Treadmill With Incline Workout: Pros, Cons, and How to Do It

Walking is an underrated exercise for many fitness goals. It’s simple, low-impact, and can be done almost anywhere. Not to mention, it’s a great way to get your heart rate up and burn some calories (1).

But after a while of walking on a flat surface, it can become monotonous and may not challenge your body enough to stimulate continual progress.

Adding an incline to your treadmill workout can make a big difference in the intensity and effectiveness of your workout program. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of using an incline on a treadmill and how to incorporate it into your workout routine.

Is the Incline on a Treadmill a Good Workout?

Yes, using the incline on a treadmill provides an excellent workout. It boosts calorie burn by adding resistance, and provides a more intense session than walking or running on a flat surface (2).

Compared to other high-intensity aerobic activities, such as running on hard surfaces or performing plyometric exercises, they have less impact on the joints (3). This can help mitigate the risk of injury.

Using the incline also engages key muscles such as your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. This increased demand promotes greater gains in both strength and endurance (4). It also improves cardiovascular health by raising your heart rate, which makes it ideal for stamina building (5).

Another advantage is its versatility. You have numerous options to adjust, such as the incline or speed, allowing you to build a workout that suits your fitness level and progress to steeper grades as you get stronger. 

Read more: Incline Walking vs Running for Fat Loss: Which Is Better?

What Is a Treadmill with Incline Workout Good for?

Consistently using incline treadmill workouts can benefit your health in various ways, including:

• Higher calorie burn – The incline adds resistance, which helps you burn more calories compared to flat walking (2).
• Improved cardiovascular health – Elevates your heart rate, boosts stamina, and strengthens your heart (5).
• Enhanced muscle engagement – Targets glutes, hamstrings, and calves more effectively than a flat surface (3).
• Better endurance – Builds lower-body strength and prepares you for uphill walking or running outdoors (2).
• Joint-friendly alternative – A low-impact way to increase intensity without harming your knee joints, especially (4).

Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.

Does the Incline Treadmill Burn Belly Fat?

An incline treadmill workout for fat loss can’t directly target belly fat. Fat loss follows the principles of thermodynamics, which means you need to burn more calories than you consume (a calorie deficit) to lose fat overall (6). Unfortunately, where your body loses fat first depends on genetics, not the specific exercises you do.

However, incline running or walking does help with overall fat loss. It increases your calorie burn to help achieve a caloric deficit while engaging your core muscles for stability. Over time, this can help build your core muscles while burning total body fat (2).

Combining incline treadmill workouts with proper nutrition and strength training will help you achieve a leaner physique and healthier body composition (7). For more details about treadmill weight loss, take a look at our prior publication.

Can You Build Muscle on an Incline Treadmill?

Using an incline treadmill can activate key muscle groups such as your glutes, hamstrings, and calves more than walking or running on a flat surface. However, it may not be enough to actually trigger muscle growth. 

Hypertrophy typically requires progressive overload, meaning your muscles need to be pushed beyond their usual capacity with heavy resistance or higher tension (8). While incline treadmill workouts provide a great, endurance-based workout, its ability to stimulate muscle growth depends on several factors such as your training age, speed, and incline level.

Regardless, the best way to ensure you maximize muscle gains is to combine incline workouts with strength training exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges. These activities offer the necessary resistance and progressive overload to build muscle.

How to Lose Weight on a Treadmill with Incline in 2 Weeks

Two weeks is just the beginning of your weight loss journey. Significant, lasting results take time, but you can make progress with consistent effort. Here’s how to use the incline feature effectively:

• Choose an appropriate speed – When you first start using an incline treadmill, begin with an easy walking pace of 2.5-3.0mph. You can then build from there.
• Use the incline wisely – Start with a moderate incline and gradually increase for a challenging but manageable workout.
• Be consistent – Aim for 4-6 treadmill sessions per week, each lasting 30-45 minutes.
• Try intervals – Alternate between intense inclines and easier recovery periods for maximum calorie burn (9).
• Maintain proper form – Keep your posture upright, engage your core, and avoid leaning on the handles.
• Pair with strength training – Add bodyweight exercises to build muscle and boost overall calorie burn (7).
• Eat smart – Focus on whole foods and portion control to create a calorie deficit (10).
• Rest strategically – Include recovery days to prevent fatigue and help your body recharge.

These tips will help you establish habits that lead to sustainable weight loss while making the most of your treadmill workouts.

How Long Should a Beginner Go on a Treadmill with Incline?

For most beginners, 10 to 20 minutes is a great starting point for an incline treadmill workout. This can vary based on your fitness level, but the key is to focus on consistency and not overdo it.

Using Perceived Rate of Exertion (RPE) to Guide Your Effort

RPE is a simple, beginner-friendly tool. It’s a scale from 1 to 10 that helps you judge how hard you feel you’re working (11):

• 1-3: Light effort, easy to carry on a conversation. Great for warming up.
• 4-6: Moderate effort, your breathing is heavier but still manageable.
• 7-9: Vigorous effort, challenging to sustain, your breathing is rapid.
• 10: All-out effort, very difficult to maintain for more than a moment.

If you’re just starting with incline work, aim to keep your workout at an RPE of 4 to 6. This means you’re working hard enough to feel a difference but not so hard that you’re completely wiped out.

Incorporate Objective Measures of Exertion

You can balance your RPE with objective data. Keep an eye on metrics such as:

• Heart Rate: Use a fitness watch or your treadmill’s monitor to track your heartbeats per minute (BPM). Beginners can aim for 50-70% of their maximum heart rate during cardio.  To find a rough estimate, use the following equation: 220 minus your age = max heart rate) (12).
• Duration and Speed: If you’re starting with just 10 minutes, use a comfortable walking pace, such as 2.5-3.5 mph. Over time, you can increase your speed or incline as your body gets stronger.
• Incline Level: Beginners can start a 2-4% incline and work their way up.

These data points will help you understand how your body responds to incline training and keep you on track with your goals.

Start Slow and Build Gradually

If you’ve never used an incline before, ease into it. Here’s a simple treadmill with incline workout for beginners:

1. Warm-Up (3-5 minutes): Walk at a 0% incline at a comfortable pace (RPE 2-3).
2. Incline Walk (5-10 minutes): Increase the incline to 2-4% and continue walking at an RPE of 4-6. At this pace, your breathing should pick up but should still be doable.
3. Recovery (2-5 minutes): Lower the incline to 0% and slow your pace to bring your breathing back to normal.

Once you’re comfortable, you can gradually extend the incline segment by 2-3 minutes each week or add variety with intervals (e.g. alternating between a higher incline and flat walking every couple of minutes).

Here’s a more advanced workout for those who want to challenge themselves:

Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

• Set the incline to 1% and the speed to a comfortable pace (around 2.5-3.5 mph).
• Walk at this pace to loosen up your muscles and get your heart rate up gradually.

Main Workout (25 Minutes)

Minutes 1-5:

• Increase the incline to 4% and speed to a brisk walk (3.5-4 mph).
• Focus on engaging your muscles with each step.

Minutes 6-10:

• Raise the incline to 6% and keep the same speed (3.5-4 mph).
• You should feel a slight burn in your glutes and hamstrings.

Minutes 11-15:

• Boost the incline to 8% and slow speed slightly if necessary (3-3.5 mph) to maintain control.
• This is where you challenge yourself, so push through the intensity.

Minutes 16-20:

• Drop the incline back to 4% and maintain the speed at a brisk pace (3.5-4 mph).
• Use this as active recovery while keeping your heart rate elevated.

Minutes 21-25:

• Raise the incline to 10% and slow your speed to a moderate pace (2.5-3 mph).
• Stay steady and engage your core for balance as you power through this uphill section.

Cool-Down (5 Minutes)

• Reduce the incline to 0% and slow the speed to an easy walk (2.5-3 mph).
• Gradually bring your heart rate back down and finish with some light stretching.

Listen to Your Body

Your body is your best guide! Some days you may feel extra energetic, while other days will feel tough. If your legs start burning or you’re gasping for air, your RPE is likely too high. Reduce the incline, slow your pace, or simply take a break. This will help prevent burnout or injury.

Conversely, if you’re finishing your workout and feel like it wasn’t challenging, you can increase the incline slightly or extend your time by 5 minutes.

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Is It OK to Use the Incline Treadmill Every Day?

While incline treadmill workouts are great for boosting fitness, they can be too demanding to do every single day, particularly if you’re incorporating other lower-body exercises into your routine.

Incline walking or running is categorized as a moderate to high-intensity workout, which places significant stress on your leg muscles, tendons, and joints. 

While consistency is important in building fitness, too much of a good thing can hinder your progress and increase your risk of injury.

Here’s why you should reconsider doing this type of training daily:

It’s a Demanding Workout for Your Lower Body

Incline treadmill workouts recruit your calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quads more intensely than flat terrain (3). While this is fantastic for building strength and endurance, doing this type of repetitive, high-load activity every single day can overwork these muscles. Add in other exercises such as strength training or outdoor running, and you could be setting yourself up for overtraining or strain.

Risk of Overuse Injuries

When you repeatedly challenge the same muscles and joints without proper rest, the chances of overuse injuries increase. Common issues include shin splints, tendinitis, and joint pain, particularly in the knees and hips (13). These injuries are painful and can sideline you for weeks or even months.

Your Body Needs Recovery to Grow Stronger

Fitness improvements happen during recovery, not during the workout itself. When you train, you’re putting stress on your muscles. Then, during rest, they repair and adapt to become stronger (14). Without adequate recovery, these adaptations can’t happen, which leaves your muscles fatigued and at a greater risk of breakdown.

Mental Fatigue and Burnout

Doing the same intense workout day after day can lead to mental fatigue, making you dread your treadmill sessions instead of enjoying them. This can cause both boredom and lack of motivation, which might ultimately derail your fitness goals.

Signs You’re Overdoing It

If you’re using the incline treadmill daily, look out for these warning signs of overtraining:

• Persistent muscle soreness that doesn’t improve with rest
• Decreased performance, such as slower speeds or struggling to maintain intensity
• Pain in your joints or shins
• Feeling fatigued or unmotivated

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s a sign that your body may need more recovery time.

 If you’re doing incline treadmill workouts daily, you can include recovery days by adjusting the intensity and effort rather than skipping the treadmill entirely. Here’s how:

• Lower the Incline: Use a flat or very mild incline (0-1%) to reduce the strain on your muscles and joints.
• Slow the Pace: Walk at a comfortable, leisurely speed (e.g. 2-3 mph) to keep your heart rate low and promote active recovery.
• Shorten the Duration: Limit your session to 10-15 minutes, just enough to stay active without overexerting yourself.

This approach allows you to stay consistent with daily movement while giving your body the rest it needs to recover and rebuild. 

Does making your own plan sound daunting? Our previous blog post on the 28-day treadmill weight loss challenge offers a step-by-step plan to help you stay motivated and see real results. 

Read more: Incline Walking vs Running: Which One Should You Do?

What Are the Disadvantages of the Incline on a Treadmill?

1. Increased Stress on Joints

Running or walking on an incline can increase the load on your lower body, particularly your hips (3). This is because people will naturally bend over as they walk uphill, which pushes the center-of-mass back. This can put more stress on the hips. 

While this certainly takes stress off the knees, which is a benefit, overdoing incline walking or running may lead to joint discomfort or even injury. This is particularly true for those with pre-existing hip issues or poor hip mobility. 

If you feel joint discomfort during an incline workout, this is a sign to ease back. Incorporating rest and mobility days into your routine can help protect your joints in the long run.

2. Higher Risk of Overuse Injuries

Using the incline too often or for extended periods can contribute to overuse injuries. Overuse injuries occur when a certain part of your body is repeatedly stressed without having enough time to recover (13).

Common issues include shin splints (pain along the inner edge of your shinbone), Achilles tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon connecting your calf to your heel), and plantar fasciitis (irritation of the thick band of tissue under your foot).

To reduce the risk of overuse injuries, vary your workouts. Mix incline walking or running with flat treadmill sessions, outdoor running, or cross-training activities such as swimming or cycling.

3. Can Encourage Improper Form

When the incline is too steep, it’s easy to lose proper running or walking form. While leaning forward a little bit is appropriate, some people may lean forward excessively, gripping the treadmill handles for support, or shortening their stride unnaturally. This can lead to unnatural body mechanics, reduced workout effectiveness, and even strain on your lower back or shoulders.

To maintain good form, keep your chest up and your shoulders relaxed and avoid relying on the handles. If you find yourself hunching forward or struggling to maintain a natural gait, the incline might be set too high.

4. Not Suitable for Everyone

Incline workouts are physically demanding. Starting on a steep incline may not be appropriate for several groups of people, including beginners, individuals who are recovering from an injury, or those with medical conditions such as heart issues. The challenge of incline training can quickly elevate your heart rate, which could be risky if your body isn’t used to it or if your doctor has advised against high-intensity workouts.

If you’re new to training or have health concerns, start on a gentle slope (1-3%) and increase the incline only after your body adapts. Always prioritize your safety and listen to your body.

5. Can Lead to Muscle Imbalances

This disadvantage applies to extreme cases, and is unlikely if you have a balanced routine in addition to your treadmill workout.
Incline training tends to focus heavily on your posterior chain (the muscles on the back of your body), such as your calves, hamstrings, and glutes (3).

While this is great for lower-body strength, it can leave other muscles underworked, such as the quads (front of your thighs) or even areas of your upper body. In extreme cases, this imbalance may impact your overall functional fitness or increase the risk of injury.

To prevent this, make sure your workout routine targets all the major muscle groups. Adding strength training or a variety of cardio exercises can help create a well-rounded program.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is incline treadmill training bad for your knees?

An incline treadmill is actually safer for your knees, as walking or running on an incline reduces the impact compared to flat treadmill running or outdoor running (4). However, if you have pre-existing knee conditions or pain, start at a lower incline and consult a healthcare professional before you increase the intensity.

• Is 30 minutes of treadmill a day enough?

Yes, 30 minutes of treadmill activity a day can be enough to improve cardiovascular health, burn calories, and enhance fitness. The effectiveness depends on the intensity and your fitness goals. For weight loss or endurance building, combining treadmill sessions with a balanced diet and other exercises can be even more effective.

• Is it okay to just use the treadmill at the gym?

Yes, it’s okay to primarily use the treadmill at the gym, particularly if this aligns with your fitness goals. However, incorporating other types of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises can create a more well-rounded routine and target different muscle groups.

• How long do you need on a treadmill to burn 500 calories?

The time it takes to burn 500 calories on a treadmill varies based on the speed, incline, and your body weight. For example:

• A person weighing 150 pounds walking at 4 mph on a flat incline may take about an hour to an hour and a half.
• Increasing the incline or speed can reduce this time. For quicker calorie burning, use intervals with higher inclines or speeds.

A good starting point would be this treadmill interval workout, which mixes speed and incline changes to keep your routine dynamic and maximize calorie burn.

The Bottom Line

Incline treadmill workout sessions are a fantastic way to enhance your fitness routine. They increase calorie burn, improve cardiovascular health, engage multiple muscle groups, and provide a joint-friendly alternative to high-impact exercises. To avoid plateauing or injury, always remember to rest, gradually increase the intensity of your workouts, and incorporate a variety of exercises.