A guest article from fitness walking expert Melissa Ellefsen.
Walking on a treadmill is a great way to lose weight and get in shape. You can get a great workout in regardless of the weather outside or the time of day.
One way to really boost your fat and calorie burning potential is to use high intensity interval training (HIIT) the next time you use your treadmill. HIIT is a strategy in which you alternate short bursts of intense activity followed by a recovery period.
You will burn more fat and calories in one 30-minute session of interval training than you would if you walked at a steady pace for 30 minutes. In addition, after a workout session in which you use HIIT, you continue to burn calories for up to two hours as your body uses energy to recover.
A treadmill is ideally suited for interval training because you can adjust either the speed or incline levels to create a high intensity interval. In fact, your treadmill may already have some pre-built interval workouts for you. Just be sure that your high intensity and recovery intervals fall into the recommended levels below.
How to Get The Most Out Of Your HIIT Workout
A HIIT workout is going to look a little different for each of us because it really depends on how much intensity you are able to exert. Here are the guidelines:
- During your high intensity intervals, you should try to reach up to 80 – 95% of your maximum heart rate. Using the “talk test”, you would not be able to carry on a conversation with someone during this time because you would be breathing very hard.
- During your recovery intervals, you should walk slower or decrease the incline on the treadmill so that your heart rate reaches 40 – 50% of its maximum. This will also give you a brief rest and time to recover so that you are ready for the next high intensity interval.
- The 1:1 ratio is a very effective method for interval training. Using this method, you will perform a high intensity interval for a period of 3, 4, or 5 minutes followed by a recovery period of the exact same time.
A 30-minute HIIT Program to Blast Fat and Calories
For the sake of safety, please be sure that you are fit and healthy enough to begin a high intensity exercise routine. And, if this routine is too difficult, modify it to meet the guidelines discussed above. Conversely, if it is too easy, you can increase the intensity.
Minutes 1 – 3: Warm up at 3.2 mph
Minutes 3 – 6: Increase speed to 3.6 mph, Increase incline to 4
Minutes 6 – 9: Decrease speed to 3.2 mph, Decrease incline to 2
Minutes 9 – 12: Increase speed to 3.8 mph, Increase incline to 4
Minutes 12 – 15: Decrease speed to 3.4 mph, Decrease incline to 2
Minutes 15 – 18: Increase speed to 4 mph, Increase incline to 6
Minutes 18 – 21: Decrease speed to 3.5 mph, Decrease incline to 2
Minutes 21 – 24: Increase speed to 4 mph, Increase incline to 8
Minutes 24 – 27: Decrease speed to 3.5 mph, Decrease incline to 2
Minutes 27 – 30: Cool down at 3 mph
This high intensity interval walking workout will give you a great cardio workout and strengthen the muscles in your buttocks and legs. You may customize it to make it more or less challenging for your personal fitness level
A HIIT walking workout will tax your body more than a steady walk. Start by adding one HIIT workout per week. When you are ready, you can add a second HIIT workout per week. Intersperse them with your regular walking workouts for a well rounded exercise program. Here are more great treadmill walking programs that will really give you a great workout.
Melissa Ellefsen is the author of www.the-fitness-walking-guide.com and writes about the most effective ways to lose weight and get fit using fitness walking.
