Best way to workout on a treadmill?

[MRose]

I know everyone does this a little different, and that Google has about 100,000 different suggestions for this, but I'd like to hear what you guys think. My husband and I just moved and are having trouble finding a good place to walk. We have been walking/jogging for the past 6 months or so, but my weight loss has tapered a bit (I lost about 30 lb and then just kinda stopped).  I've heard speed intervals are good for revamping weight loss. What are your thoughts? Also, I know you can't do 4 mph for 5 miles on a treadmill then go do a running track and do the same thing (different muscle memory), so are there any ways to curtail this? I don't want to finish our half-marathon training on a treadmill just to be lying on the side of the road from exhaustion at mile 2 during the race! 😛

Also, would anyone have any tips for gradually increasing your running distance? My husband is just a natural runner, but I am not at all that way, so I don't want to keep him from doing his best because he's babysitting me on the sidelines. I refuse to use "oh I'm not a natural runner" as an excuse for not being healthy, but I also don't want to prevent him from succeeding because I'm waddling after a mile. 😕

[James_R · Accepted solution]

Many modern treadmills now come with pre-set training programs that vary both speed and incline for a real challenge, something like this might help you vary your workout. Failing that, simply play with the speed and incline settings manually and really challenge yourself on the treadmill. 

For distance, the only real way to improve is to keep trying. As the quote goes, skill is built by hours and hours of beating at your craft. However, even something as simple as good footwear and learning to get your breathing under control can provide you massive boosts. Once I learned to control my own breathing and stop snatching breaths I found my own stamina improved very quickly. 

Do try to hit the open road for some runs though, I find too long on the treadmill gets me into a particular rythm that doesn't seem to suit a road or field endurance event. 

[DominicJ]

I never had any luck building my distance
Pick a distance and build up your speed

A .5% incline adds about 5% to the difficulty

[mail_debaser]

I prefer to run for time. I'm an ex-smoker with seemingly never ending IT Band pain. After stretching, I'll warm-up from a slow to brisk walk for about 1/2 mile, then I'll jog at 4.5-5mph for approximately 5min, up to 6mph for 2min, then back to 4.5-5mph for another 5min.
My current goal is to gain the endurance to eventually hit 15 minutes straight at 6mph.

I also have an incline trainer, so will use preprogrammed trainings in there too, to help with my cardio.

[Heybales]

Sounds like question is in relation to weight loss.

But diet is how you obtain weight loss, eating less than you burn.

The exercise just allows you to eat more than you could with doing none.

So to that point of burning the most so you can eat enough to adhere to diet plan - go as hard as you can for however much time you have available.

That will burn a ton of carbs and fat because such a high calorie burn.

But - you likely couldn't do that daily, since recovery from that would be needed, or you risk injury.

So between days could be the Active Recovery HR zone, which trains the fat burning system for your endurance goal of marathon. This has been given the fad name lately of the fat burning zone because of what it encourages.

If your goal is actually different than merely weight loss, there would be better training methods.

Oh, studies have shown because of the way you view outdoor running, most people actually will run faster and harder outside but feel it's easier than the treadmill - so don't fear that.

Only problem is in-experience on slowing down on hills when appropriate, and knowing how to go downhill correctly.

I could always pickout people in races that did most their training flat or on treadmills because of doing hills wrong up and down.