Incline Walking

Incline walking is the most joint-friendly high-return cardio you can do. Walking at a steep incline drives your heart rate up and loads the glutes, hamstrings and calves hard, without the pounding of running. It is easy to recover from, easy to sustain for longer efforts, and simple to progress by raising the incline or the pace.

How to Perform

1. Set the treadmill incline to a challenging grade, commonly 6-15% depending on your fitness.
2. Walk at a pace that keeps your breathing elevated but sustainable. You should be able to talk in short sentences, not hold a full conversation.
3. Stand tall and let go of the handrails; holding on removes most of the work and the benefit. Let your arms swing naturally.
4. Drive through the whole foot and squeeze the glute of the trailing leg as you push off.
5. Hold the effort for the prescribed time, then lower the incline for a cooldown walk.

Tips

• Do not hold the rails. If you need them, the incline or speed is too high; lower it.
• It should feel like steady work, around an RPE of 6-8. It is a conditioning tool, not a sprint.
• Progress by raising the incline a notch, adding time, or increasing the walking speed.