Incline walking
kaspatore
Posts: 95 Member
Does anyone walk on a steep incline for a workout on a regular basis. I've been going 3.5 MPH at 12-13% incline on the treadmill on my lunch break at work. Seems to really get the sweat going. I've read some interesting articles, too, such as this one. Just was wondering if anyone had firsthand experience and what the results are.
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/walking-mile-full-incline-vs-jogging-flat-treadmill-9765.html
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/walking-mile-full-incline-vs-jogging-flat-treadmill-9765.html
0
Replies
-
I don't run or jog at all so back when I was doing cardio I walked on the treadmill at high inclines, alternating speed and inclines to keep it difficult and not boring. I had great results. It really works the legs, the core (as long as you don't hold on to the rails), and gets the heart pumping. I still do it to warm up before lifting. Walking on a flat treadmill is incredibly boring, IMHO.0
-
Incline walking is a great exercise, but that article is misleading. In an attempt to manufacture a phony "debate" it compares different workload intensities and uses the false data to promote one exercise over another.
There is no single "running calorie burn" and "incline walking calorie burn".
If walking or running, the workload (and calorie burn) depends on speed and incline. Any combination of speed/incline has a relatively fixed energy cost. Someone running on level ground at 6 mph is working at a load of about 10 METs. If you put together a walking/incline combination that is the same 10 METs (easy to do), then calorie burn will be the same.
If someone makes the statement that "incline walking burns more calories than running on level ground" they are not telling the truth. The only way that incline walking can burn more calories than level running is if the speed/incline combination is a higher workload than the workload for the level running speed.
If one has the aerobic fitness level to exercise at a certain walking speed/incline combo, they have the fitness level to run at an equivalent workload, and this burn the same amount of calories.
Putting all that aside, incline walking is an excellent way to increase intensity of your training (and calorie burn), without the high-impact stress of running.
And the best way to do it is with the lower speed/higher incline combo you are using.
Keep in mind that if you hold on to the handrails, you can offset a lot of the workload--which means you aren't working as hard or burning as many calories as you think. If you are not using the treadmill to estimate calories or if you have balance issues, then handrail support is not as detrimental. But if you are struggling to keep up with the speed/incline, try slowing down so that you can walk unsupported.0 -
No handrails for me! And getting very sweaty, out of breath, too. I have run a half marathon in 2 hours without stopping, but I have to drop this to 5 incline every 10 minutes for 30 seconds or so to catch my breath.
Thanks for the info!0 -
That works. 3.5 and 12%/13% is not shabby at all. I have a treadmill with a "random incline" program, so I use that for more ongoing variability. I use the "cals/hour" as a gauge of overall intensity. One of the things I like about incline walking is that, while I can get muscle fatigue, esp if I do it for an hour, it doesn't beat up my legs as much as running.1
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.9K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 428 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 15 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions