If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years of gymnastics, swimming and dance, it’s that warming up is just as important as the activity you’re going to do. As a gymnast, I spent at minimum 20-30 minutes conditioning and strengthening. Today, the same remains, except that I’m not getting on the beam or uneven bars ☹ (I miss those days).
Warming up is crucial to any workout; you have to loosen your muscles and get your blood pumping to avoid injury. One of my favourite ways to warm-up is on the treadmill with interval running. Depending on how I’m feeling, I spend anywhere from 5-20 minutes on the treadmill and although a lot of you may hate cardio, interval running is not only great to warm-up but also as a workout for your legs and butt!
WarmUp
I always start by walking on the treadmill for at least 2-3 minutes at 3.2 and work my way up. I also usually warm up with layers on – but this is a personal preference. When I’m finally warm enough, I get comfy – which means a sports bra and leggings (Under Armour makes some of my favourite tights). From there I increase the speed to 4 and walk briskly for another 2-3 minutes; walking briskly is a great way to increase your heart rate while having minimal impact to your muscles or joints. Remember to keep your arms above your waist and keep them moving as you walk.
Incline
From there I increase my incline to the highest – which on this machine is 15 and bring my speed back down to 3.4; I walk for 5 minutes. This is the part where you begin to sweat and feel your legs burn! What I love about the incline is that it forces you to engage your core, use your legs and strengthen your stability. If you are not used to walking on such a steep incline, start where you feel comfortable and work your way up.
Running
Once you are fully warmed up, you can move onto your other workouts.
On the days where I want to do a little more cardio, I bring the incline back down to 0, increase my speed to 6 and start running. I usually run for about 4-5 minutes bring the speed back to 3 and walk for another 1-2 mins.
Why Interval Running/ Training is Amazing
| You burn more calories and fat |
| You improve your cardiovascular fitness. By increasing your speed for short distances, you build your endurance |
| You cannot be bored. I love HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) because it requires you to change what you’re doing. Interval running works the same way |
| It’s quick and effective! |
Warming up on the treadmill is a great way to get your heart rate going and loosen up your muscles. I love interval running because it’s a workout I can spend as much or as little time on. On days when I’m not feeling the best, running is my therapy. I literally warm up for a few minutes, increase my speed to 9 and sprint for as long as I can.
How do you warm up? Do you use/ like the treadmill?
KM