Workout Runners Can Do On The Treadmill
Most runners do only one workout while on the treadmill, and that is to jog forever. Here are more workout ideas you can do during treadmill hours. Changing the workout will make the treadmill more fun and enjoyable, doing different workout plans on a treadmill will certainly improve your running skills outside the gym.
1. Do Incline Uphill Treadmill Running
When running on elevated treadmill, the incline will require the body pose to shift slightly forward. The change in the position of the main body mass, will set into action different muscles during the run. The hamstrings will need to puss harder, the arms will pump stronger up and down, and you will feel you are landing on the mid foot instead of the regular heel strike. See video below.
Running uphill on the treadmill will raise your heart beat into a different zone level, as the body will need more oxygen supply for the extra effort.
Here is a video of a man trying to keep up on a crazy uphill treadmill incline.. Do your workout more reasonable.. 
add elevation percentage of 2%-5% for long running sessions or higher incline for shorter dashes.
2. Do Interval Workout Sprints
Any time you change the static running conditions, and requiring the heart to adjust to the changes, you are improving your running abilities. One of the best ways to do it is by running interval sprints on the treadmill. Here is a set of treadmill interval workout from SweetCity which includes flat, incline and speed changes.
FUN to do for 30-45mins OR 1Hour, Alternate between Hills and Sprints
Warm-up for 3mins at a comfortable pace.
This section is similar to The SPRINT OFF – SPRINT as fast as you can for 30seconds or 1min
Recovery: Bring the speed back to a comfortable jog pace for 2/3/4mins depending on your fitness level.
HILL – Increase the incline on the Treadmill to a height you can still keep a comfortable running pace at for 3mins
Recovery: Decrease the incline to the start level of 1.0 and jog at a comfortable pace
Repeat until the finish – Sprint, Recovery, Hill, Recovery, Sprint….The more fit you get the shorter the rest periods, the faster the sprints and the steeper the inclines… YOU make it as hard or as easy as you can handle on any given day! See more..
3. Run Downhill on A Treadmill
Running uphill is tough but running down hill is something professional runners need to practice too. At every hill top begins the next downhill. Most of the cheap home treadmills do not offer a decline option. Some of the mid price level treadmills might have the decline mode, which can be used to get the body to run at different positions.
Some knee injuries may occur for runners running downhill without proper muscle preparations. Running Planet has more on this issue most runners overlook.
For the most part downhill running is a good thing, but like everything else, you can get too much of a good thing. Downhill running places more stress on the “anti-gravity muscles of your hips, legs and ankles than either level or uphill running. Your anti-gravity muscles are your downhill “braking” muscles; the ones that absorb most of the impact when running downhill. Your primary anti-gravity muscles are your knee extensors (quadriceps) and hip extensors.
It may seem a bit contradictory that downhill running results in more stress than running on flat or uphill terrain. After all, running downhill is easier – right? Yep – that’s right, it does seem easier and on gentle downhill slopes, it is metabolically easier – it requires less energy. Even though less energy is required to run down a moderate hill, your muscles are still taking on more stress. When you run downhill your anti-gravity muscles are working eccentrically. They are trying to contract or “shorten” at the same time they are being lengthened or “pulled apart”. As you run down a hill your quads are being stretched by the force of gravity pulling you down the hill. At the same time they are attempting to contract to fight the relentless force of gravity. See source..
If you do not have a treadmill at home which can switch to downhill running, here is a video shows how you can do it at home.
Most folding home treadmills do not have a decline option.. So to add decline feature as seen in the video you will need:
Black & Decker Gecko Grip Level with Accu Mark
4. Working on Your Email While On The Treadmill
TrekDesk - Full Treadmill Desk
Being many hours at work may cause some people to skip their workout routine. One cool treadmill accessory which can solve this is the treadmill working desk!
It is a full desk which goes over the front part of the treadmill and allows the user to place a laptop, iPad or books over it and go through emails, answer calls, write down notes, while the legs are still moving.
It is not the perfect thing for those who run at high paces on their treadmill, but even runners might be grateful for an hour of workout and to be able to ‘clean their table’ while on the treadmill. See how hundreds are doing office hours on a treadmill.
5. Do Heart Rate Cardio Workout On Treadmill
A treadmill is a great place to do exact heart rate workout. Most treadmills have a heart rate monitor or a strap belt to wireless transmit your pulse rate to the treadmill. The max heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220, for example if your age is 35, the max heart rate is 185 beats per minute. Doing cardio workout means you will be running in a specific heart rate zone you plan in advance.
Treadmill Talk has some tips for cardio workout on a treadmill.
Cardiovascular exercise depends on your heart rate – you want to focus on keeping your heart rate up without pushing it too high. Heart rate monitors are important with this type of workout. Ideally, you want to spend most of the time on the treadmill breathing hard but not gasping for air. You should be able to talk, but not as easily as if you were simply standing around.
Walking is the key to good cardio treadmill workouts. For the first four weeks, you should try for twenty minutes of walking at a pace of about 4-8 mph, depending on your comfort level. Adding ten minutes for the stretching, warm-up and cool-down, you’ll spend a half-hour each time. For the next five weeks of treadmill exercise, add ten minutes to your walking time. Do this until you are spending a total of sixty minutes on the treadmill at a time. To keep it interesting, you can change the incline slightly but adjust your speed accordingly to stay in that target heart rate range. See more..
Enjoy Your Treadmill Run
Put on the running headphones some of your best tracks for running, do proper warm up so the body can respond as you expect it to. Have a sport drink bottle close by so you can hydrate during the long run, if you are at home, put a fan close by to blow air to cool your sweat.
Running is fun, enjoy your workout.
Read more:
- Best Treadmill for Marathon Training at Home
- 5 Treadmill Accessories You Could Not Do Without
- 7 Reasons to Train For a Marathon on a Treadmill
- NEW Trend – HD Movies For Treadmill Runners
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