The 9 Best Track Workouts for Any Ability and Fitness Level

Looking for another fitness destination besides the gym? Head to the track. There's usually a publicly accessible one in most towns and cities, and many are located near other amenities, like restrooms and water fountains.

They're outside (hello, fresh air and vitamin D!), and if you're already waiting for after-school activities to wrap up, the track behind your kid's school offers a convenient spot to sneak in a quick workout.

What that workout looks like is entirely up to you.

"The possibilities of track workouts are only limited to your imagination. And that's what makes them so great. They're so versatile," says Todd Buckingham, PhD, triathlete and professor of movement science at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Some are designed to develop speed and power, while others can help you improve your VO2 max, which indicates how efficiently your body utilizes oxygen. And some will simply ramp up your daily step count.

To help you make the most of your time on the track, we chatted with three professional running and track coaches to create workouts for walkers, runners and people who use wheelchairs. No matter if you're new to working out, an experienced athlete or land somewhere in the middle, there's a track workout for you.

There's nothing wrong with keeping things simple; walking around the track for 30 minutes at a steady pace will get your heart rate up and help you accumulate the 150 minutes of moderate cardiorespiratory exercise recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But if you want to switch up your basic routine, here are a few ideas.

You'll need headphones, an upbeat playlist and a timer set for 30 minutes.

"Move at a steady, brisk pace during the longer verses, then push to a quicker power walk during the shorter choruses," suggests Mary Beth Rockwell, CPT, founding trainer and walking instructor for The Next Fitness Thing.

Your steady pace should be sustainable, and your power walk should feel more challenging and raise your heart rate.

As you progress and increase your stamina, try reversing the workout. "Go all out during the verses and recover during the choruses," Rockwell says.

Set a timer for 30 minutes. Walk at a steady, brisk pace on the straightway. Once you reach a curve, switch to walking lunges. You can start with a set even number (e.g., 4 to 10 walking lunges) and gradually increase your reps or distance over time.

You'll need a track with bleachers or a staircase.

Set a timer for 45 minutes. Walk at a steady, brisk pace, and after every lap (or every other lap), walk up and down the stairs.

"The inclines will get your heart and lungs working to the max," Rockwell says.

A word of advice when it comes to running track: don't skip the warm-up.

"You need a really good warm-up beforehand because you are running faster," Buckingham says. "You don't want to jump into running at a 5K pace because that could make you more prone to injury."

Each of the following workouts includes a dynamic warm-up and guidelines for pacing, which are equally as important.

While people may associate the track with sprinting, you typically don't run as fast as you can during a track workout.

"You actually want to more purposefully pace yourself," says Alison Marie Helms, CPT, personal trainer, running coach and founder of Women's Running Academy. "I would suggest not going all out and saving a little bit so that you can do the first [interval] at the same pace as the second and the last."

• Warm-up
  • 5-minute walk/jog at an easy pace
  • 5 minutes of running drills. Alternate between high knees, butt kicks and skipping.
• Set a timer for 30 minutes. As you circle the track, run or jog the straightways at a moderate pace and transition to a walk when you hit the turns. As your endurance improves, alternate between running and walking a full lap. From there, you can progress the workout further by increasing your speed.

• Warm-up
  • 10-minute jog at an easy pace
  • 5 minutes of running drills. Alternate between high knees, butt kicks and skipping.
  • 4 100-meter strides: Run the straightway (100 meters), getting progressively faster. Aim to finish at a 1-mile pace (not an all-out sprint). Lightly jog the curve (100 meters or 40 seconds). Repeat 3 times for a total of 4 rounds.
• Run the following at a 5K or 10K pace (challenging but sustainable). Rest or jog slowly for 60 seconds between each 400-meter interval and rest for 2 minutes between sets.
  • 3 x 400 meters (run 1 lap, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat twice for a total of 3 rounds.)
  • 2 x 400 meters (run 1 lap, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat for a total of 2 rounds.)
  • 400 meters (run 1 lap)

• Warm-up
  • 15-minute jog at an easy pace
  • 5 minutes of running drills. Alternate between high knees, butt kicks and skipping.
  • 4 100-meter strides: Run the straightway (100 meters), getting progressively faster. Aim to finish at a 1-mile pace (not an all-out sprint). Lightly jog the curve (100 meters or 40 seconds). Repeat 3 times for a total of 4 rounds.
  • 800 meters (2 laps) at a tempo pace (hard but slightly slower than a 5K pace).
• Complete 3 rounds of the following:
  • 800 meters at a 10K pace
  • 1 minute rest
  • 400 meters at a 5K pace
  • 1 minute rest
  • 200 meters at a 1-mile pace
  • 200 meters walk/jog back to the start line. Begin the next round immediately.

If you're new to a racing wheelchair, prepare to spend some time learning to manage the compensator, which turns the wheelchair by controlling the angle of its front wheel, explains Adam Bleakney, head coach of the University of Illinois wheelchair track team.

"That's probably one of the biggest challenges that athletes face," he says, noting that he typically prescribes time-based workouts (versus lap-based workouts) for beginners who tend to move at a slower pace while they develop steering skills, strength and endurance.

Don't have access to a racing wheelchair? You can use your manual, everyday wheelchair, according to Bleakney.

"I'd likely do all of the training time-based just because you're not moving as quickly as would in a racing chair," he says.

Each of the following track workouts includes a warm-up, but you may want to tack on a few laps or minutes of light pushing at the end of the workout to cool down. Choose the workout that best aligns with your experience and fitness level, and always modify as needed.

• 10-minute warm-up: Circle the track for 10 minutes. Start with a moderate pace and gradually increase your speed with each minute. Your final minute should be comfortably hard.
• Rest for 1 to 2 minutes.
• 3 x 3-minute repeats: Circle the track for 3 minutes, steadily increasing your intensity to 80 percent of your maximum effort. Recover with light pushing for 4 minutes. Repeat two more times for a total of 3 rounds.

• 10-lap warm-up: Complete 10 laps, starting with a moderate pace and gradually increasing your speed with each lap. Your final lap should be comfortably hard.
• Rest for 1 to 2 minutes.
• 3 x 100-meter accelerations: Work up to your maximum speed over the course of 100 meters. Rest for 1 minute. Repeat two more times for a total of 3 rounds.
• 3 x 1200-meter repeats: Complete 1,200 meters (3 laps), steadily increasing your intensity to 80 percent of your maximum effort. Recover with light pushing for 4 minutes. Repeat two more times for a total of 3 rounds.

• 12-lap warm-up: Complete 12 laps, starting with a moderate pace and gradually increasing your speed with each lap. Your final lap should be comfortably hard.
• Rest for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Accelerations: Work up to your maximum speed over the course of the following distances, resting for 1 minute between intervals:
  • 200 meters
  • 150 meters
  • 100 meters
  • 80 meters
• Descending ladder: Complete each set, increasing your speed and intensity as the volume of work decreases. Recover between sets with 800 meters (2 laps) of light pushing.
  • 10 laps at 60 percent maximal effort
  • 8 laps at 65 to 70 percent maximal effort
  • 6 laps at 70 to 75 percent maximal effort
  • 4 laps at 80 to 85 percent maximal effort

Before you step on the track, there are a few rules and best practices you should know.

Most tracks run counterclockwise. However, some will switch directions according to the day of the week. Pay attention to signage and go with the flow of traffic.

The inside lane is reserved for speed work. So, if you're taking a recovery lap or moving slower than your fellow trackmates, stick to the outer lanes.

While you don't have to worry about cars and bike traffic, you do need to be aware of other walkers, runners, people using wheelchairs and stray balls coming from the inner field. If you use headphones, make sure the volume is low enough to hear someone say, "On your right," or "Look out!"

A typical track is in the middle of a field and offers little to no sun coverage. Wear SPF and bring sunglasses and a hat to protect your skin and eyes from harmful rays.

Some tracks are equipped with drinking fountains, but the water supply is often shut off in colder months, and it's not uncommon for outdoor equipment to break or become clogged. Bring a filled water bottle with you just in case.

Unless you're training for a track event or using the track to walk or jog at a steady pace, most coaches don't recommend doing more than one or two track workouts a week. "They take a lot out of you, and you need to give your body time to recover," Buckingham says.