Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my treadmill, but I’ve come to appreciate the benefits of treadmill running. It’s a great alternative when weather or safety issues make it impossible to run outside. And I love that I can do a very exact, targeted workout on the treadmill and know my pace, distance, and hill incline for every second of my run.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some days when it’s a battle of wills between me and the treadmill. Do I love treadmill running? Honestly, there are days when I do feel great during and after a treadmill run, but there are times when I’m counting down the minutes…or the seconds.
When I’m struggling, here are some ways that I try to increase my treadmill running mojo.
Listen to music or audiobooks.
Create playlists for your runs, depending on how far or fast you want to go. Getting lost in some motivating music or a great audiobook makes the time go much faster. If I’m in the middle of a good audiobook, I promise myself that I can only listen to it during a run, so it keeps me motivated to hit the treadmill and get to the next chapter.
Run with someone.
Grab a gym buddy and run on treadmills next to each other, so you can chat. This is a great option for easy runs, when you should be running at conversational pace anyway. One thing I love about running on treadmills with a buddy is that you can each run your own perfect pace, without worrying about one person having to slow down for the other.
Alternate with another activity.
Try breaking up your run by alternating with the bike, elliptical trainer, or strengthening exercises. If you want to do a 40-minute cardio workout, run on the treadmill for 20 minutes and then jump on the elliptical for 20 minutes.
Or, run easy for 10 minutes, then get off the treadmill and do five minutes of exercises, such as crunches, push-ups, squats, lunges and dips. Aim for three sessions each of running and strength-training.
Let your mind wander.
Unlike running outside, treadmill running doesn’t require that you pay close attention to your surroundings and watch out for cars, cyclists, dogs, and other hazards. You don’t even have to think about your route.
So running on a treadmill allows you to really get in the zone. Try to just not think about anything and let thoughts drift in and out of my mind as they may. You’ll find yourself feeling more peaceful and relaxed.
Try a new workout.
Mix up your treadmill runs by adding hills, intervals, or even strengthening exercises (stepping off the treadmill to do them) in the middle of your runs. Get some ideas with some of the treadmill workouts below.
Hill Treadmill Workout
No matter what pace you do, you’ll really work your glutes with the hills in this workout. Just try to keep the pace comfortable (you shouldn’t be out of breath), so you can make it through all the intervals. They will get more difficult as you get more tired and the incline gets steeper. It’s OK if your pace starts to slow down. Just try to keep moving throughout the entire 30 minutes.
- Start with a 5-minute warm up of easy jogging or brisk walking.
- Increase the incline to 1% and do an easy jog or walk for 1 minute.
- Lower incline to 0% and run at a comfortable pace for 1 minute.
- Increase the incline to 2% and do an easy jog or walk for 2 minutes.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 2 minutes.
- Increase the incline to 3% do an easy jog or walk for 3 minutes.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes.
- Increase the incline to 4% do an easy jog walk for 4 minutes.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 4 minutes.
- Finish with a 5-minute cooldown of easy jogging or brisk walking.
Total treadmill time: 30 minutes
Interval Treadmill Workout
This ladder workout really makes time fly because you’re frequently switching up the pace. For your recovery intervals, go at an easy pace, which means a slow jog or walking, if you need it.
- Warm up: 5-minute easy jog
- Run: 30-second, hard effort
- Recover: 1 minute at easy pace or walk
- Repeat the run/recover cycle for a total of 20 minutes.
- Cool down: 5-minute easy jog
Total workout time: 30 minutes
Calorie-Blasting Pyramid Workout
This workout combines running and walking intervals and burns a ton of calories. If you prefer to run the entire time, you can do the recover at a slow pace, rather than walking.
- Start with a 3-minute warm up of easy jogging or brisk walking. Then do the following intervals:
- 30-second sprint/30-second walk
- 1-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 2-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 3-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 4-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 3-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 2-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 1-minute sprint/1-minute walk
- 30-second sprint/30-second walk
- Finish with a 2-minute cooldown of easy jogging or brisk walking.
Total treadmill time: 30 minutes
More Treadmill Workouts: Boredom-Busting Treadmill Workouts
Treadmill Running Tips
Enjoying the treadmill starts with making sure you’re not making some of the most common treadmill running mistakes. Follow these tips to make your treadmill running more effective, enjoyable, and safe. You may even find that you love treadmill running a little bit more.
Don’t skip the warm-up. Before getting started with your run, run or walk at a slow, easy pace for 5-10 minutes or do some warm-up exercises.
Use a slight incline. Set the treadmill inclination to 1% to 2%. Since there’s no wind resistance indoors, a gentle uphill better simulates outdoor running. Of course, if you’re just getting started with running, it’s OK to keep the incline at 0% as you’re building up your fitness.
Don’t make it too steep. At the same time, don’t set the incline too steep (more than 7%) — this may lead to Achilles tendon or calf injuries. Also, don’t run at an incline of more than 2% for the entire duration of your run. If you want to run hills, make sure you’re also incorporating some intervals at 0% or 1%.
Don’t hold onto the handrail or console. Some people assume that they should be holding onto the handrails when walking or running on a treadmill. The handrails are only there to help you safely get onto and off of the treadmill. When running on the treadmill, use good upper body form by keeping your arms at your sides, at a 90 degree angle, just as you would if you were running outside.
Don’t lean forward. Make sure you follow proper running form and keep your body upright. It’s not necessary to lean forward because the treadmill pulls your feet backward. You need to pull your feet from the treadmill before they are driven away by the belt.
Don’t forget your cooldown. If you just hop off the treadmill once your workout is done, your heart rate will be elevated. Spend five minutes doing a slow jog or walk at the end of your run and allow your heart rate to go below 100 bpm before you get off. Cooling down will help prevent dizziness or the feeling that you’re still moving when you step off the treadmill.
What shoes should I wear for treadmill running?
You should definitely wear a pair of sturdy running shoes for treadmill running, but you don’t necessarily have to wear the same running shoes that you wear for outdoor running. Treadmill runners may opt for a lighter pair of running shoes with less cushioning, since the surface is softer and more forgiving than most outside surfaces. However, if you need a shoe with motion control, make sure you have one with similar support for the treadmill.
