Running stars and marathon winners aren’t just born—they’re made through hours of training. Before all that, they start as beginners, just like everyone else.
If you want to start running, you need to walk first. In fact, walking exercise is one of the best ways to prepare your muscles for your running plan, and it could be your first step toward running that marathon (or just improving your fitness level) (1).
This isn’t everyday walking, though. You need a plan that can help you find a comfortable pace and work toward your speed, incline, and intensity goals. That’s why it’s great to start with treadmill workouts for beginners.
Let’s take a closer look at all the benefits of a beginner treadmill workout and find out how an iFIT® membership could be the secret to your running success!
Is A Treadmill Workout Good For Beginners
If you’re not a big fan of the gym and don’t know where to start on your journey to running stardom, look no further than a home treadmill. Treadmills allow you to set and control a reasonable pace, giving you the freedom to work on your fitness in the comfort of your own home. Even better, treadmills with an incline allow you to work certain muscles more intensely, so you can start running like a pro in no time (4).
A beginner treadmill walking workout is great for newcomers, especially if you have an iFIT-compatible treadmill. With clear and precise instructions, a wide range of workout series, and plenty of opportunities to work on your form and fitness, iFIT gives you the leg up you need to feel like a track star.
Best Treadmill For Beginners
Want a treadmill that gives you complete control of your incline, speed, and intensity at the touch of a button? Need a machine that can let your trainer take over when it’s time to really focus on your workout? If so, the NordicTrack Commercial 2450 Treadmill might be the perfect choice for you.
With a 22” Tilt & Pivot HD Touchscreen, 0-12 MPH speed settings, and -3% decline up to 15% incline settings, the Commercial 2450 is highly accessible for people of all fitness levels. It even has an AutoBreeze™ Fan—a huge plus for the warmer months.
Here are a few more of the Commercial 2450’s best features:
- AutoAdjust™ Technology: Don’t want to worry about speed, incline, and intensity during every workout? No problem—the Commercial 2450 can intelligently control these settings for you during iFIT trainer-led workouts.
- Personalized Workout Stats Tracking: As a beginner, it’s helpful to be able to track your progress as you improve your cardio fitness and get more comfortable on the treadmill. Your Commercial 2450 and iFIT helps you save information about every workout so you can see how hard you’re working.
- SpaceSaver® Design With Easy Lift™ Assist: Perfect for beginners, this treadmill does some of the work for you. Built-in features make it easy to fold the treadmill and save space in your home gym.
- Comfort Features: A 22” x 60” tread belt and lower step-up height make the Commercial 2450 the best treadmill for beginners.
Perhaps most importantly, the Commercial 2450 is fully iFIT compatible. An iFIT membership gives you access to an ever-expanding library of iFIT workouts for beginners, where you’ll find plenty of options for intensity, speed and pace, incline and decline, and even interval training. Plus, you’ll never have to do a workout alone. With iFIT trainers and a community of other walkers and runners, you can work on your form, keep your motivation up, and learn new things along the way.
Treadmill Workouts For Beginners
Now that you know our choice for the best treadmill, it’s time to find a beginner treadmill workout (or five!) that you can fall in love with.
We’ve created these fun, challenging treadmill walking workouts for beginners to tackle on their home treadmill. Grab a towel and some water because this won’t be your typical walk in the park.
There are three columns for each workout. The time column lets you know how long you should be walking for that specific interval. The speed column tells you your base treadmill speed. The numbers are .0 or .5—but as you begin to feel stronger, increase the decimal place up 1 to 3 points. The active recovery at the end of each round is a way for your body to regain some energy without losing all your intensity. The third column tells you where your treadmill’s incline percentage should be.
Try all five workouts over the course of a couple weeks, then choose your favorite beginner treadmill workout!
Treadmill Workout #1
Duration: 18 Minutes
Complete 3 times
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 3.5 0%
1 min. 3.5 1%
1 min. 4.0 1%
1 min. 3.5 2%
1 min. 4.0 4%
30 sec. 4.0 6%
30 sec. 3.0 0%
(Active Recovery)
Treadmill Workout #2
Duration: 18 Minutes
Complete 3 times
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 3.5 1%
1 min. 3.5 3%
1 min. 4.0 5%
1 min. 3.5 5%
1 min. 4.0 3%
30 sec. 4.5 3%
30 sec. 3.0 1%
(Active Recovery)
Treadmill Workout #3
Duration: 18 Minutes
Complete 2 times
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 3.5 0%
1 min. 3.5 5%
1 min. 4.0 5%
30 sec. 4.5 0%
2 min. 3.0 5%
30 sec. 3.5 7%
30 sec. 3.5 9%
30 sec. 3.5 7%
30 sec. 3.5 5%
1 min. 4.0 5%
30 sec. 3.0 0%
(Active Recovery)
Treadmill Workout #4
Duration: 15 Minutes
Complete 3 times
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 3.5 0%
1 min. 4.0 5%
30 sec. 3.5 10%
1 min. 3.5 5%
30 sec. 4.0 10%
30 sec. 3.5 5%
30 sec. 3.5 0%
(Active Recovery)
Treadmill Workout #5
Duration: 4 Minutes
Complete 10 times, performing the 1-minute walk only for the first round
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 3.5 0%
20 sec. 4.5 5%
10 sec. 3.0 5%
(Active Recovery)
Treadmill Tips For Beginners
Now that you know which treadmill to choose and how to get started, it’s time to brush up on some tips that could help take your walk or run to the next level:
Make Good Progress
Remember that you don’t have to stay a beginner forever. Instead, kick your treadmill workout up a notch by increasing speed or incline. Changing the intensity of your exercise routine keeps you from getting bored and presents a new challenge.
Choose The Right Running Shoe
A comfortable pair of running shoes can make a world of difference. Most running shoes are designed to provide stability and cushioning, and different types can support different types of runners (7). Go to a professional shoe store or even consider visiting a sports medicine specialist or foot doctor to help you choose shoes that could make your beginner treadmill workout feel like running on a cloud.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is particularly important when you’re walking or running. That’s because exercise can cause you to sweat more, even if you’re going at a comfortable pace (8). As your body loses fluid, you need to replace that fluid by drinking water—or the result could be dehydration (9). Symptoms of dehydration include extreme thirst, dizziness, and confusion, and different people have different risk factors (9). Remember to drink before, during, and after your beginner treadmill workout, no matter what intensity or fitness level you’re working with.
A good hydrating reminder is to have a iFIT Hydration+ bottle handy, but its also equipped with a cool feature. The Hydration+ bottle has a flavor tank that houses liquid water enhancers in the lid.
So, as you sip, the system draws flavor from the tank directly into the straw, allowing the rest of the water in the bottle to remain pure. Transform water into a fruity beverage in a snap, then back to plain as needed. When H2O tastes like your favorite drink, getting enough during a workout and throughout the day is a breeze.
Keep Things Interesting
One thing that may discourage beginners from starting a workout routine is the risk of getting bored. Luckily, with iFIT and NordicTrack, there’s always something new to discover. Whether you want to take a relaxing walk by the beach or explore a beginner iFIT running series, you’ll have plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained while you work on your fitness at home.
You can also try different types of exercise. For example, many people like high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of workout involves low- and high-intensity exercise at different intervals. HIIT treadmill workout routines may help your body use oxygen more efficiently, which is a big part of cardio fitness, and might even help control blood pressure (11).
Here’s an example of a quick HIIT treadmill workout for a beginner:
- Walk at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes.
- Jog for 1 minute.
- Walk at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes.
- Run for 1 minute.
- Walk at a comfortable pace for 2 minutes.
While there are plenty of HIIT workout options on iFIT, remember that you can make an entirely new workout just by changing the intensity level. Try switching up the speed or incline settings to make an exercise that fits your fitness level.
Warm Up Before Your Workout
You should warm up before you walk or run. Warming up can come with all kinds of fitness benefits, including (12):
- Preventing injury
- Preparing your body for exercise
- Supplying your muscles with plenty of oxygen
- Improving performance
- Increasing flexibility
When you warm up, you should be doing your exercise at a slower pace (12). For example, if you’re going for a run, you might walk or jog to warm up.
Conclusion
Once you get more comfortable with these treadmill walking workouts, you can say farewell to beginner workouts and hello to treadmill running workouts. Doing so can help you burn more calories by simply increasing your activity level on your treadmill, specifically utilizing the incline feature (4).
It’s important to remember that there are certain treadmill mistakes to avoid before and during your treadmill walking workouts. That way, you get the most out of every workout session.
If you’re looking to invest in a great home treadmill to explore these workouts and their benefits, check out the Commercial 2450. With innovative features like iFIT and an impressive incline range, you can trust that you’ll be challenged and entertained all the while striving for your fitness goals.
iFIT memberships start at $15/mo. + tax, and auto-renew unless canceled in advance. Cancel at any time. Credit Card required for activation. Internet and WiFi required.
This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. NordicTrack assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment. Shipping times are dependent on in-stock inventory and delivery timeframes may vary. Make sure to check the website for any specific delays in delivery and shipping.
Sources:
- https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/walking-for-fitness
- https://www.nordictrack.com/learn/ifit-help-managing-ifit-subscription/
- https://www.nordictrack.com/incline-trainers
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504736/
- https://www.nordictrack.com/learn/commercial-2450-treadmill-frequently-asked-questions/
- https://www.nordictrack.com/learn/workouts-offered-on-ifit/
- https://www.nordictrack.com/learn/what-running-shoes-are-best-for-your-home-treadmill/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/barefoot-running-shoes/faq-20058003
- https://www.hss.edu/article_staying-hydrated-while-running.asp
- https://shop.ifit.com/collections/accessories/products/hydration-bottle
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086
- https://www.nordictrack.com/learn/ifit-workout-beginner-running-series/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26918846/
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/warm-up-cool-down
- https://www.nordictrack.com/learn/8-treadmill-mistakes-you-should-stop-now/
- https://www.nordictrack.com/treadmills/commercial-2450-treadmill
