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This stage is to let your cardio-vascular system and muscles wind down and relax. 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 taking care 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 the 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 cooldown phases but increase resistance towards
the end of the exercise phase, making your legs work harder than normal. You may have to reduce
your speed to keep your heart rate in the target zone.
The amount of effort you put in is important. 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.
