Fun Workouts on Treadmill

Wow! You’ve got a brand new treadmill! It is the to-go machine to burn calories and lose weight in very less time. Overall exercise has many benefits, but running on a treadmill alone allows you to walk, jog or run irrespective of the weather. It also helps you train for your first marathon, i.e. 5 or 10k, allows to adjust the speed or incline and work in intervals, helps you track calories burned, miles logged, and much more, makes cardio workouts accessible pan fitness levels, offers a low-impact and effective alternative to running or walking on pavement.

Often people find running in one place very dull, but it does not have to be that way for you. Yes, there are quite a few fun workouts on a treadmill that would kill all the treadmill boredom, engage your brain and result in an excellent exercise regimen. Sounds unbelievable? How about trying one of this below-listed workout plan and then deciding?

Play the card game

Take four index cards, and on each write run, run fast, jog, or walk. Shuffle the cards and select one randomly. Warm up for a mile and then see what on the card. Do as the card says for 3 to 4 minutes. If it says run, start at a leisurely pace; if it says jog, stick to warm-up and cool down the speed. For a card that reads run fast, go fast enough to push yourself.

Walking lunges

Aha! This is the best way to make obstacle-free leg-burning thrusts. Yeah! Take your position with your feet hip-width apart and switch on the treadmill up to 3 mph. Keep your hands clasped at chest level, step forward with your right leg then lower your body until your right knee is 90 degrees bent. Stand up and bring your back foot forward to move forward, alternate legs with each step, focus on your glutes and hamstrings, and set the treadmill 5% incline.

Hop on and hop off

This might sound amusing, but hop on and hop off is a total-Body workout plan. It requires you to get on and off the treadmill but is great for your arms, legs, and belly. It is an excellent combination of cardio as well as some strength training. In this workout, you are sure to burn plenty of calories, and the circuit takes merely 35 minutes. You’ll need 3- to 5-pound weights too.

Do it in the following way:

• Warm up for 5 minutes with a light jog.
• Hop off to do 15 pushups.
• Hop on again on the treadmill. Run for 1 minute. Increase the speed by 1 to 1.5 mph and sprint for about 30 seconds. Repeat this pattern thrice – 1-minute run, 30-second sprint, 1-minute run, 30-second sprint, 1-minute run, 30-second sprint .*
• Hop off and hold the plank position for 1 minute and then 20 bicycle crunches.
• Repeat Run for 1 minute, then sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat thrice.
• Then do a side plank, hold the pose on each side for 30 seconds. Followed by 15 overhead press reps with a light dumbbell.
• Repeat Run for 1 minute, then sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat thrice.
• Do 15 triceps dips on a chair and 20 squats.
• Jog for 5-minutes to cool down

*Beginners can do 1-minute walk and then a 30-second run, instead of running and sprinting.

Walking Plank

For a challenging plank variation try the walking plank and stay assured that this is the best workout for your shoulders. To exercise set the treadmill at one mph, then walk behind the treadmill to get into a plank position, with your hands on the treadmill base. Position your body in a straight line from head to heels, bring your hands on the treadmill band and walk with your hands forward for the entire exercise duration. This would be exhausting and extremely challenging!

Ladder Workout

A classic speed drill – in the ladder workout you gradually increases the length of your interval by 1-2 minutes. You get some recovery time between each of your runs and then you can decrease the speed of your intervals by steady increments.

Below is one way of structuring your ladder workout:

• Warm up for about 1 mile
• Pick up speed for 2 minutes
• To recover slow down for 2 to 3 minutes
• Then pick up for 4 minutes
• Perform a recovery run for 4 to 5 minutes
• Pick up for 6 minutes
• Recovery run for 6- to 7 minutes

Let your fitness level determine your intervals. As you keep running decrease the length of your interval time and increase your speed.

• Pick up for 6 minutes
• Recovery run for 6-7 minutes
• Pick up for 4 minutes
• Recovery run for 4-5 minutes
• Pick up for 2 minutes
• Recovery run for 2-3 minutes
• Cool down

Note that your recovery period should be as long as your pickup. Longer recovery times train the body to produce less lactate every time you speed up, and lower lactate levels allow you to run for a long duration without getting exhausted.

Workout watching TV

Believe it or not, watching TV while working out can help you structure your workout. If you’re watching a 30 minutes show with 22 minutes program and 8 minutes commercial, you could run hard for 22 minutes and use ads as interval breaks. Some people similarly use music. They run hard on a fast track and slow down on a romantic one. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Whatever might be your preference – stay consistent and keep exercising!