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URBANA, Ill., (WCIA) — With summer ramping up, many people may be looking for a new workout routine to burn calories, get their heart pumping and heart racing.
Ali Ball, an exercise coordinator with OSF Healthcare in Urbana, said she sees more people hitting the exercise equipment this time of year. She wants to bring attention to one you might’ve seen in your social media feeds — called the 12-3-30.
It’s an incline workout on a treadmill. Ball said you increase the grade to 12%, and walk at 3 miles per hour, for 30 minutes.
It starts with setting the speed, then increasing the grade.
“It’s a low-impact workout cause you’re walking most of the time,” Ball said. “It’s easier on your joints.”
She said it also burns a lot of fat and helps people lose weight. But, what’s the difference between this, and a run in the neighborhood?
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“On a treadmill, especially at an incline, you’re going to be working your posterior chain muscles. Your calf muscles, your hamstrings, your glutes.”
Ball said it can also help with balance, but training on a trail targets that a little more because you have to avoid obstacles like rocks and holes.
So, if you’re deciding what kind of exercise you want to add to your summer schedule, Ball said this is a good spot to start.
“Start off with no incline on the treadmill first and maybe walk for 30 minutes to see how that feels,” Ball suggests. “Once you get the hang of that, then I would slowly start adding the incline.”
If you are doing the workout and catch yourself barely able to talk, or if your heart rate is extremely high, she said it’s a sign you could be overworking yourself and should back off.
To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For more examples, visit this link on the CDC website.
