How to Get The Most From Your Treadmill Walking Workout In Three Steps

Step One:
Start your walking at a comfortable pace with the incline at 1%. If you have to hold on you're walking to fast. Don't cheat yourself. Holding on robs you of many benefits including balance, good posture, and proper breathing. It defeats the purpose of why you're on the treadmill to begin with by making it a fake easy, meaning you think you're getting the most from your work out, but you're not. There are too many negatives to holding on, plus we don't walk through life like that, with our arms out in front of us (we would look like Frankenstein). And your form will be sloppy. Try real hard to stay away from sloppy form. Exercise like you care about your body.
 
Step Two:
Every five minutes increase the incline to 3% for a one minute interval while pumping your arms. Stay upright by keeping your chest open and rib cage lengthened, don't sink into yourself. Keep your abs engaged as if you were bracing for a punch. Your ab muscles should feel tight under your subcutaneous fat (the fat over your abdominal muscle).
 
Step Three:
Walk 30 to 45 minutes. As you progress don't add more time to your workout, instead increase your intensity by walking a little faster, and, or going a little higher on the incline. Get to the point where your one minute interval is challenging. After some consistent training start walking for four minutes and increase your interval challenge to two minutes.
 
Here's an example walking program for beginner, intermediate and advanced:
 
Beginner:
5 minute walk at 1% incline
1 minute walk at 3% incline
Repeat for 30 to 45 minutes
 
Intermediate:
5 minute walk at 1% incline
1 minute walk at 3% to 4% incline
4 minute walk at 1% incline
2 minute walk at 3% to 4%  incline
Repeat for 30 to 45 minutes
 
Advanced:
4 minute walk at 1% incline
2 minute walk at 4% to 6% incline
Repeat for 30 to 45 minutes
 
This is a guideline. Honor your current fitness level. If your fitness level right now is at a 15 to 20 minute span start with that. Just be consistent, and you'll get to 30 to 45 minutes. Your goal is to exercise most days of the week. Keep your muscles balanced by adding in some basic strength training twice a week. Also add stretching and foam rolling to keep your muscles loose.  ~Mary Ellen