So, i have an older model that's extremely basic but gets the job done, i have never been on one that has incline so i put a couple telephone books under the front of my treadmill and it seems to me it simulates uphill okay enough..

Is this a silly thing to do or do you think it's giving me enough incline?

I think that is a really good idea if you don't have the money for a better treadmill. Maybe you should try experimenting with the number of phone books and see what works best.

That's actually pretty clever! Just make sure it's sturdy enough or you may have a fall.