Walking on Incline Treadmill

Setup

1. 01Clip the safety key on and start the belt at a slow speed on a flat setting.
2. 02Step on and build to a comfortable walking pace, typically 2.5 to 3.5 mph.
3. 03Raise the incline gradually to the target grade, commonly 5 to 12 percent.
4. 04Release the handrails once your stride feels stable on the grade.

Execution

1. 01Lean slightly into the hill from the ankles while keeping the trunk long.
2. 02Drive through the whole foot and finish each step with a strong toe-off.
3. 03Take slightly shorter, quicker steps than on flat ground.
4. 04Hold a pace where breathing is clearly elevated but rhythm stays steady.
5. 05Lower the incline back to flat for the final 2 to 3 minutes before stopping.

Checkpoints

• -Hands stay off the handrails, which would erase most of the incline stimulus.
• -Hips stay extended at push-off rather than staying bent forward.
• -Heart rate sits noticeably higher than flat walking at the same speed.
• -Calves and glutes, not the low back, feel the work.

Common mistakes

• -Hanging on the handrails and leaning back, which flattens the effective grade.
• -Setting speed and incline high simultaneously instead of progressing one at a time.
• -Overstriding uphill and jarring the shins.
• -Stopping abruptly at a steep grade instead of tapering the incline down.