Treadmill workouts allow you to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Below are four quick, effective, and fun plans you can start at home or the gym. Each workout plan includes how you should program the treadmill and what pace you should target as well as the timing breakdown so that you know exactly how to maximize your minutes.
Treadmill Workouts
- 30-second sprint intervals: Speed work using fast running intervals and jogging
- Side-stepping workout: Combines walking, running, and side shuffles
- Walk the hills/run the flats: Alternate between running and walking on an incline or flat
- Calorie-blasting pyramid workout: Combine running and walking to burn calories fast
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Verywell / Alison Czinkota
30-second Sprint Intervals
Time is going to fly by with this treadmill workout. If you haven't yet done speedwork, follow these rules for speed training.
- Set the treadmill at a 1% incline. Start by walking at an easy pace for one minute. Continue warming up with an easy jog for 5 minutes. You should be at a conversational pace. This will get your blood pumping and your muscles warm and ready for the treadmill workout.
- Pick up the pace to a hard effort (heavy breathing) for 30 seconds. Recover with 90 seconds of easy jogging.
- Repeat the sprint/recovery intervals nine more times (18 minutes total).
- Finish with a 4-minute cooldown at an easy pace.
Total treadmill time: 30 minutes
Side Stepping Workout
This treadmill workout combines running and walking with side shuffles, which target glutes and quads.
- Set the treadmill at a 1% incline. Warm up by walking at an easy pace for 1 minute. Continue warming up with an easy jog for 4 minutes.
- Return to walking pace and then, as you hold onto the side rail, turn your body to the side, get low in a squat position, and start side-shuffling your feet. Don’t try to get fancy and cross one foot over the other. Continue side-stepping for 30 seconds and then return to walking forward.
- Pick up the pace to an easy, conversational running pace for 2 minutes. Then bring the pace back down to walking for a 30-second interval of side shuffles on the other side.
- Continue with 2 minutes of easy running/30 seconds of side shuffles (alternating sides) until you’ve been at it for 20 minutes.
- Finish with a 5-minute cooldown at an easy pace.
Total treadmill workout time: 30 minutes
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Walk the Hills/Run the Flats
If you like alternating between running and walking, this treadmill workout is for you. You’ll work your glutes with the hills.
- Start with a 5-minute warm-up of easy jogging or brisk walking at a 1% incline.
- Increase the incline to 2% and walk for 1 minute.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 1 minute.
- Increase the incline to 3% and walk for 2 minutes.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 2 minutes.
- Increase the incline to 4% and walk for 3 minutes.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes.
- Increase the incline to 4% and walk for 4 minutes.
- Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 4 minutes.
- Finish with a 5-minute cool-down of easy jogging or brisk walking.
Total treadmill workout time: 30 minutes
Calorie-Blasting Pyramid Workout
This treadmill workout combines running and walking intervals and burns a lot of calories. Set the treadmill incline at 1% and start with a 3-minute warm-up of easy jogging or brisk walking. Then do the following intervals:
- 30-second medium-paced running/30-second walk
- 1-minute medium-paced running/1-minute walk
- 2-minute medium-paced running/1-minute walk
- 3-minute medium-paced running/1-minute walk
- 4-minute medium-paced running/1-minute walk
- 3-minute hard running/1-minute walk
- 2-minute hard running/1-minute walk
- 1-minute hard running/1-minute walk
- 30-second hard running/30-second walk
Finish with a 2-minute cool-down of easy jogging or brisk walking.
Total treadmill workout time: 30 minutes