – is exactly the nightmare that non-runners imagine when they say they’ll never run.
You’re Doing It Wrong
Truth is, if your treadmill sesh consists of running at a constant speed, on a flat gradient, every time, you’re not getting the most out of this super-useful piece of equipment. Sure, it’s convenient to set your speed and zone out when you’re looking for a low-intensity jog that requires zero concentration, but when you’re chasing the gains, you need to mix things up.
READ MORE: Exactly How To Burn More Kilojoules On The Treadmill
Take Your Road Running Indoors
Playing around with varied speeds and inclines on the treadmill takes the boredom out of your run and makes it feel like it’s going faster – breaking your run into intervals based on time, distance or hills gives you small, but fierce goals to work towards, says Simone Jacobs, owner of AMPT gym. What’s more, you can even turn a run of the mill (see what we did there?) indoor jog into a hardcore training sesh that mimics the great outdoors. In fact, the treadmill can actually be a better alternative for certain specific types of training, like hill sprints – especially when home is the Free State. “You can do a variety of different hill sprints that wouldn’t be possible outside,” says Paul Rothschild, co-founder of S.W.E.A.T. 1000. Or simulate a flat road by setting your incline to one or two.
READ MORE: 7 Things You SHOULDN’T Do During Your Treadmill Workout
Plan Ahead
Getting the belt rolling without a workout plan is a sure-fire way to fall back on old habits. Instead, take this hill sprint workout from Rothschild to the gym next time you’re hitting the treadmill.
READ MORE: How To Get A Strength-Training Workout On The Treadmill
Looking for more? Here are five treadmill hacks that will help shave off more kilos.