Are you tired of doing the same treadmill workout day in and day out? Does the monotony make it challenging to even step on the treadmill? Sounds like you need some fresh ideas beyond just running faster or longer.
Treadmill workout challenges offer fun and engaging ways to keep your exercise routine fresh and exciting throughout the year. Instead of walking or running at a steady pace, you can set specific goals or follow structured plans to make your workouts more interesting. These workouts are progressive and build your cardio fitness gradually.
The Importance of Setting Treadmill Challenges
Setting treadmill challenges is essential for several reasons, including:
- Enhanced motivation: When you have clear goals, you're more likely to stay engaged and committed to your fitness routine. Setting specific challenges gives you something to strive for and helps keep you motivated.
- Progress tracking: Many challenges provide a measurable way to track speed, distance or duration. Trying a challenge can help you see tangible improvements over time.
- Variety and engagement: Repeating the same workout can lead to boredom and burnout. Incorporating challenges can make exercise feel less like a chore and more like an enjoyable experience.
- Skill development: Different challenges require developing new skills, which improves your running proficiency, engages different muscle groups and helps prevent strain from repetitive movements.
Popular Treadmill Workout Ideas
A treadmill challenge is whatever you make of it. Try one of these treadmill workouts to help you rekindle your enthusiasm for exercising regularly.
30-Day Treadmill Challenge
The 30-day treadmill challenge gradually improves your running performance, focusing on a specific component of the workout while keeping other areas consistent.
Here's an example breakdown of the challenge:
- Week 1 — find your base pace: Do a 20- to 25-minute session with one- to two-minute run/two-minute walk intervals. Run at a pace that feels challenging but allows you to have a conversation or sing a song. Include a walking warmup before each session.
- Week 2 — speed: Perform the same workout as the previous week but increase each interval's speed slightly, including your base pace.
- Week 3 — hills: Keep the same workout structure, but increase the incline a little. Focus on maintaining good form by shortening your stride and leaning slightly into the treadmill.
- Week 4 — endurance: Add one extra minute of running to each interval before returning to a recovery jog. Increase the duration of the workouts gradually to about 35 to 45 minutes, focusing on consistency over pace.
12-3-30 Challenge
The 12-3-30 challenge is a popular treadmill workout designed to improve cardiovascular fitness and strengthen muscles without the need for running. This is how the challenge works:
- Set up your treadmill to a 12% incline.
- Set your speed to 3 miles per hour.
- Walk for 30 minutes.
Adding an incline elevates one's heart rate more. It also engages your lower-body muscles, particularly the calves, glutes and hamstrings. Since you're working against gravity, your muscles have to exert more effort compared to flat-surface walking, increasing strength and burning more calories over time.
If you're new to incline walking, start at a lower incline level and work your way up to 12% as you become more comfortable.
Interval Workouts
Interval workouts alternate between periods of high-intensity exercise and lower-intensity recovery periods. This high-intensity interval training (HIIT) approach is a popular choice if you're looking to enhance your cardiovascular health, build strength and burn calories efficiently.
You can choose between various treadmill interval workout structures. Some examples include:
- Basic sprint intervals: Switch between 30 seconds of high-intensity sprinting and 90 seconds of walking for recovery. Repeat this for a total of 20 to 30 minutes.
- Short burst intervals: Try jogging for 20 seconds, followed by sprinting for 10 seconds. This quick burst format can be repeated for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Distance-based intervals: Do a half-mile sprint at a challenging pace, followed by a half-mile jog for recovery. Then, walk a quarter-mile to cool down.
- Structured HIIT workout: Begin with a five-minute brisk walk to warm up. Then, alternate between two-minute sprints at a pace faster than your normal running speed and one-minute slow walks for recovery. Repeat this for 15 minutes and cool down with another five-minute slow walk.
Treadmill Strut Workouts
Treadmill strut workouts combine walking with music to keep the exercise enjoyable and motivating. These workouts involve gradually increasing your walking speed in sync with a playlist of songs to make the experience a unique blend of cardio and rhythm.
Here's how it works:
- Make a playlist: Create a playlist that starts with a slower song and gradually increases in tempo. Choose your favourite songs, pick a theme or select the best songs from an artist you like to create a fun atmosphere for your workout. Remember not to put your playlist on shuffle!
- Warm up: Start with a comfortable walking speed for the first song.
- Increase speed: Every time the song changes, increase your speed a little bit. This gradual increase allows you to build up intensity throughout the challenge.
- Final push: For the last two songs, aim to reach a faster walking speed or even a light jog.
- Cool down: After the final song, reduce your speed back down to your warmup pace and "strut it out" to the last song, allowing your body to cool down.
Adjust your speed and songs based on your fitness level. You can also incorporate inclines to increase the intensity of the challenge. YouTube is a goldmine of inspiration for this one!
Choosing the Right Treadmill for Your Challenges
Choosing the right treadmill will help you maximize your workout experience and achieve your fitness goals. Consider these factors to choose one that will best suit your needs:
- Treadmill type: Motorized treadmills are the most common and are ideal for a variety of workouts, including interval training and endurance challenges. Manual treadmills require you to power the belt with your movement and are suited for interval training or challenges where you can move at your own pace. If space is a concern, consider a folding treadmill that you can easily store away.
- Incline settings: For incline-type challenges, a treadmill with adjustable incline settings up to 18% will enhance the effectiveness of your training by allowing you to simulate uphill walking or running. Some treadmills offer automatic incline features that adjust based on the workout program.
- Speed range: Ensure the treadmill has a broad speed range to accommodate different challenges, from brisk walking to sprinting. Unlike manual treadmills, motorized treadmills allow for speed adjustments.
- Display and technology: A clear, easy-to-read display helps you monitor your speed, distance, time and heart rate during workouts. Consider treadmills with touchscreens included or with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities that allow you to connect to fitness apps — such as iFit — for added motivation and tracking.
Find Your Ideal Treadmill at The Treadmill Factory
Different workout challenges suit various fitness levels and goals. Treadmills that offer customizable settings allow you to tailor workouts for specific challenges so you can stay motivated. Many modern treadmills come equipped with interactive displays and connectivity to entertainment and fitness apps for a more enjoyable and sustainable exercise experience.
The Treadmill Factory offers one of the largest selections of treadmills from award-winning brands. Our treadmills are ideal for anyone, regardless of fitness level. We also offer constant support with treadmill accessories and parts after the sale should you require further assistance.
Shop our diverse selection of treadmills, and start a treadmill challenge that aligns with your fitness goals.
