Let's compare

Last week I compared my steady state power walk with my power walk/climb interval.

Due to my back issues, I  began my cardio sessions with an easy, comfortable pace. If I felt any discomfort I reduced my speed and at times the length of my sessions. Finally, I felt well enough to increase the speed and length of my workouts. Now I'm able to add a climb. 

During my steady power walk my pace was 5 mph. This was challenging, but manageable for the 30 minute session. I performed my walk/climb interval as hard as I could, especially on the climb.

​Note the differences with the calories burned according to the treadmill's readout. Both sessions were for 30 minutes in length. I walked a few less steps as shown in the second photo; walk/climb workout, but I burned 63 more calories during this more intense session. 

Video below is a quick example of the walk/climb workout. For the actual workout, after a 3 minute warm up, I power walked at 5 mph for one minute on a zero incline. I then brought the incline up to 15 with a 3.9 mph climb for one minute. I continued in this manner for 30 minutes. Notice how I get down lower instead of remaining in an upright position on the climb. 

This is my favorite treadmill workout; great for shaping, toning your legs and lifting your backside. I try to incorporate this routine at least once or twice a week. This does not need to be done every time you hit the gym. I feel it's always good to mix things up; bike, swim, run or row.