As you go about your treadmill workout program, there are a few important things that you should be keeping in mind to ensure that you get the most from what that session has to offer.

Many people are quick to think that all there is to using a treadmill is hopping on and pressing start, but really there’s more to it than that.

By taking the time to learn a few additional tips that you should remember as you move along through these workouts, you can feel confident that you’re making the most of your effort in the gym.

Utilize The Heart Rate Monitor

The very first thing that you can do to help make the most of your treadmill workouts is to make sure that you are using the heart rate monitor if one is provided with your model. The heart rate monitor will quickly allow you to assess how hard you’re working so that you can be sure you are working at an intensity range that’s right for you.

If you simply just go by ‘feel’, you may not work as hard as you should be, thus won’t get the results you’re after.

The heart rate monitor is going to add great precision to the workout session.

Consider Adding Incline To Boost The Intensity

Moving along, also consider utilizing the incline function on the treadmill. Many people often forget about this entirely and instead just focus on going faster and faster as they go through their workout session.

While speed is definitely one way to add more challenge to the session, it’s not the only way.

By adding the incline, you’ll stimulate more overall lower body strength and power development, meaning you’ll actually get more of an anabolic response from the session.

If you’re looking to build muscle and not lose weight – but still maintain good cardiovascular health, then using the incline rather than increasing speed on the flat surface is typically your better game plan.

Flat running does tend to be slightly catabolic, so could hinder your ability to build up the muscle you’re aiming for.

Pay Attention To Your Foot Position

Finally, the last thing that you should be doing as you go about your treadmill sessions is making sure that you are paying attention to the foot position that you’re using.

Some people have a tendency to get lazy as they go about their workouts and will start to let this slep and before they know it their knees are not tracking properly directly over the toes.

If that’s the case, you’ll be far more likely to experience knee pain as you go along with your training workouts, which could leave you sidelined if it develops into a major injury.

So keep these quick tips in mind as you go about your treadmill workouts. By taking care and doing your workouts properly, you can ensure that you see optimal results.

For more help choosing a proper treadmill to do your sessions on, check out our helpful treadmill guide.