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2. The Exercise Phase
This is the stage where you put the effort in. After regular use, the muscles in your legs will become
stronger. It is very important to maintain a steady tempo throughout. The rate of work should be
sufficient to raise your heart beat into the target zone shown on the graph below.
This stage should last for a minimum of 12 minutes for most people Start at about 15-20 minutes
3. The Cool Down Phase
This stage is to let your Cardio-vascular System and muscles wind down. This is a repeat of the warm up
exercise e.g. reduce your tempo, continue for approximately 5 minutes. The stretching exercises should now
be repeated, again remembering not to force or jerk your muscles into the stretch.
As you get fitter you may need to train longer and harder. It is advisable to train at least three times a week,
and if possible space your workouts evenly throughout the week. To tone muscle while on your Treadmill you
will need to have the resistance set quite high. This will put more strain on our leg muscles and may mean you
cannot train for as long as you would like. If you are also trying to improve your fitness you need to alter your
training program. You should train as normal during the warm up and cool down phases, but towards the end
of the exercise phase you should increase resistance, making your legs work harder than normal. You may
have to reduce your speed to keep your heart rate in the target zone.
The important factor here is the amount of effort you put in. The harder and longer you work the more calories
you will burn. Effectively this is the same as if you were training to improve your fitness, the difference is the
goal.
