Certified personal trainer Jill McKay says it's best to determine your speed by taking it slow. She explains a moderate pace begins at around 3 mph. Then, you can slowly build momentum. "It's best to warm up for at least five minutes at an easy to moderate walking pace, maybe a 2.5 mph or 3 mph pace," says McKay.
Many beginners can benefit from treadmill speeds of around 5 mph. This speed will be a light jog for most individuals, and although it may seem slow, you'll feel the burn in as little as 5-10 minutes. You can slowly increase your speed over time, starting with minor improvements of 5.2 to 5.4.
Duration is very important, especially when beginning a training plan; better to do 20 or 30 minutes at a slower pace than to last only 10 minutes at a faster pace.” Of course, one speed doesn't fit all. However, in general 2-4 mph on the treadmill is a walking speed and 4-5 mph is a fast walk or jog.
Thirty minutes on the treadmill is excellent exercise. Depending on the speed, you can easily burn calories, improve cardio fitness, or meet other goals. But just like other exercise programs, it's essential to pay attention to your health condition and not overdo it.
“Don't incline so rapidly, maybe don't even start at 30 minutes; 3 mph is reasonable, but maybe slow down your duration of workout and incline to work up to that," suggested Cardone. "Start flat on a treadmill, and do 0-3-30. Once that is comfortable for you, then start inclining, don't go to 12 right away.
In order to effectively lose weight on the treadmill, workouts should be between 20-45 minutes long, depending on your fitness level, routine, endurance, and current weight. For example, a HIIT treadmill workout (High Intensity Interval Training) involves intervals of high speed, followed by active recovery intervals.
Have you ever felt that holding on to the rails kind of kills the power of your workout? If yes, you are right. Turns out, you should try your best not to hold onto the handrails while running on a treadmill. The only reason the handrails are there is for your safety.
Workout Goal: 10,000 Steps a Day
For instance, a 160 cm tall person walking at 4 mph would take 75 minutes to achieve 10,000 steps, with an average of 134 steps per minute. On the other hand, a 180 cm tall person would take around 80 minutes to attain the same result, with an average step count of 125 steps per minute.
Frequency: Once you are used to treadmill walking, you can do it every day of the week. Walking at a brisk pace for 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week, or a total of 150 to 300 minutes per week, is recommended to reduce health risks.
Fifteen minutes may not seem like a lot of time to you, but fitness experts and scientific studies agree that it's enough to make a difference. Any amount of exercise is better than zero. If you're new to fitness or haven't been active in a long time, a short, 15-minute workout may be best to start with anyway.
The 12-3-30 workout was coined by 24-year-old social media maven and YouTuber Lauren Giraldo. It consists of setting a treadmill to a 12% incline and walking at 3 miles per hour for 30 minutes. Sounds easy enough. Well, according to hundreds of commenters, it's actually "a lot harder than it seems."
Some people accumulate more fat in their bellies than others, and that's because fat distribution varies between body types. Running on a treadmill won't burn that deep belly fat by itself. You'll need to match it with proper nutrition, sleep, and patience.
Not only does using a treadmill burn belly fat, but one of the long-term effects of regular treadmill sessions is that visceral fat will go away for good. Plus, even if you end up gaining some weight down the road, treadmill running not allow the deep belly fat to return.
One of the main reasons why burning calories through exercise may still not result in weight loss is due to overexertion, or inflammation of your body. If you exercise too hard on a daily basis, there is an excess of inflammation in your body. All the added up inflammation makes you gain more weight than lose.
Doing the Same Run Every Day
But your muscles get used to the demands you place on them, so you'll likely hit a weight-loss plateau. Mix things up! Aim to do a different treadmill workout every time you hop on the machine by mixing up the speed, adjusting the incline, and changing the duration of your runs.
Ideally one should walk 300 minutes a week on the treadmill for extensive health benefits, including weight loss. One can reach this goal by walking 43 to 44 minutes each day. This will help your burn 1 kilo in a week. But if you have just embarked on the weight loss journey then start with 20 minutes a day.
Without enough time for rest and recovery, you can sustain an overuse injury due to the repetitive motion of the treadmill. Overuse can quickly happen as you're using the same muscles and joints. Overuse injury may lead to muscle tears, chronic knee pain, or other issues.
A study concluded that treadmills are optimal indoor exercise machines for enhancing energy expenditure. Since a treadmill workout is a weight-bearing exercise, you will burn more calories and belly fat per minute on a treadmill than on a regular stationary bike.
When you are targeting love handles, you will need to workout with purpose because walking on the treadmill isn't going to be enough to get the job done. While doing cardio will help you burn calories, it won't be effective alone when it comes to slimming down the hips.