A flat treadmill is a great starting point, but anyone who wants to get more out of a workout will soon find themselves using a treadmill with an incline. By adjusting the angle of the belt, you change the intensity of your walk without having to walk faster. In this article, we explain exactly what an incline does to your body, what the difference is between manual and automatic settings, and which Dreaver models offer which incline options.
What does "incline" mean on a treadmill?
The incline of a treadmill indicates how steep the treadmill is, expressed as a percentage. At 0%, you walk on a flat surface. At 6%, for example, the belt simulates a slight climb, comparable to a rolling walking path. The higher the percentage, the steeper the simulation.
This percentage indicates the rise per 100 meters. At 10% incline treadmill, you therefore rise 10 meters for every 100 meters you cover. This may sound modest, but on a treadmill, this can quickly feel like a steep climb, especially if you maintain it for a longer period.
What does an incline do to your workout?
Adding an incline changes the way your body works, even if you do not adjust your walking pace.
More muscle activation
On a flat belt, you mainly use your calves and front thigh muscles. As soon as you train on an incline, your glutes, hamstrings, and calves are also more intensively engaged. This makes walking on an incline on a treadmill a good addition if you want to work on muscle strength in addition to fitness.
Higher calorie burn
Because your body has to exert more force to move upwards, energy consumption also increases. Training with an incline can help you burn fat significantly faster compared to walking flat at the same pace. This makes treadmill weight loss incline a logical choice if weight loss or a higher calorie goal is your main reason for exercising.
Less strain on the joints
An advantage that is often overlooked: walking on an incline provides a greater training effect at a lower pace. This means you do not necessarily have to run to get your heart rate up. For those with sensitive knees or ankles, this can be a pleasant way to still train more intensively without the impact of running.
Better simulation of walking outdoors
Outdoors, you rarely walk on a completely flat surface. Think of a walk through the dunes, a forest path, or a city neighborhood with inclines. By training indoors on a treadmill walking incline, you mimic that natural variation, which makes your workout more varied.
Manual versus automatic: what is the difference?
Not every treadmill with an incline works in the same way. Broadly speaking, there are two systems.
Manual incline
With a manual incline, you set the angle yourself, often by literally putting the treadmill in a different position or choosing a setting before you start walking. You cannot then smoothly change the angle while walking; you briefly interrupt your workout to adjust the position.
This system is simpler in construction and requires less technology, which often translates into a lower price. A small treadmill with an incline usually works on this principle and is therefore an accessible choice for home use.
