Crash course on the mechanics of walking on an incline

Our body is built to walk.  As a species, we've done a lot of it and have had plenty of time to get it right.  We have built-in mechanics that automatically kick in when we do certain things.  When you learned to walk, were you taught to put your heel down first and not your toes?  We just walk heel first and roll to our toes by design.  So, let’s get you on that treadmill we were talking about.  You stand upright and swing your arms when walking flat, right?  Add a little incline and you’ll remain upright, with your hamstrings and calves (backs of your legs) doing some more work.  Add more (maybe a 5 or 6 percent grade) and you’ll notice your upper half pitching forward.  It’s no secret that inclines are harder; your body recognizes that and switches to bigger, stronger muscles to do the work (your quadriceps, or front thigh and your glutes, or butt).  It should also pump your arms a bit to help out your legs.  Holding on is just a shortcut that skips all this and makes it MUCH easier.  Besides… didn’t you say you wanted to tone your thighs and your butt?