Doing This One Thing While Running Burns Double The Calories, Trainer Says

Running is a popular form of exercise that people do in order to burn fat and get in shape. If you're currently on a fat-burning journey, you can incorporate running into your workout program on the days you're not strength training, taking a fitness class, or any other activity. And when you are running, there are some go-to things you can do to increase your calorie burn—and one of them is to increase the incline.

Most people usually run at 0 degrees or flat when they're outside, which is perfectly fine, too, but you can get more out of your cardio session when you're trying to go uphill. By raising the incline—or running up a hill—you engage more muscle groups, force your body to work harder, and burn even more calories. (It's an all-around win!)

Before running uphill or on an incline, make sure you stretch and warm up to get those muscles primed and ready to go. Below are a few incline running workouts you can incorporate into your routine ASAP. Read on to learn more, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Incline Treadmill Run/Walk Intervals

Start by standing with your legs outside of the belt. Set your treadmill to a 10% incline and the speed a little higher than your typical jog pace. Once the incline and speed are set, hop on the treadmill, and sprint hard for a total of 30 seconds.

Once you've sprinted for 30 seconds, grab the handles on the side, and carefully jump back onto the stable non-moving part of the treadmill. Rest for 30 seconds, and then repeat this workout for 10 rounds.

Steady-State Incline Run

Set the incline at least to 3.5 to 4 degrees and the speed at 5 mph to start. Begin running at the set speed, and try to maintain this pace for 15 to 20 minutes. As you continue to build up your endurance and used to the higher incline, you can go for a longer duration.

Steady Endurance Incline Treadmill Run

Man running in a gym on a treadmill concept for exercising, fitness and healthy lifestyle — Shutterstock

If this is your first time trying to run on an incline, what you can do is start off by jogging at your usual pace with 0 incline for 1 mile. After the mile is over and you're more warmed up, run for 20 to 30 minutes, increasing the incline by 2 to 5% every 10 minutes.

Hill/Stair Run

running up stairs outdoors — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Find a hill in your neighborhood or city or even a local park that has a high amount of stairs to climb. Start by leaning forward and running on the balls of your feet uphill at a pace you can maintain for the entire duration. Once you make it to the top, walk (or lightly jog) back down until you're at the bottom. Rest as long as needed before doing another round. Aim for 6 to 8 rounds to start.