If you are anything like me, the thought of running for any length of time on a treadmill fills you with about as much excitement as watching a lot of paint dry on a really big wall, then watching a second coat be applied and dry again. You get the picture.
Seriously, 5 minutes on a treadmill in a gym feels like time has slowed to a standstill and don’t even talk about how sweaty it gets running indoors.
So, thinking slightly outside the box (and being ever so slightly obsessed with hill sprints), here’s the solution:
Increase the incline to as high as it’ll go.
Spend a minute or two walking at a just beyond leisurely pace on the treadmill to get yourself warmed up a bit.
Then increase the speed to 10, jog for 30 seconds then use your hands on each support to your sides to jump off the belt (one foot each side), slow the treadmill back down to walking pace, then walk and recover.
Next time increase the speed to 11, jog for 30 seconds, jump off, slow down and walk.
Then increase to 12, etc, etc, etc.
Go up as high as you can – ideally not to the point where you’re about to fly off the back of the belt – remember, safety first!
Then reverse the process. If you got up to 18mph, go 17, 16, 15 etc, etc, back down to 10, then walk for a while to cool down (or just hop off and grab the bucket – going back down will be a real test of endurance and mental strength).
This type of workout will take 20 – 30 minutes, increase aerobic as well anaerobic fitness, it’s far more entertaining then a conventional (boring) treadmill workout and with the sprints you’ll get a nice growth hormone boost to boot.
