Incredible Treadmill Workouts for People Over 60, Says Top Trainer
In addition to building and maintaining lean muscle, one of the main goals of fitness you need to aspire to as you age is cardiovascular health and endurance. As we see more pages of the calendar peel off into the wind, far too many of us begin to slow down and exercise less, which leads to weight gain, a slower metabolism, and an increased risk of metabolic disorders. If you're 60 or older, you need to be doing aerobic exercise to stay active, burn calories, and to maintain heart health.
Some of my favorite forms of cardio are long walks, jumping rope, cycling, and rowing. However, a tool that I like to use for cardio is the treadmill. The problem is, when using the treadmill, most people make the mistake of going at a low intensity and incline level. The body can—and will—adapt to any cardio workout you put it through, and it will be more efficient as you repeat the same workout. After all, if you burned 100 calories in one session, the next few times you do it you might be burning 80 or 90 instead. The goal is to challenge your body constantly so it doesn't plateau.
So how should you mix it up? Well, here are four incredible treadmill workouts for you to include into your fitness routine starting now, all of which will challenge your body in fresh ways. Before performing them, I recommend warming up for 1-2 minutes at a moderate pace to get the heart rate up and lower body ready. So read on, and for more great exercise advice, don't miss the Secret Side Effects of Lifting Weights for the First Time, Says Science.
Incline Walk (15 degrees x15-20 minutes)
Set the treadmill at an incline of 15%. Depending on your aerobic fitness, you can put the speed at anywhere between 2-3.5 miles per hour. Begin walking at that pace for 15-20 minutes. And for more great exercises you can do, see these 5-Minute Exercises for a Flatter Stomach Fast.
Incline Run/Walk Intervals (x15-20 minutes)
Set the incline to 1.5 to 2.5% and begin running at a pace where you can maintain it for a minute. After the minute is over, slow down to a moderate walk or jog for 1-2 minutes. Repeat again for 15-20 minutes. And for more walking-related intel, check out: Incredible Things That Happen When You Walk More, Say Experts.
Hill Workout (Higher Incline x30 sec, Lower Incline x30 sec)
Set your speed at 2-3 miles per hour and an incline anywhere between 6-10%. Begin walking or jogging briskly at that speed and height for 30 seconds, then drop your incline down by 5 and continuing at the same speed. Alternate back and forth between the two inclines for 15-20 minutes to get an awesome calorie burning workout.
Steady State x30 minutes
If any of the workouts above are too challenging, you can start with a steady state one instead. After you've warmed up for a minute or two, Set your treadmill to either a 2 to 6% incline. With your speed, have it at one that you can maintain at a brisk pace for 30 minutes. Focus on breathing, and able to hold your pace for the entire duration of the workout. And if you love to walk, make sure you're aware of The Secret Cult Walking Shoe That Doctors Are Obsessed With.
