Questions for treadmill walkers

ReenieHJ

I aim for 4 miles a day, 4 mph. But I've found if I do it in 2 shorter times than 1 long walk, I'm more apt to do the whole 4 miles. Does it matter much if you do walking like that, cut into shorter times or should I keep aiming for the 1 longer walk a day?
Other questions....do you play much with the speed or incline?
Thanks for any input

ElizabethKalmbach

Each style is good for different types of training. Each will improve over time. Generally speaking it depends on what your training goals are on which one is better, but I almost always pick which ever option I am most likely to DO. Having lofty goals is pointless if you never pursue them.

Initially, I'd do whichever is easiest to make into a habit. After that, I'd start improving upon whichever habit you have formed.

ElizabethKalmbach

(As an aside, I typed that from my treadmill desk, where I am walking at a steady 2.5 mph and taking in my morning news. 2.5mph isn't very fast at all, but it keeps my blood circulating, and walking while I take in the morning news for 2 hours on a non-work day keeps my daily calorie burn nice and level across work days and weekends.)

spiriteagle99

Breaking it up is fine, according to studies I've read. Actually in some ways it's better because you get your HR up twice a day rather than once, and there is a bit of afterburn when you exercise, so you'll be doubling that. I would play with speed and incline. I do when running on the TM and it makes it more interesting. For one thing, as I warm up, I increase the pace. I can walk and run faster after I've warmed up than I can do at first. Altering incline is more like real world walking/running plus it's more interesting. Does your TM have any preset programs? If the paces are appropriate, you might try some of those. You burn more calories when going uphill, but you don't want to do just steep incline because that can stress the knees. Mix it up.

Luke_rabbit

I would say that there are advantages to both methods, so do which you prefer, or even mix it up on different days.

My knees and Achilles tendons prefer a slight incline, so I leave it at that. I vary speeds a lot, both for warm up and cool down and because I sometimes feel more tired and drop speed down. I tend to baby my easily injured body.

rainbow198

My walks are all over the place.

Some days I get in 4 - 5 miles in one shot and on other days I will do 1 or 2 miles at a time for 2 or 3 times throughout the day.

It depends on my schedule for the day and how I'm feeling. I just concentrate on hitting my mile goals for the day and week and not so much speed or how I break my miles up.

cwolfman13

ReenieHJ wrote: »

I aim for 4 miles a day, 4 mph. But I've found if I do it in 2 shorter times than 1 long walk, I'm more apt to do the whole 4 miles. Does it matter much if you do walking like that, cut into shorter times or should I keep aiming for the 1 longer walk a day?
Other questions....do you play much with the speed or incline?
Thanks for any input

From a general health and well being standpoint, it doesn't matter. From a training standpoint...stamina, endurance, etc it could matter if you are training for something more specific. Several years ago I did the Bataan Memorial March and did 23 miles with a weighted pack over varied terrain...I couldn't really split up my hikes to train for that and get the same benefit is one big long hike.