Best Treadmill Workouts

So you say you have been true to your New Year's resolution and forced yourself to walk on your treadmill everyday but it's becoming more of a struggle each day? Are you beginning to get bored of walking, walking, walking and getting nowhere fast? While treadmills are great pieces of exercise equipment to own, providing us the convenience of a daily workout without having to worry about the weather outside or our own safety, they can get a little boring. If you are determined to continue your treadmill workout but need a way to shake things up a little, give these ideas a try.

Rock and Roll Baby
It's been said that music can calm a beast but, in this case, we want to wake the beast up. Music is a great motivator. Find your favorite CD that has an upbeat tempo and set your pace to the beat of the music. Turn it up loud and sing along.

Order Up a Combo
Just because you are working out on a treadmill doesn't mean you have to stay on it the whole time. Try changing things up by switching to a different type of exercise every ten minutes. Just walk or run on the treadmill for ten minutes then step off and perform a different type of exercise. This can include anything from stretching to calisthenics to weight lifting.

Challenge Yourself
Add wrist or ankle weights to your normal treadmill workout and challenge yourself to maintain your regular pace for the same amount of time.

Turn It Around
Who says your whole treadmill workout has to be moving forward? By turning around and walking or running backwards you not only change up the routine but you'll use different muscle groups, increase balance and burn more calories.

Take a Stroll Outdoors
Can't stand to be cooped up in the house any longer? That's another great thing about owning a treadmill; you can move it around easily. Why not move it outside? Just be sure you set your treadmill on a dry, level surface and don't leave it exposed to the elements when finished.

Turn Up The Heat
Increase the intensity of your treadmill workout by upping the speed or incline settings for short periods during your workout. Just walk or run at your normal pace for 10 minutes then turn up the heat and sprint up that hill for two minutes. Training at intervals like this is an excellent way to build your endurance as well as burning more calories.