Hi,

I usually run (flat surface, at about 5 - 5.2) with intervals of incline walking - i dont have a set routine, i mix up my walking/running quite frequently, but try to burn more or less the same number of calories each session (about 500).

Yesterday, my knees werea little sore, so i ran for a few minutes, adn then substitued the rest of the treadmill minutes with steep incline walking - I walked at 3.5 at an inclination of 12 - thats the maximum my machine would go.

This is what i learnt - firstly, it was extremely intense, in fact, 3.5 felt a little too fast, adn i couldn't walk without frequently grabbing the side bars. i realize holding onto the bars reduces the intensity of the work out, so i guess I should slow down further, till I am able to walk without holding on.

Secondly, i noticed that the calorie counter indicated that i was burning even more calories than when i was running. Now, I realize that these counters are not that accurate, but my point is, for the same weight/age data, it showed that I was burning more calories at a high incline / slow speed walking than at a higher speed flat surface running...

Is this true? Can incline walking be as intense as moderate speed running (5.2)?

If so, can I substitute some of my running with incline walking? I ask because I find that the latter is easier on my knees, but I dont want to be conned by the treadmill's calorie counter into believing that I am burning as much or more calories than when running.

I'd greatly appreciate some advice on this one... thanks!!

Skinni

PS: Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday week!!

I wouldn't worry about how many calories you burn. How does the machine know?

Measure your time on the thing and how many miles you do. Get your heart rate up and a hard work out in.

I never run, only speed walk with an incline.

Morning,

Prior to getting surgery on my femur, I had to shun the elliptical (I couldn't raise my legs well) and use the treadmill instead. I swear by using the treadmill on an incline at a 3.5 mph gait - it caused massive sweating and was quite exhausting for me. More so than the elliptical.

Data points,

Barbara

Non-expert thoughts. I think a calorie counter on a machine is a decent gauge... for that machine (it's just based on weight, speed, & difficulty [incline]). Machines will vary between eachother. I can totally see 3.5 at a "12" incline being the same as 5.2 jogging at "0" incline.

You're working muscles differently with the walking & running. Your instinct about backing off speed is correct. If you can't truly do an exercise at a certain speed then you need to chill. Can you do 3.5 at 0 incline? Yes? Then scale the incline up to the level where you can't do it for the whole workout and back off. It's OK to have a workout that is "easy" and then bump up the intensity next workout and keep gauging.

I prefare to walk fast at an incline than run on flat.
I can go for longer and I still feel afterwards like I've had a good work out.

ok... thank you guys...

I find running at 5 - 5.2 just slightly easier (though a bit hard on my knees) than walking at a steep incline, that really gets me wheezing. I did what paydirt suggested, and found that 3.5 is the absolute utter top speed i can go on an incline without getting tunnel vision :/

yesterday i did 30 minutes of 3 speed at 12 incline, with brief periods of lower intensitiy cool offs. i found it a bit less intense than 3.5 of course, but at least I wasn't hanging on to the bars...

So yeah, i also see that the most common fact seems to be that while intensity needs to be hugh, I also need to keep mixing up my work out so that my body gets a surprise each time.. so thats what i'll do.

Also : Has anyone tried the stepmill, also called, quite ominously, the gauntlet? it looks like an evil medieval torture machine, is about twice my height and there are two lurking in a dark corner at my gym.. I worked up the nerve to get close to them yesterday, but i didnt even know how to get on to the thing - the lowest step was some 2 feet from the ground, and the thing seems to move as soon as you step on to it - I thought I'll run to you guys for advice before I take on that one...

So, Did anyone break anything on a stepmill yet?