Running Hills Vs. Flat on a Treadmill

Running is one of the most effective ways to promote weight loss, improve your cardiovascular system and increase your overall health. If you’re a runner, you’ve most likely practiced running on a flat incline -- whether it be on a treadmill or outdoors -- but you may not have integrated inclined running into your workout regimen. Running uphill offers many benefits over flat-deck treadmill running.

  1. Running Uphill

    • Running up hills or an inclined treadmill causes your body to exert far more energy compared to running at the same speed on a flat surface. Running uphill promotes an increased calorie burn over flat treadmill running, and it also means your muscles are working harder and thus getting stronger. A 155-pound person burns about 528 calories per 30 minutes running up stairs.

    Flat Treadmill Exercise

    • If you’re a beginner runner, exercising on a flat-deck treadmill is a better choice compared to running hills. It allows you to exercise at a lower intensity while still getting the benefits of running, including burning a significant number of calories. For example, a 155-pound person running at 7 to 8 mph burns about 405 to 474 calories per 30 minutes, respectively. As your fitness level increases and your body becomes more accustomed to running on a flat surface, you can add a slight incline or take to low-grade hills outdoors to increase the intensity of the workout and continue to improve your overall fitness level.

    Treadmill vs. Outdoor Running

    • Running outdoors is a bit more difficult compared to running on a treadmill due to fluctuations in grades, weather and wind resistance. Increasing the treadmill deck to a 1-percent grade may more accurately simulate the conditions of running outdoors. You can also simulate running hills using a treadmill; the benefit is that you can easily track your distance traveled and calories burned.

    Complementary Exercises

    • The two exercises can actually complement each other quite well. Running hills can help improve your stride length and stride frequency as well as strengthen your quadriceps and hip flexor muscles. Over time this will allow you to run faster on a flat treadmill deck, so combining inclined running with level-surface running will benefit your overall stride, speed and muscle development. Increasing your stride length by just 1 inch can help shave about one minute of your 10K time.