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8 Benefits of Using Incline on the Treadmill

Jan. 09, 2023
Author: 德州嘉沐进出口有限公司 From: 德州嘉沐进出口有限公司 Modify: Feb,27,2023

An incline treadmill is a piece of exercise equipment that allows users to walk, jog, or run on a moving surface while also adjusting the angle of the surface. Unlike a traditional treadmill that is flat, an incline treadmill can simulate uphill terrain, which can make your workout more challenging and provide additional benefits such as targeting different muscles, burning more calories, and improving cardiovascular fitness.

 

Incline treadmills have a motorized platform that moves a conveyor belt beneath your feet. The angle of the platform can be adjusted to different incline levels, allowing you to simulate walking or running uphill. Incline treadmills from JM also have preset workout programs that automatically adjust the incline and speed to simulate different terrains or workout intensities. Specific benefits of incline treadmill include:

 

1. A More Realistic Running Experience

In my own personal testing, I have found that using an incline on the treadmill actually helps replicate a more realistic running experience. Studies have shown that using an incline of 1% to 2% will help simulate a more realistic running experience because this incline takes into account wind resistance, which you don't experience when running on a treadmill. When running outdoors, you are constantly pushing your body through the air, while the wind pushes you in the opposite direction. Therefore, this 1% to 2% incline will make you feel like you are running outdoors, but at the same time comfortable in an indoor gym.

 

2. Injury Prevention

Have you ever tried running on a 0% incline and felt your legs really hurt? On my most recent treadmill run, I was running on a 0% incline and I felt like I was starting to get shin splints and other leg pain. So, I tried the recommended 1% to 2% incline and noticed that these pains started to go away. This is because when running outdoors, you are not usually running on a completely flat surface. Therefore, at 0% incline, it almost feels like you are running downhill. In addition, running downhill puts a lot of stress on your legs and joints, which can lead to long-term injuries. These additional stresses are why your legs are more likely to start hurting when running on a 0% grade than when running on a 1% or 2% grade. 

 

3. Increased Intensity

Just like running up a hill, running on a treadmill at a certain percentage of incline is a great way to increase strength. In addition to a 1% or 2% incline, most treadmills can go up to a 10% or 12% incline. This range of gradients is enough to help you get a great hill workout on the treadmill. Running uphill requires more oxygen intake, which will help your overall endurance. In addition, running on an incline requires your muscles to work harder and will build strength in your legs compared to a 0% incline. After implementing hill climbing training into your running program, running on flat ground will feel like a breeze. Therefore, by running on a treadmill at a certain incline, you can build up your leg strength, which will help you run stronger and faster.

 

4. Heart Strength

Like most aerobic exercises, walking fast on the treadmill incline will make your heart beat faster. If you do regular incline walking, this in turn helps blood flow. During a treadmill workout, your heart will work harder, which is exactly what it needs to build its strength. Unlike more intense aerobic exercise, walking at an incline on a treadmill can be slow and steady, allowing your heart to get stronger without the shock.


If you want to improve blood flow and find that running puts too much of a strain on your joints or causes soreness, consider increasing the incline percentage for a low-impact exercise that still helps your circulation. 

 

commercial grade treadmill

5. Muscle Recovery

Whether you are doing an upper body high intensity workout such as bench pressing or working your legs in the gym, walking at an incline on a treadmill is one of the best ways to promote muscle recovery. The key to building muscle is to repair the damage caused during a high-intensity workout. After this, your muscles will grow to adapt to the previous injury. 
The worst thing you can do after a workout is to get right into your car or find a place to sit down. Your muscles need to slowly return to a resting state, just as they need to be prepared before a high-intensity workout. Walking on a flat surface will keep your lower body active, but walking at an angle will allow your body to move more. You can also use handrails or free weights to keep your upper body moving during relaxation. 

 

6. Boost your Metabolism

You know that incline walking helps with weight loss. Part of the reason is because it gets your metabolism up to speed, causing your body to burn more energy. A high-intensity workout like HIIT will keep your metabolism burning for hours after the workout is over. To a lesser extent, so does walking on an incline. 
When the body burns a lot of energy on a regular basis, it burns more energy. This is why some people who exercise only once or twice a week have trouble losing weight. Their metabolism remains dormant because they haven't had their body burn a lot of energy for a long time. If you want to burn fat, metabolism is the key, and climbing is a great way to increase your body's energy expenditure.

 

7. Prevent Fatigue

Incline walking is a great way to get the benefits of aerobic exercise without exhausting yourself. Of course, if you want to set a higher incline percentage and push yourself, you can still do so while walking on an incline treadmill. But there's no need to gain any other benefits. 
Sometimes exercising when you're not feeling great can give you a lot of energy. However, in most cases, you don't want to completely deplete your body's energy reserves. This can cause you to overcompensate after a workout. Some people may even overeat and risk sabotaging their weight loss progress to make up for the energy expended in the gym. With incline walking, you can get in a good cardio workout without worrying about feeling exhausted afterwards.

 

8. Improve your Health

A boosted metabolism and improved heart rate will both help improve your overall health. While incline walking will not allow you to specifically target muscle groups or areas where fat loss will occur, it does activate muscles throughout the body. This will make it easier to perform other exercises and physical activities. For this reason, many people use incline treadmill walking as a warm-up before performing more intense workouts. 

 

If you want to know more information about treadmills, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

 

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