Interval walking works beautifully outdoors and becomes a rather different exercise on a treadmill, where the belt sets the pace, the scenery does not change and the boredom arrives considerably faster. Here is why the treadmill changes it, how to structure the session, and how to make it bearable.

Why the Treadmill Changes It

The machine sets the terms: the the-the-belt-dictates-the-pace (the machine setting pace rather than your own effort from the getting-started logic — the belt-dictates-pace), the the-changing-speed-takes-a-moment (the pace changes being deliberate rather than instant from the workout-plan logic — the speed-changes-lag), the the-there-is-no-terrain (the absence of natural variation removing a stimulus from the weather-seasons logic — the no-terrain), the the-boredom-arrives-faster (the unchanging environment making it feel longer from the weather-seasons logic — the boredom-faster), the the-it-is-easier-to-quantify (the the machine making intervals precisely measurable from the progress-tracking logic — the easier-to-quantify), and the reframe (the treadmill interval walk as a different exercise from the outdoor version — the belt setting the terms, with precision gained and terrain and interest lost).

How to Structure It

Building the session: the the-use-incline-as-well-as-speed (the incline being the treadmill’s advantage over outdoors from the workout-plan logic — the use-incline), the the-incline-intervals-instead-of-speed-intervals (the varying gradient rather than pace from the workout-plan logic — the incline-intervals), the the-set-the-work-and-recovery-durations (the fixed interval durations being easy to programme from the getting-started logic — the fixed-durations), the the-alternate-brisk-and-easy (the the same brisk-easy alternation as outdoors from the japanese-interval logic — the brisk-and-easy), the the-warm-up-and-cool-down-on-the-belt (the including a warm-up and cool-down from the getting-started logic — the warm-up-cool-down), the the-do-not-hold-the-handrails (the holding the rails reducing the effort substantially from the workout-plan logic — the do-not-hold-rails), the the-use-the-programmes-if-they-help (the built-in interval programmes doing the timing from the workout-plan logic — the use-programmes), and the the-track-it-for-progression (the the treadmill making progression easy to track from the progress-tracking logic — the track-progression).

The Making-It-Bearable Notes

Surviving the boredom: the the-something-to-listen-to (the audio being close to essential indoors from the weather-seasons logic — the something-to-listen-to), the the-cover-the-display (the not watching the timer making it pass faster from the weather-seasons logic — the cover-the-display), the the-intervals-themselves-break-the-time-up (the the interval structure segmenting the session from the getting-started logic — the intervals-break-time), the the-shorter-sessions-indoors (the shorter treadmill sessions being more sustainable from the weather-seasons logic — the shorter-indoors), the the-vary-the-structure-between-sessions (the changing the interval pattern between sessions from the workout-plan logic — the vary-the-structure), the the-use-it-as-the-bad-weather-option (the treating it as the alternative rather than the default from the weather-seasons logic — the bad-weather-option), the the-outdoors-when-you-can (the outdoor walking remaining preferable when available from the benefits logic — the outdoors-when-possible), and the frame (the treadmill interval walk as the indoor alternative — incline as well as speed, hands off the rails, structure varied and something to listen to, with outdoors preferred when available. Use incline as well as speed, keep your hands off the rails, vary the structure, and treat it as the bad-weather option).

Interval walking works beautifully outdoors and becomes a rather different exercise on a treadmill, where the belt sets the pace and the boredom arrives faster. The treadmill changes it because the belt dictates the pace, changing speed takes a moment, there is no terrain, boredom arrives faster — though it is easier to quantify. Structure it by using incline as well as speed, doing incline intervals instead of speed intervals, setting work and recovery durations, alternating brisk and easy, warming up and cooling down on the belt, not holding the handrails, using the built-in programmes, and tracking it for progression. Make it bearable with something to listen to, covering the display, letting the intervals break up the time, shorter sessions indoors, varying the structure, and treating it as the bad-weather option.

See It in Motion

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