hey Everyone,

I get a little excited whenever I have fitness breakthrough and would like to share this new one with you as it has been bringing me great rewards.


Although I can run hard and play sports on occasion, I have avoided running on consecutive days for decades because I repeatedly get knee and heel pains that cumulatively get worse over time. The problem is that weightlifting, crossfit, and my other workouts sometimes lack that sustained heart rate boost that brings hours of euphoria. I get bored easily on the bike or other machines.


If your knees, heels, shins or hips have been keeping you away from daily cardio also, try this new style on the treadmill:


Big Picture:
30 minute uphill climb at a slow pace.

Details:
-set the treadmill incline to 8.0
-set the speed to 2.5 to warm up. Increase to any comfortable slow speed. (I get to 3.5 after about 7 minutes)
-increase incline to 10 at around the half way mark (15 minutes)
-increase incline to 12, then 15 (max) every 5-10 minutes.
-keep speed slow ~3.5

as a beginner modification, you can also make the whole workout a fast uphill walk.
(This will probably be enough for those who are more susceptible to injury.)

The slow speed and high incline with give you both a sustained cardiovascular workout with minimal impact on the joints. It kind of feels like the eliptical, but much better.

I usually go for 30 minutes minimum and add extra minutes when feeling stronger.

try it…
and let me know how the sweet rewards feel.

Let me know if you are able to repeat the workout for multiple days in a row without hurting your joints.

-Dr. Neal

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©2010 “Knees Hurt On the Treadmill??” by Dr. Neal Schwartz