Best exercises: 5 types of treadmill workouts for beginners

Health benefits of walking exercises: Walking is one of the most basic and low-impact exercises, making it ideal for beginners. A walking treadmill workout allows you to build cardiovascular endurance while strengthening your leg muscles (Image: Pexels)

Treadmill workouts are an excellent way for beginners to embark on their fitness journey. Whether you're looking to improve cardiovascular health, lose weight, or simply stay active, treadmills provide a convenient and effective workout option. With various types of treadmill workouts tailored to different fitness levels, beginners can enjoy a structured and progressive fitness routine.

Walking is one of the most basic and low-impact exercises, making it ideal for beginners. A walking treadmill workout allows you to build cardiovascular endurance while strengthening your leg muscles. Here's how to get started:

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• Warm-up: Start with a five-minute warm-up at a slow pace (around 2.5 to 3 mph).
• Workout: Gradually increase your speed to a brisk walk (3.5 to 4 mph) and maintain it for 20 to 30 minutes. Focus on keeping your posture straight and your arms moving for added intensity.
• Cool down: End with a five-minute cool-down at a slower pace to bring your heart rate down gradually.

For those new to fitness or recovering from injury, walking on a treadmill is an excellent way to ease into a workout routine.

Once you're comfortable with walking on a flat surface, you can increase the challenge by incorporating an incline. Walking on an incline mimics uphill walking and engages more muscles, particularly in the legs and glutes.

• Warm-up: Begin with a five-minute warm-up on a flat surface.
• Workout: Gradually increase the incline to 5-10 percent while maintaining a moderate walking pace (3.5 to 4 mph). Walk for 20 to 30 minutes, keeping your pace consistent. You can alternate between flat and inclined surfaces to vary the intensity.
• Cool down: Return the incline to zero for your five-minute cool-down.

Incline walking not only boosts calorie burn but also improves muscle strength and endurance without the need to run.

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Interval training is a popular workout style that alternates between periods of higher and lower intensity. It's a great option for beginners as it helps improve cardiovascular fitness while keeping the workout engaging.

• Warm-up: Start with a five-minute warm-up at a slow to moderate pace.
• Workout: Alternate between walking at a brisk pace (3.5 to 4 mph) for two minutes and jogging at a slow pace (4.5 to 5 mph) for one minute. Repeat this cycle for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cool down: Finish with a five-minute cool-down at a slow walking pace.

This method allows beginners to incorporate jogging into their routine without feeling overwhelmed. Over time, you can increase the jogging intervals as your fitness improves.

If you're comfortable walking and want to try jogging, a steady-state jog is an excellent way to build stamina. This workout involves maintaining a consistent pace throughout the session.

• Warm-up: Begin with a five-minute warm-up at a walking pace.
• Workout: Set the treadmill to a light jog (4.5 to 5 mph) and maintain that speed for 20 to 30 minutes. Focus on maintaining a steady rhythm and pacing yourself.
• Cool down: End with a five-minute cool-down, gradually reducing your speed to a slow walk.

Steady-state jogging helps to build endurance and improve cardiovascular health over time.

A tempo run involves running at a challenging but sustainable pace for a set duration. For beginners, this can be a great way to build speed and endurance without feeling overexerted.

• Warm-up: Start with a five-minute warm-up at a moderate walking pace.
• Workout: Increase the speed to a comfortable jogging pace (4.5 to 5.5 mph) and maintain it for 15 to 20 minutes. Focus on running at a pace that pushes you slightly but allows you to keep going.
• Cool down: Finish with a five-minute cool-down at a slower pace.

Tempo runs are an excellent way to gradually increase speed and stamina, helping you transition from walking to jogging over time.

After any treadmill workout, it’s essential to stretch and recover. Post-workout stretches help prevent injury and improve flexibility. Focus on stretching your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and hips after every session to promote muscle recovery.