Updated 09/01/2025
Working out on a treadmill is one of the best ways to improve your fitness, but if you want to take your training to the next level, incline treadmills are the game-changer. Whether you’re walking, jogging, or running, adding incline can help you burn more calories, build strength, and protect your joints.
Incline training has grown even more popular thanks to the viral 12-3-30 treadmill workout, but the benefits go well beyond TikTok trends. Let’s break down the top five reasons incline treadmills transform your workouts and how NordicTrack’s latest models, the X16 and X24 Incline Trainers, deliver results.
Boost Calorie Burn on an Incline Treadmill
Walking or running on flat ground primarily works your lower body muscles. But when you introduce incline, you work against gravity, which significantly increases calorie expenditure.
Harvard Health notes that incline walking activates more muscle fibers than flat walking1. Studies show the metabolic cost of movement increases by 52% at a 5% incline and by over 100% at a 10% incline2, making incline one of the most efficient ways to burn calories in less time.
Strengthen and Challenge Muscles
Flat treadmill running eventually leads to adaptation, where your muscles no longer get the same stimulus. Incline treadmills allow you to target your calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quads in new ways1.
By adjusting incline, you simulate hill training and build strength in stabilizer muscles that support balance and function3.
Reduce Impact on Joints
Running on pavement can stress your knees and ankles over time. Research shows that a slight incline (1–3%) can shift your foot strike, reducing repetitive impact on joints.
Incline treadmills combine that biomechanical benefit with cushioned decks, like SpringFlex™ cushioning on NordicTrack’s X16 and X24, helping you train harder with less wear and tear on your body.
Customize Your Workouts
Incline training makes it easy to adjust intensity without always increasing speed. This means you can:
- Walk at a steep incline for low-impact calorie burn.
- Run intervals alternating incline sprints and flat recovery.
- Simulate outdoor terrain for race training.
With iFIT®, NordicTrack treadmills automatically adjust incline and decline to match trainer cues or real-world terrain, creating a personalized training experience that adapts to your goals.
Learn why a personalized training program gets you real results here!
Add Variety & Stay Motivated
Incline training keeps workouts fresh. Instead of repeating the same flat jog, you can:
- Mix incline with strength moves (walking lunges, treadmill squats).
- Challenge yourself with progressive climbs.
- Try scenic iFIT global hikes and mountain runs.
By switching things up, you’ll avoid workout plateaus and stay motivated longer.
Best Incline Treadmills to Buy in 2025
Here are the two incline treadmills in NordicTrack’s 2025 lineup that feature an industry-leading -6% decline to 40% incline.
NordicTrack X16 Incline Treadmill
- -6% to 40% incline/decline
- 4.25 CHP motor, up to 12 MPH
- SpringFlex™ cushioning (trail feel)
- SmartAdjust™, ActivePulse™, AutoBreeze™, iFIT® Follow Trainer
- 16” HD touchscreen
NordicTrack X24 Incline Treadmill
- -6% to 40% incline/decline
- 4.25 CHP motor, up to 12 MPH
- SpringFlex™ cushioning (trail feel)
- SmartAdjust™, ActivePulse™, AutoBreeze™, iFIT® Follow Trainer
- 24” HD touchscreen
The Bottom Line
Incline treadmills bring a new dimension to cardio training. By burning more calories, building muscle, reducing impact, and adding variety, they keep you motivated and progressing.
When you’re ready to transform your fitness, the NordicTrack X16 and X24 Incline Trainers deliver industry-leading incline with the cushioning, screens, and iFIT content to match your goals.
FAQs About Incline Treadmills
Incline treadmill walking burns more calories than flat walking, strengthens key lower-body muscles (glutes, quads, calves, and hamstrings)1, and reduces impact on joints. Because you’re working against gravity, your body recruits more muscle fibers with every step. Even a modest incline of 5% can significantly boost calorie burn and cardiovascular effort compared to walking on level ground.
The NordicTrack X16 and X24 Incline Treadmills offer the industry’s steepest incline, ranging from -6% decline to 40% incline. Both models share the same motor power, cushioning, and performance features. The only difference is screen size:
X16 → 16” HD touchscreen
X24 → 24” HD touchscreen
This makes it easy to choose the model that fits your budget and your preference for screen size, knowing you’ll get identical incline and training capabilities.
Yes. The 12-3-30 workout (12% incline, 3 mph, 30 minutes) has gone viral because it’s simple, accessible, and highly effective. At 12% incline, walking demands significantly more energy than flat walking, which helps burn calories while staying low-impact. It’s also beginner-friendly since you can adjust speed or incline to match your fitness level.
Beginners should start with a 2–5% incline to get used to the added intensity without overstraining. As you build strength and endurance, you can gradually progress to 8–12% for steady climbs, or mix in short bursts at higher inclines for interval-style training. Always pair incline with proper footwear and a cushioned treadmill deck to protect your joints.
Yes. Incline training is one of the best ways to activate and strengthen your posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, calves)1, which are often underworked during flat walking or running. Consistent incline workouts also improve ankle stability and overall leg strength, making you a stronger, more resilient runner or walker.
A regular treadmill typically offers 0–12% incline. An incline treadmill, like one from the NordicTrack X Series, goes up to 40% incline and even includes a -6% decline to simulate downhill running. This wider range makes training more versatile, allowing you to replicate outdoor terrain, climb steep “virtual hills,” and strengthen muscles in ways a standard treadmill can’t match.
Yes. Running or walking on a slight incline changes your foot strike angle, which reduces repetitive impact compared to flat running. When combined with advanced cushioning like NordicTrack’s SpringFlex™ deck, incline treadmills help protect your joints and keep training more comfortable over the long term.
Absolutely. Many endurance athletes use incline treadmills to build stamina and simulate race conditions. For example, training at 6–12% incline mimics hill climbs, improving aerobic capacity and leg strength. The NordicTrack X Series also include iFIT global workouts, where trainers guide you through real-world mountain and trail runs, automatically adjusting incline and decline to match the terrain.
Resources
- Harvard Health Publishing. Treadmills are among the most effective types of exercise equipment — if you know how to use them.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Predicting the Metabolic Cost of Incline Walking from Muscle Activity and Walking Mechanics.
- ScienceDirect. The effects of grade and speed on leg muscle activations during walking.
- iFIT memberships start at $15/month + tax and auto-renew unless canceled. Cancel anytime. Credit card required. Internet and WiFi required. Features and content availability vary by plan and equipment. Pricing and features subject to change.
- SmartAdjust™, ActivePulse™, Follow Trainer, and AutoBreeze™, features require compatible NordicTrack equipment and an active iFIT membership.
