Incline treadmill walkers...need some input

[Ottakee]

I have started some incline treadmill walks since the thread several weeks ago.  I am recovering from a torn meniscus and my PT gave me the go ahead.

I started at 6% incline, 1.7mph for 5 minutes.  I a now up to 7% grade, 2.4mph for 30-40 minutes.

My goal is to increase the speed (maybe up to 3mph), increase the incline (mine goes up to 12% grade) AND be able to do this with a loaded backpack of 20+ pounds (30 would be ideal).

I am though a 50 year old woman who has about 50 more pounds to lose (lost 40 so far since COVID) and I have torn meniscus in both knees.   All that to say, I need to go slower with this.

Anyone have ideas or a chart of how to slowly increase speed, incline, and weight.  Yes, ideally increasing the time would be good....but realistically, getting 30 minutes 4-5 days a week will be my Max.  I also walk outside, hike, cross country ski, etc.   I can walk with a pack outside but ice is my enemy.

Do you max out one and then another or slowly increase each variable....speed, incline and weight?  Could I just add a pound of weight to my pack for each pound of weight I personally lose?

Edited November 24, 2020 by Ottakee

[IfIOnly]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

I have started some incline treadmill walks since the thread several weeks ago.  I am recovering from a torn meniscus and my PT gave me the go ahead.

I started at 6% incline, 1.7mph for 5 minutes.  I a now up to 7% grade, 2.4mph for 30-40 minutes.

My goal is to increase the speed (maybe up to 3mph), increase the incline (mine goes up to 12% grade) AND be able to do this with a loaded backpack of 20+ pounds (30 would be ideal).

I am though a 50 year old woman who has about 50 more pounds to lose (lost 40 so far since COVID) and I have torn meniscus in both knees.   All that to say, I need to go slower with this.

Anyone have ideas or a chart of how to slowly increase speed, incline, and weight.  Yes, ideally increasing the time would be good....but realistically, getting 30 minutes 4-5 days a week will be my Max.  I also walk outside, hike, cross country ski, etc.   I can walk with a pack outside but ice is my enemy.

Do you max out one and then another or slowly increase each variable....speed, incline and weight?  Could I just add a pound of weight to my pack for each pound of weight I personally lose?

I haven't come across any progression charts or anything, but thos would be helpful! I would definitely choose to up incline before adding weights, especially knowing adding weights will put additional stress on knees and other joints. At least a 10-12% incline range is really where the pressure on joints and feet (incline is great for plantar fasciitis too) started to dramatically decrease. 

Link to original thread if anyone missed it and is interested. Lots of good discussion and info.

 

[IfIOnly]

And nice getting your speed up so quickly! I wouldn't worry about increasing time. That's the great thing about incline walking. It's a great workout that actually activates a large portion of the leg muscles, burns calories better than walking, and can be done in a shorter time. I think it being a quick workout that does so much without as much risk is the appeal for me. If you end up being able to add weights, you'll be really packing in muscle activation and calorie burning.

[Carol in Cal.]

I can't answer your specific question, but here is what I am finding my own self with some similar goals:

--I am older than you, I think, and I find that I really benefit from having a day off between each exercise bout.  I do better when I give myself that recovery time--my strength grows faster that way, which is kind of paradoxical.  You might not need that, but you might benefit from trying it.
--I read in 'Ready to Run' that clenching your butt and stomach muscles hard, and then dialing that back to about 25% strength and staying at that for running and hiking is good, and I have found that it completely prevents me from getting lower back pain like I used to.  It's crazy but true.
--My backpacking friends tell me that going downhill is a lot harder on your knees than going up.  OTOH, I get that HIIT heart rate going mostly with uphill segments.  So anyway, when I'm closer to back packing I'm going to do some packed weight downhills and see how it goes.  I don't know whether that is doable with a treadmill or not, but if so I'd probably try it some.

[Ottakee]

3 hours ago, Seasider too said:

Adding a question - how does incline level on the treadmill relate to percent of incline? My Pro Forma treadmill has incline levels 1 thru 10, any idea if there’s a standard number of degrees each level represents?

(it’s an older treadmill and I no longer have the paperwork)

I admire your goal Ottakee!

I don't know how it works, mine just says % grade....so maybe degrees?  

[Ottakee]

Now I can't get the quote thing working in my phone.

Downhill IS much harder on the knees.  My treadmill though does offer a downhill feel.   I do walk with hiking poles if we are going to be doing much downhill at all.

I don't think I will be going up much on speed right now.  It was very doable at 7% grade.....I am sure 12 % will be much different 

I might do some intervals with higher grade and then back down, etc.

And yes, I am only doing this about every other day.  I also do DDPY and try to do that about 5-6 days a week but also vary the workouts so that one might be a mat one, one standing, one stretching, etc.