3 treadmill workouts that won’t bore you to tears

It’s an unfortunate reality of training that sometimes you just can’t get outside to run. It’s on these occasions when you have to make a decision: the treadmill or the couch. Until now, your treadmill workouts have probably been mind-numbingly boring and it’s likely you’ve chosen the couch instead. But here are some fun treadmill workouts that will have you looking forward to the next freezing downpour or late-night workout opportunity:

• Engage the interval. As a runner, interval training should be second nature to you. Now try it on the ‘mill. Interval training combines periods of super-high intensity and speed with low intensity periods of recovery. Remember to warm up with a slow jog for between 5 and 8 minutes. Then increase your speed until you can only just keep up for about 20 seconds. Then slow the treadmill right down and recover for a minute. Then repeat! This great, fast workout will have you wondering where the 20 minutes went! You can lengthen the speed section and shorten the recovery section as you get stronger.
• Race for the hills. Hill repeats are an important aspect of running training and you can easily simulate these on the treadmill. Remember to warm up first, then increase your speed to your normal pace. Then push up your incline until you can only just keep up the pace and hold for 20 seconds. Then lower the incline and speed and recover for a minute. As above, lengthen the hill workout and shorten recovery as you get stronger.
• Add a strength workout. Do strength drills on the treadmill, these hip stabiliser strength exercises can be a great warm up before your workout as well.

1. While the treadmill is running on a slow speed, walk backwards (your back should be facing the consol), make sure you keep your hands on the rails to help with balance and keep your upper body upright. You can also play around with the incline while walking backwards, best to ask someone to adjust it for you to be safe!
2. While holding on to the side rails and put your feet on the sides of the treadmill (off the belt), get into a sideways position with your left side facing the consol of the treadmill, carefully get back onto a slow turning belt and step sideways. You will feel your glutes start to burn, (don’t cross-over your legs) after one-minute turn to the other side and repeat.
3. Walking lunges on a slow turning treadmill can also be an alternative when you are getting bored and will be a great benefit to your leg strength.

These fun workouts will help you to maintain or even gain fitness for your outside workouts.