Any treadmill running variation ideas?

jerseybrunette
jerseybrunette Posts: 39
edited September 2024 in Motivation and Support
I have a treadmill at home and I usually run on it when I can and honestly, doing the same thing over and over can be quite tiring. I want to know any variations, like different speeds and incline levels to help make it more interesting! Any suggestions would be nice! And oh, I have one question! When running on the treadmill, do you rely on the calories burned on the treadmill or what it says on here? It kind of gets confusing for me and I would like to know the difference so it's easier for me. Just running on the treadmill and trying to log it in on here is hard enough with all the "assumptions" on what speed level I did overall so I can at least have something burned! Thanks! (:

PS: and sorry its under the wrong topic! I just realized what happened after I posted it!

Replies

  • mbeuchert24
    mbeuchert24 Posts: 204 Member
    I don't have any suggestions for variation because I'm dealing with the same thing...I really want to put it in our front room where I can watch a movie or a tv show to take my mind off of it while I run.

    I go by the cals the treadmill gives me because I don't have a heart monitor yet....and I don't know how accurate MFP vs Treadmill are...but the treadmill is more conservative.
  • Jade1964
    Jade1964 Posts: 111 Member
    I mix it up. 2 minutes fast walk. 2 minutes run. Sometimes I throw in the incline and up the incline x2 each time I switch to running. Something like that.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    High Intensity Interval Training is awesome and you will burn more calories that way, just google how to do it.

    I rely on my Heart Rate Monitor to tell me how many calories I burn, but If I didn't have a HRM I'd go with the MFP calculator those machines are soooooooooooooooooo inaccurate!
  • misscfe
    misscfe Posts: 295 Member
    According to my trainer the machines such as treadmill and ellipticals are off by at least 15% on the calories, meaning too high.

    As for variations I would either do walk run intervals or switch of the elevation and do intervals that way. You can keep doing different elevations which help focus on different parts of the body.
  • pammye65
    pammye65 Posts: 177 Member
    I walk the first 1/4th mile on a 2% incline at 3mph, then the next 1/4 mile @3% incline at 3 mph, then the next @4% incline...then start going back down til I get back to 2% incline. I usually walk a mile or 1 mile and a half...sometimes 2 miles....all at 3mph
  • efokken
    efokken Posts: 138 Member
    Try sprinting for 20 min. I run a half mile warm up, then sprint at 8.5, 30 seconds on 30 seconds off. I love doing the then straight running.
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    @ mbeuchert24 I actually have it in my living room (the only place it can fit in at the moment :D) but it's not always so easy to watch tv or movies while doing it. Just letting you know. A word of advice...if you decide to watch anything and run, make sure you don't run on a high speed unless you want to keep falling.

    @ Jade1964 You know, that's not really such a bad idea! I might start doing that ! thanks for the idea! Hopefully i'll remember to stick to that idea! (: thanks again!
  • lisahightower2
    lisahightower2 Posts: 35
    Lately I've been doing intervals (I'm trying to build up my speed).

    This is my typical treadmill workout:
    Minutes 0-5 - warm-up walking at 3.7 mph, 1% incline
    Minutes 5-10 - jogging at 4.7 mph, 1% incline
    Minute 10 (hill) - 4.7, 4% incline
    Minutes 11-15 - 4.7, 1%
    Minute 15 (sprint) - 5.5, 1%(for me that's sprinting - others may need faster)
    Minutes 16-20 - 4.7, 1%
    Minute 20 (hill) - 4.7, 4%
    Minutes 21-25 - 4.7, 1%
    Minute 25 (sprint) - sprinting 5.5, 1%
    Minutes 26-30 - 4.7, 1%
    2-3 minute cooldown

    This keeps it varied enough that I don't get bored and it's helping my endurance and building up my speed. I burn about 330 calories with this at 205 lbs. And I follow what the machine tells me. I want a HRM so bad, though!
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    @ effoken
    hmmm, not bad either .. looks like if i have enough variations ... I can mix them up so I have a special one for every day of the week! It seems helpful! thanks!(:
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    @lisahightower2 wow, and I want one too! I need to find a good place to buy one first, then the time! but this seems like a good variation! thanks
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    @misscfe i see! thanks for letting me know. I figured something was off but wasnt sure which one!
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    @pammye65 I do that sometimes on my lazy days, haha usually Mondays but they do help me a lot but thank you though!
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
    i do speedwork one day, then a tempo another day, or even the dreaded hill work where im raising and dropping the inclination every so many minutes. I found that this variation, especially speedwork makes the time go by faster
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    i do speedwork one day, then a tempo another day, or even the dreaded hill work where im raising and dropping the inclination every so many minutes. I found that this variation, especially speedwork makes the time go by faster


    Really? I just thought each one just had a different way of letting your body burn calories or just a different workout...thanks!
  • carmenstop1
    carmenstop1 Posts: 210 Member
    High Intensity Interval Training is awesome and you will burn more calories that way, just google how to do it.

    I rely on my Heart Rate Monitor to tell me how many calories I burn, but If I didn't have a HRM I'd go with the MFP calculator those machines are soooooooooooooooooo inaccurate!

    I have been trying to do this at least one day a week! I warm up for 5 minutes (3.5) then run at normal speed for me (5.5) for 5 minutes, and then I sprint at about 8.0 for a minute and then walk at 4.0 for 2 minutes for about 30 minutes total! Really kicks my *kitten*!
  • amsparky
    amsparky Posts: 825 Member
    Bump - more things to research!
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    High Intensity Interval Training is awesome and you will burn more calories that way, just google how to do it.

    I rely on my Heart Rate Monitor to tell me how many calories I burn, but If I didn't have a HRM I'd go with the MFP calculator those machines are soooooooooooooooooo inaccurate!

    I have been trying to do this at least one day a week! I warm up for 5 minutes (3.5) then run at normal speed for me (5.5) for 5 minutes, and then I sprint at about 8.0 for a minute and then walk at 4.0 for 2 minutes for about 30 minutes total! Really kicks my *kitten*!

    WOW, that's good. see i was just running and im about to go again and im going to try to incorporate what everybody posted but thanks! it all takes 30 minutes...maybe a perfect morning workout for me! (:
  • jerseybrunette
    jerseybrunette Posts: 39
    Bump - more things to research!


    Indeeed! haha, but it's something worth researching!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories