When used with intent, a treadmill can be an incredibly useful tool for getting in shape or dropping weight. Structured programs can be the difference in wasting an hour lollygagging and walking away from a cardio machine feeling seriously accomplished.

Intervals are the fastest, most effective way to burn calories and rev your metabolism. Read more about aerobic interval training and why it burns more calories than regular cardio.

These routines vary in their purpose and intensity. Choose a plan that will challenge your own fitness level and use them to get your cardio fix. Mix and match on different days of the week to keep your body guessing.

Incline Intervals This uses incline intervals and is great for toning legs and glutes. Incline treadmill plans like this one are ideal for people who want to get their heart rate up without high impact jogging or running.

Interval Program to Lose Weight Faster A combo of walking and running, this interval program is excellent for individuals who want to make the leap from walker to jogger or jogger to runner. The mix of intervals increases endurance and lung capacity without putting hundreds of miles on your sneakers. It also burns lots of calories!

Sprinting Routine to Boost Endurance Using jogging as the recovery stage and sprinting for intervals, this 30 minute plan is challenging and ideal for those who already have good baseline cardio fitness. This will boost endurance and can increase speed.