The caloric burn you can achieve on a treadmill makes it one of the most effective tools for weight loss. Depending on your weight and intensity, you can burn anywhere from 350 to 1,000 calories per hour!
So if you’re looking for fast results (commitment-dependent) or to maximize your time at the gym as efficiently as possible, then the treadmill is the beast calling for you.
But hold your horses… there are many ways you can use this thing. To lose weight using a treadmill, 60 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per day is recommended.
Here, we run through some of the best ways to lose weight using a treadmill.
Fat-Burning Walking Workout
Believe it or not, walking is one of the most efficient ways to burn fat and get slim. Even though walking is not as rigorous, the activity forces the body to use fat as an energy source instead of carbohydrates.
That can include subcutaneous fat, which the body stores around the stomach, liver, and intestines and can contribute to heart disease and obesity.
There are two things you need to do to get the most out of your fat-burning walking workout. The first is to elevate your heart upwards of 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. This aerobic zone feels intense, with heavy breathing and the ability to only speak in short spurts.
The second key is to walk long enough that your body starts attacking fats instead of the sugars that are byproducts of carbohydrates. Generally speaking, you should aim to walk 30 to 90 minutes per day. While you can opt to walk more or less than this total, the minimum time on your feet should be two and a half hours.
If you have never done a fat-burning walking workout, here is how to do one while on the treadmill:
- Spend the first 5 to 10 minutes walking at a moderate pace and slowly pick up speed.
- After 10 minutes, make sure you reach the fat-burning zone and stay there for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Once you finish the most intense part of the workout, take another 5 to 10 minutes to cool down with a leisurely walk.
Interval Training
Interval training is a high-intensity workout that alternates spurts of maximum effort training with intermittent breaks. Not only is this method an effective way to burn fat, but also it breaks up the monotony of mono-pace walks or runs.
Plus, studies show “interval training provided greater total weight loss: an average of 1.58 kg (3.5 lbs) compared with 1.13 kg (2.5 lbs) with continuous moderate-intensity activity.“
Part of the reason why high-intensity interval training or HIIT is effective is because of its design. The practice focuses people on extremely high levels of effort, which provides concentrated caloric burns while breaking it up with rest. The altering approach kicks your body’s repair cycle into overdrive, so you will be burning fat and calories even after you finish.
Additionally, HIIT is possible no matter how busy your is schedule. For instance, if you only have half an hour, you can do one minute of hard running, followed by two minutes of walking, 10 times. That’s it.
While it sounds simple, it is challenging – and the results speak for themselves: your waistline will be better for it.
Hill Workout
While there is plenty of variety with HIIT, you might want to liven things up with a hill workout. This method works in the same fashion, but involves inclining the treadmill during the rigorous portions of the exercise.
There is no optimum angle to set during the intervals, though you should try to find the steep angle you can run without feeling out of control.
Because this exercise is more intense than, say, the fat-burning walking workout, you do not need to do it as long. Running hills on the treadmill for 30 minutes should give you the caloric burn equivalent of walking for 45 to 60 minutes.
You can use the previous workout of running for one minute on an incline and then walking for two minutes here as your HIIT of choice.
Long-Distance Workout
When it comes to efficient calorie burners, long-distance running is one of the best activities. There are two reasons for this.
First, running involves continuous moderate to high-intensity effort where the faster you run, the more energy you have to burn. Secondly, running requires the muscles of the whole body, including your core and arms. The full range of most contributes to a more thorough workout.
The number of calories you burn per mile will vary depending on your weight and speed. For instance, it takes more effort to run 10 mph at 160 pounds than 6 mph at 140 pounds. The rule of thumb is that the average person burns 100 calories per mile.
In Conclusion
Although a treadmill is a big piece of equipment, budget doesn’t have to be the biggest worry. The top treadmills under $500 offer everything from a minimalist approach to Bluetooth ability and more.
If your budget is a little bigger and you want some extra bells and whistles, many treadmills for under $1,000 can offer tons of interactive programs, the latest technology (like touchscreens), and more. It’s worth doing a little shopping around to find the treadmill that fits just what you need.
References
- Calories Burned Running Calculator – Runner’s World
- The Truth of the fat Burning Zone: What is the Best Heart Rate to Lose Fat? – Mount Elizabeth Hospital
- Treadmill Workouts Using High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – Verywell Fit
- Interval Training Burns off More Pounds than Jogging or Cycling – REUTERS
- 5 Treadmill Hacks That can Help Shave More Pounds – Women’s Health