With the off-season upon us, there is no better time than now to get into shape for the fall. If you are like me, and perhaps like most beer leaguers, dropping a few pounds and building up the strength and endurance is key. To help you reach your goals, here are a few tips while using the treadmill to train.
1. Start slow
Not everyone, actually most, cannot run like a gazelle. Start your training walking on an incline at a moderate pace. Most treadmills come with preset workout routines such as an incline/hill workout. No need to climb Mount Everest off the start, but make sure you’re pushing yourself.
2. Gradually work your way up to running
After you’ve built up some endurance it is time to take it to the next level. Begin with a jog and increase your speed by .5 increments. A decent pace to maintain is 5 mph which puts you at a 12 minute mile. After a week and a half throw in a minute or two here and there of a higher pace to grow those muscles to take on better speeds. Eventually your body will adjust and you can gradually increase your speed.
3. Interval training
Like I mentioned before, most treadmills come with preset workouts. The one you want to focus on the most is interval training, a faster speed for about 15 – 20 seconds followed by a slower speed at 45 – 60 seconds. This mimics a true hockey shift and will help with the explosive starts. Feel like kicking it up a notch, increase the incline for a real killer workout.
4. Farmers walk
Back when I was a kid, I walked up hill both ways. OK, maybe not so, but times were definitely tougher “back in the day”. This exercise was named after farmers who had to carry pales of water or heavy loads up hill back to their destination. For the exercise, put the treadmill at a moderate incline and a decent walking pace. Add two dumbbells in your hands and there you have it. Try that for 30 minutes and you are beat. Note: maintain proper posture while walking to avoid injury, even if it means going with lesser dumbbells.
A treadmill can burn up to 600 – 1,200 calories an hour. Sure the first time you lay a foot on one you probably are not going to go that long, but stick to it. Not only will you lose some pounds and better your heart, you should gain a stride or two on the ice.
