According to the Mayo Clinic, participating in aerobic exercise reduces your risk of chronic disease, helps regulate your weight and enhances your mood. If you're considering beginning a regimented aerobic fitness plan, it's important for you to exercise discipline and stick to your plan in order to obtain quantifiable results. However, it's also important for you to gauge your progress based on how your body is responding to your training, adjusting your goals and resistance as you increase your strength and endurance. Exercising on a treadmill is a simple, effective and convenient way to control the intensity and duration of your workouts, and make incremental increases in these measures.
Weeks One to Three
Weeks one to three of your beginning treadmill workout should involve low-intensity sessions primarily consisting of brisk walking, particularly if you're new to regimented aerobic exercise plans or recovering from surgery or a cardiovascular event. During this initial phase, focus on familiarizing yourself with your treadmill's various functions, including how to adjust speeds, monitor your heart rate and stop your machine quickly in the event of an emergency. Most of the work you'll perform will involve brisk walking on flat ground, although you should consider mixing in some light jogging once you have become comfortable walking on your treadmill's moving belt. According to TreadmillTalk.com, one of the most constructive methods to improve your treadmill workout efficiency is by varying your speed. During each of your beginning treadmill sessions, your workouts should last at least 30 minutes, and should be performed daily. Start slowly, at one to two miles per hour, gradually increasing your speed over time. Focus on breathing through your nose while you're walking which, according to Dr. John Douillard, author of "Body, Mind, and Sport," lessens the burden on your heart and optimizes gas exchange in your lungs.
Weeks Four to Six
In weeks four to six, begin incorporating low-to-moderate intensity workouts combining brisk walking with light jogging. During this middle phase, focus primarily on developing good jogging form including proper arm swing, foot strike and torso position. Most of the work you'll perform on your treadmill at this phase should involve brisk walking or light jogging on flat ground or slight inclines. Many treadmills have built-in exercise programs that alter the incline and speed of your treadmill throughout the course of your workout. Your treadmill sessions should last 30 to 35 minutes, with your speed varying from four to seven miles per hour. You will find yourself having to jog at the higher speeds, so program these faster speeds to occur in short, three to five minute bursts throughout your session, focusing on your breathing and pace for maximum efficacy.
Weeks Seven to Nine
Weeks seven to nine should involve low-to-moderate intensity workouts with brief periods of higher intensity exercise. Most of your workouts during this final phase will involve light and medium-speed jogging, but walking for short periods during your exercise session is acceptable if you feel as though you need a break. During this final phase of your beginning treadmill workout,gradually increase your intensity and aerobic capacity, performing several bouts of higher intensity intervals in each session. According to "Cardiology Today," a publication geared towards increasing heart health, high-intensity interval training is more effective at preventing and treating metabolic syndrome--a combination of medical conditions that increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes--than moderate-intensity, steady-state training. Speed and incline should be kept at moderate levels (five to seven miles per hour at a low incline) with high levels (seven to ten miles per hour at a low to moderate incline) occasionally mixed in. According to IronMate.co.uk, you should set your treadmill inclination between one and three percent to simulate the gentle uphill climbs experienced while running outdoors and reduce your likelihood of injury. Program your bouts of high-intensity exercise to last about four minutes. Your overall exercise time should be 40 to 45 minutes, and you should perform your workout one time per day.
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