My Favorite Treadmill Workout

By: Kristin Knight

In high school, I ran cross country and track. Although I’d like to say that I maintained that same level of athleticism coming into college, that’s far from the truth. Now, I do the best I can to keep my workouts as regular and exciting as possible.

One of my favorite treadmill workouts is a quick 25 minute interval session. I easily get bored running long distances with nothing to look at but the wall in front of me. Mixing up my pace helps keep things interesting. So, here’s the workout:

What I love about this workout is that it’s super customizable. If you’re just starting out or are extra tired, you can increase the 3 minute recovery time or do it at a slower pace. If you’ve been working out for a while, it’s easy to increase the 1 minute of effort and / or increase the pace. I started out just following this basic interval setup and as I got more comfortable with it, I’ve started playing around with the time, pace, and incline.

Why interval training works

Interval training is one of the most effective ways to workout because constantly changing your pace, and your heart rate, helps you burn more calories. According to Runtastic, interval training generates surges of endorphins, providing you with that “runner’s high” and helping you feel great well after your workout. A Huffington Post article even says that sprints can help improve brain function, so interval training has the potential help you both in the gym and in the classroom.

I’d highly recommend you try out this interval workout the next time you feel like breaking a sweat, but don’t over do it! Start with doing this workout one to two times a week and modify the intervals in the way that best fits your workout style. I like doing this workout on the treadmill because it’s so easy to change your pace, but you can also do this outside. It’s more about changing your speed than hitting an exact pace, so if you’re running outside, you can get the same benefits by just picking up your pace for a minute.

For more fun exercise opportunities offered by Campus Rec, such as personal training services and group fitness classes, visit our Fitness page.

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