HIIT (which stands for High Intensity Interval Training) is a fantastic way to get fit, regardless of your fitness level. If you find yourself on the treadmill with your workout playlist loaded up, why not give HIIT treadmill exercises a go? 

The best bit about HIIT is that it scales with your fitness goals and is easily customisable for whatever your fitness needs may be. So no matter if you are a beginner wanting to lose some weight or a fitness enthusiast wanting to push your body to its limits - there will be a HIIT workout plan for the treadmill to suit your needs.

Let’s hit the treadmill!

What Is a HIIT Workout?

HIIT workouts do what they say on the tin; they are short intervals of high intensity training. You’ll be working out with all your effort for a short but intense period of time, then taking short recovery periods - then repeating this pattern until your 30 minute session is over. A good way to imagine this would be to choose your favourite song:

• During the verse of your song is when you’ll have a short period of recovery

• During the chorus you go as fast as you can with full effort

Not only is this a brilliant way of burning calories (and battling your stubborn belly fat), it will also help you improve your speed, stamina, and lung endurance.

Why does HIIT work?

HIIT is an effective way to workout because it is excellent at raising your heart rate quickly, meaning your heart will need to work harder to get blood (and oxygen) to all your muscles. As the heart itself is a muscle, you are improving its strength and endurance. HIIT also boosts your metabolism which is key for calorie burn and promoting healthy digestion.

HIIT is also great for those who want to workout but don’t have hours to spend slogging away at cardio machines and lifting weights. An average HIIT session is half an hour with almost no breaks (aside from your recovery periods where you workout, just at a slower rate).

A way in which HIIT works for you, no matter your progress on your fitness journey, is that it will help you blast through plateaus in your fitness journey. Overcoming fitness plateaus are an essential part of consistent, meaningful progression in the fitness world.

When you choose to do HIIT on a treadmill, you make it much easier to improve your overall fitness. You’ll not only have speed to tailor, but also incline, meaning you can tailor your workout to your individual needs easily.

HIIT Treadmill Routine for Beginners

If you’re not much of a sprinter yet, that’s fine, HIIT is for you too! If you want more of a gentle introduction to fitness and HIIT, why not try:

• Warm Up: walk at a reasonable pace for around 5 minutes

• Workout:

• Walk very briskly for around a minute (increase your speed to the point you’re almost breaking into a light jog)

• Slow your pace down to normal walking pace for 1-2 minutes

• Repeat this process until you hit 20 minutes of training

• Cool Down: slow down and walk at a slow and comfortable pace for five minutes to cool down, and you’re done!

As a beginner it is super important that you find a pace and HIIT routine that feels right for you (and your goals). Your routine should be achievable and set realistic goals - focus on staying consistent and you’ll start seeing results. When this routine starts becoming easy, you’ll know its time to move onto something harder.

Intermediate HIIT Treadmill Routine

When it’s time to move on and try a routine that is a bit harder, why not try:

• Warm Up: start with a very quick walk or light jog for around five minutes. The speed you choose should be easy to accomplish for you.

• Work Out:

• Run for around a minute very quickly, not as fast as you can but close to it. You should put in as much effort as you can.

• For the next two minutes you’ll go back to jogging or fast walking for your recovery phase.

• You should repeat this process until you’ve been working out for around 20 minutes.

• Cool Down: You should do a brisk walk or a light jog for five minutes at the end to cool your body down before stopping.

If you want to make your HIIT routine more challenging, you can increase the incline of the treadmill. Alternatively, you can take less recovery time between active phases as you get fitter to make the sessions more difficult.

Advanced HIIT Treadmill Routine

If you want to start HIIT training that will push you to your limits, then an advanced HIIT treadmill workout plan is likely what you’ll be looking for.

• Warm Up: Begin with a light jog for 5 minutes.

• Workout:

• For 30 seconds you’ll sprint as fast as you are able.

• For your 1 minute recovery period you’ll go back to light jogging.

• Repeat this process around 13-14 times for a total of around 20 minutes.

• Cool Down: to end your session you should do a light jog that slows to a walk over the course of 5 minutes.

For those who want to challenge themselves even more, you can always add an incline - but we don’t recommend cutting down the recovery time. Your heart needs a break for the HIIT training to be effective!

Tips to Blitz Your HIIT Treadmill Workout Plan

1. Staying hydrated is super important - You should always have water for your workout and keep yourself hydrated before, during, and after a workout.

2. Don’t run before you walk - You should aim to gradually (over the course of weeks and months) increase the difficulty of your HIIT treadmill workout plan. Rushing to the harder workouts can result in injury or burnout.

3. Keep it varied - Always alternate your workouts week in and week out to keep it interesting. Have HIIT be a focus one week, and normal cardio or muscular training a focus another. Keeping it varied makes sure you don’t get bored.

4. Plug in the tunes: Music is fantastic for keeping you motivated (and distracted in a good way) during your workout. Choose something upbeat and fast paced!

5. Always have rest days - Never skip a rest day. Your body will need time to recover from HIIT (or any kind of training). Don’t burnout and injure yourself.

6. Keep track of your progress - Having some way to track how you are working towards your fitness goals is always useful. It can be as simple as what speed you’ll use on the treadmill to how many calories you burn per session. Having trackable progress will keep you motivated.

7. Be sure to wear the right kit - There’s no point trying to do HIIT in jeans and walking boots! Having a supportive and comfortable gym kit will allow you to focus on the gains, rather than battle the gear you are wearing.

8. Realise your limits - Everyone has a limit. While this is high intensity training, you need to respect your body and listen to it. Pushing yourself too hard will just result in injury or burnout.

FAQs: HIIT Treadmill Workouts

Why should I try HIIT on the treadmill?

HIIT is fantastic at delivering results in a relatively short period of time. You’ll be burning calories, improving your overall stamina and lung capacity, all while bolstering your cardiovascular health. HIIT is accessible and versatile regardless of your fitness level, and allows you to customize your work out plan to suit your individual needs.

Is HIIT beginner friendly?

Of course! Our suggested beginner HIIT routine is ideal for those just getting into fitness for the first time or coming back to fitness after a break. Remember, stay consistent and ease into fitness gradually to see the best results.

How often should I do a HIIT workout?

It vastly depends on your fitness goals and your overall fitness level. If you are a beginner you should look at doing a minimum of 2 sessions a week. If you are more intermediate or looking for a challenge, you should consider 3-4 times a week. Always be sure to space your sessions out and give plenty of time for your body to rest and recover.

What is the ideal speed I should aim for?

There is no ‘ideal’ speed as everyone is at different points of their fitness journey. If you are a beginner it may be more appropriate to use brisk walking and jogging. If you are looking for a challenge, you should use jogging and running - even sprinting. It all depends on how you feel and your level of fitness.

What’s the difference between HIIT and steady-state cardio?

Steady-state cardio focuses on improving your overall endurance when doing cardio. Think along the lines of running a mile at the same speed, or multiple miles at the same speed. HIIT is all about improving stamina and speed. In HIIT you’ll be alternating between high speed cardio and low speed recovery.

How can I stay motivated with HIIT long term?

Motivation is very unique to everyone. However, what is universally motivating is having clear, realistic goals to strive towards. Celebrate every small win you have. Another key to keeping it fresh is by switching up your routine so you’re not doing the same thing every week. Bringing a friend along to work out with you is another way of helping you stay on track with someone to keep you accountable - or someone to compete with.

Looking to Blitz your HIIT Treadmill Goals?

Head on down to Village Health & Wellness Clubs to crush your HIIT treadmill goals. We have all the state-of-the-art equipment to help you on your way. We also have dedicated trainers at Village Health & Wellness Clubs who can create a personalised plan just for you. Sign up today and get your first HIIT treadmill session under your belt!