1) Helps you build speed & stamina
Not only is running at an incline amazing for your stamina, but it also helps build strength in your leg muscles, which improves your speed.
Running tip: Run uphill at full intensity for 10 seconds at a time – this will help build your strength. After each sprint, take a short rest period slowly jogging to the bottom of the hill.
2) Calories you burn running at an incline
T. Asmangulyan, an expert in preventive medicine, says that uphill running can burn 800 to 1,400 calories an hour, depending on the weight of the person running. The heavier a person, the more calories he burns. A 150-lb. person running uphill would burn 1,000 calories in an hour! Good news :)
3) The muscles you work, running on an incline.
Uphill sprinting builds muscular endurance and muscle strength because the major muscles of the body must work harder to propel your body up a hill. The slope of a hill targets the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, core and upper body and, similar to weight training, allows you to build more muscle.
When running downhill, engage your core to strengthen these muscles, while your quads will also reap the rewards.
4) Building up your Cardiovascular Endurance
Your lungs and heart will reap the benefits of sprinting uphill because your cardiovascular system will become stronger. Sprinting uphill will result in becoming a more efficient runner, overcoming the demands of a hill strengthens your lungs. Working at a more intense level places a higher demand on the heart, forcing it to also become stronger through training.
5) Run uphill and prevent shin splints
Running on flat or downhill ground can make you more susceptible to painful shin splints by putting pressure on your shinbones, but running uphill can alleviate that stress. Running uphill is easier on your shins as you organically push off the ground hard, you use your hips to do this more so than your shins
So why not incorporate some inclines into your training this weekend. Start slow and build it up - your fitness and muscle tone will reap the rewards :)