Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsGradientsPotential DownsidesTips to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Benefits

Gradients

Potential Downsides

Tips to Get Started

The benefits of incline walking are numerous. Walking along hills (or on an incline treadmill) can increase cardiovascular health, build muscle, and burn calories. An incline workout makes your body work harder than it does on smooth ground since you’re working against gravity and propelling yourself upward. That can support other health goals, including weight loss.

1. Builds and Strengthens Muscles

Walking uphill or on an incline treadmill helps build muscles in your legs. In particular, walking uphill can strengthen your quads (the front thigh muscles) and your glutes (your buttocks muscles).Large muscle groups in your body that are critical for day-to-day movements.

In addition to your quads and glutes, an incline workout can strengthen the muscles in your:

2. Burns More Calories

Incline walking burns almost twice as many calories as walking on flat ground. Of course, your calorie burn will depend on the incline.

Incline walking can also help you burn more calories after your exercise. Maintaining muscle mass requires more calories, so as you build muscles in your legs through incline walking, you’ll burn more calories each day, even when you’re not working out.

3. Improves Endurance

Incline walking can also increase your endurance, which is how long you can exercise. Walking uphill requires lots of effort from your muscles. Your cardiovascular system gets stronger to meet that demand, so you’ll likely notice you have more stamina on flat ground and in your day-to-day activities.

4. Helps Prevent Injuries

Walking is one of the safest exercises, and almost everyone can do it.An incline treadmill workout is particularly safe since you don’t have to worry about hazards like roots, rocks, or ice that may contribute to falls.

In addition, incline walking strengthens major muscle groups in your trunk and legs. That can give you more stability in day-to-day tasks and may decrease your risk of injuries.

5. Boosts Heart Rate

6. Easy on Your Joints

One of the best parts about walking is that it’s gentle on your joints. Incline walking allows you to raise your heart rate to the level you’d get with more intensive exercises without harming your joints. This is particularly beneficial for older adults or people with knee or ankle problems who want to minimize the impact of exercise on their joints.

7. Aids Weight Loss

8. Strengthens Bones

Incline walking is a great way to build strong bones. Studies have found that incline walking (and decline walking) can prevent bone loss. This is especially important in post-menopausal women and others at higher risk for bone loss.

9. Lowers Blood Pressure

Research shows that walking can decrease your blood pressure.Since incline walking offers even more cardiovascular benefits, it may do extra to reduce blood pressure. In addition, incline walking outside offers the benefits of time in nature, which may positively impact your blood pressure and stress levels.

10. May Help People With Weak Knees

Incline Gradients: Walking Outdoors vs. Treadmill

Judging your gradient on a treadmill is much easier than while walking outdoors. A general rule of thumb is that the steeper the hill, the more challenging your workout will be. However, even a modest incline of 1-2% will give you some of the benefits of incline walking.

Here are some benchmarks for incline walking:

8 Ways Walking Backwards Can Improve Your Health

Walking on an incline is generally quite safe, especially if you start slowly and work your way up. However, it is a fairly intensive exercise that can impact your muscles, especially in your legs. To avoid problems like shin splints, ease into incline walking, starting with a slower pace and incline. Always talk with your doctor before exercising if you have any health concerns.

Ready to try incline walking? Here’s how to get started:

Summary

Incline walking is a great way to boost your exercise intensity in a way that is generally safe and has little impact on your joints. Walking on a gradient can increase your calorie burn and even double it on steep hills. It can also facilitate muscle growth, weight loss, and bone density. If you’re new to incline walking, start at a lower gradient, and remember that even an incline of 1-2% can have an impact.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Texas Health.Research shows incline walking could be just as beneficial as running.Higgins S, Dickin DC, Hankemeier D, Wells MD, Wang H.The effect of incline walking on lower extremity and trunk mechanics in older adults.Sports Medicine and Health Science. 2025;7(1):56-60. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2024.03.010Swain DP, ACSM, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;2014.American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.Kang YS, Kim CH, Kim JS.The effects of downhill and uphill exercise training on osteogenesis-related factors in ovariectomy-induced bone loss.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2017;21(3):1–10. doi:10.20463/jenb.2017.0010Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Texas Health.Research shows incline walking could be just as beneficial as running.Higgins S, Dickin DC, Hankemeier D, Wells MD, Wang H.The effect of incline walking on lower extremity and trunk mechanics in older adults.Sports Medicine and Health Science. 2025;7(1):56-60. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2024.03.010Swain DP, ACSM, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;2014.American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.Kang YS, Kim CH, Kim JS.The effects of downhill and uphill exercise training on osteogenesis-related factors in ovariectomy-induced bone loss.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2017;21(3):1–10. doi:10.20463/jenb.2017.0010Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Texas Health.Research shows incline walking could be just as beneficial as running.Higgins S, Dickin DC, Hankemeier D, Wells MD, Wang H.The effect of incline walking on lower extremity and trunk mechanics in older adults.Sports Medicine and Health Science. 2025;7(1):56-60. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2024.03.010Swain DP, ACSM, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;2014.American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.Kang YS, Kim CH, Kim JS.The effects of downhill and uphill exercise training on osteogenesis-related factors in ovariectomy-induced bone loss.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2017;21(3):1–10. doi:10.20463/jenb.2017.0010Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters.

Texas Health.Research shows incline walking could be just as beneficial as running.

Higgins S, Dickin DC, Hankemeier D, Wells MD, Wang H.The effect of incline walking on lower extremity and trunk mechanics in older adults.Sports Medicine and Health Science. 2025;7(1):56-60. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2024.03.010

Swain DP, ACSM, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;2014.

American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.

Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.

Kang YS, Kim CH, Kim JS.The effects of downhill and uphill exercise training on osteogenesis-related factors in ovariectomy-induced bone loss.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2017;21(3):1–10. doi:10.20463/jenb.2017.0010

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters.

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