Back to Basics: 3 Helpful Treadmill Workouts for Beginners

By Nate Helming

The treadmill is a useful tool to start a new running habit, get some workouts in and improve your fitness. These three workouts will keep you on your toes and make the time pass quickly.

Whether it’s too cold and dark, too hot and humid, too traffic-y or too ‘something else,’ the treadmill is a useful tool to start a new running habit, get some workouts in and improve your fitness. But without the stimulus of changing terrain, the wind on your face and people to dodge, treadmill runs can turn boring, fast. And if it’s too boring, chances are you won’t stick with it.

So what if we changed the oft-referred “dreadmill” into something else entirely just by changing up our workouts?

#1 Intro to speed workout (15-20 min workout)

If you’re a brand-new runner, you can reap big benefits from speed workouts. Plus, they're a fun way to break up your run, which mentally helps to pass the time faster. Most importantly, experimenting with faster paces will make your regular pace feel more comfortable.

For this workout, we’ll work on a speed ladder with equal work to rest intervals. This will give you time to focus on going faster while giving your body plenty of time to recover.

A woman smiles while running on the treadmill.

3 to 5-minute warmup:

Start by walking or slowly jogging to warm up your muscles and get your blood flowing
Think about running tall–relaxing your shoulders and breathing into your belly as much as you can.
This should feel like a 3 out of 10 effort–very light and easy.

Speed ladder (7 minutes total):

Pick up the speed for 30 seconds, targeting a 6 to 7 out of 10 effort.
Run or walk/jog for 30 seconds at an easy 3 out of 10 effort.
Pick up speed for 45 seconds, targeting a 6 to 7 out of 10 effort.
Run or walk/jog for 45 seconds easy at 3 out of ten effort.
Pick up speed for 60 seconds, targeting a 6 to 7 out of 10 effort.
Run or walk/jog for 60 seconds easy at 3 out of ten effort.
Pick up the speed for 45 seconds, targeting a 7 to 8 out of 10 effort. (faster here on the way back down!)
Run or walk/jog for 45 seconds easy at 3/10 effort.
Pick up speed for 30 seconds, targeting an 8+ out of 10 effort. (faster here on the way back down!)
Run or walk/jog for 30 seconds easy at 3/10 effort.

3 to 5-minute cooldown:

Keep moving, either walking or jogging on the treadmill to let your heart rate slowly return to normal.
Breathe deep through your nose and into your belly.

#2 Master Your Breath Run (15-20 min)

Many runners experience the pain and difficulty of feeling out of breath, even when running slowly. Painful side cramps can force you to walk and, even worse, convince you that you’re not a runner. But what if you could turn your breathing into a powerful ally instead? This workout will get you out of the "fight or flight" feeling we all experience when we breathe shallowly in our chest and shoulders and have you running calmly and in control by breathing through your diaphragm and belly.

3 to 5-minute warmup:

Start by walking or jogging to warm up your muscles and get your blood flowing.
Think about running tall by relaxing your shoulders and breathing into your belly as much as you can.
This should feel like a 3 out of 10 effort.

5-minute Breathe Intervals (round 1):

Increase your speed to a 5 out of 10 effort. This is faster than your warmup but something you should be able to maintain without heavy breathing or burning muscles.
For 30 seconds, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then, take 30 seconds to breathe however you like. Breathing in through your nose will force you to take slower, fuller breaths deeper into your belly. It may cause a slight sense of panic, but trust that you’re getting enough oxygen. Repeat this five times for a total of five minutes, and feel free to adjust your speed if needed.

5-minute Breathe Intervals (round 2):

Increase your speed to a 5 out of 10 effort. This is faster than your warmup but something you should be able to maintain without heavy breathing or leg burn.
This is the same workout as before, except instead of breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth you’ll be breathing in and out through your nose. Do this for 30 seconds, and then breathe however you like for 30 seconds. Repeat five times for five minutes.

3 to 5-minute cooldown:

Keep moving on the treadmill to let your heart rate slowly return to normal
Breathe deep through your nose and into your belly

#3 Improve Your Cadence Run

A woman walks on the treadmill, focused on the screen.

Your running form matters and, like most habits, it’s always easier to start off developing the right ones than spending time unlearning the wrong ones. Enter one of our favorite and most impactful drills–the cadence run.

Cadence is the number of steps you take in a minute. Many fitness trackers and apps will measure your cadence for you. Some measure based on how many steps you take per minute on one leg, while others track the total number of steps. For this workout, we will look at the number of steps on one leg.

Cadence will vary between runners, but some of the most efficient runners are between 85 and 90 steps per minute on one side. Many beginner runners are shocked when they realize their cadence is closer to the 60 to 70 range. A low cadence means you’re likely overstriding, which leads to increased impact on your knees and hips.

By improving your cadence, you get your feet landing more directly underneath you. You also end up improving your posture and arm swing, leading to more powerful and efficient running form.

3 to 5-minute warmup:

Start by walking or jogging
Think about running tall by relaxing your shoulders and breathing into your belly as much as you can.
This should feel like a 3 out of 10 effort.

Count your cadence:

Run at a comfortable 4 to 5 out of 10 effort. To set a baseline, first count the number of steps you take on one leg for one minute. This number will be your base cadence for this workout. You can use a metronome app on your phone to set your cadence speeds, or you can count your steps.

Cadence workout:

Take your estimated base cadence and add 5 steps per minute. Run at this pace for one minute, followed by 30 seconds of running at whatever cadence is comfortable. Repeat 5 times.
Take your estimated base cadence and add ten steps per minute. Run at this pace for one minute, followed by 1 minute of running at a comfortable pace. Repeat this twice.
Keep the treadmill at the same speed for both intervals. You’ll notice you’ll have to shorten your stride and actively pick your feet up more quickly.

Re-count your cadence:

Re-visit your baseline by counting the number of steps you take on one leg for one minute. This should feel as natural and normal as possible. Has your cadence changed at all?

3 to 5-minute cooldown: