Treadmills work well because they're versatile--you can perform different exercises at different intensities. If you have access to a treadmill, you can get a cardio workout year-round, no matter the weather. Make the most of your treadmill time--learn the best ways to lose weight. Focus on treadmill exercises that will produce the best results.
Running
Running is one of the best treadmill exercises if you want to lose weight. A 160-lb. person jogging at 5 mph burns roughly 584 calories in an hour, according to MayoClinic.com. Since a pound equals about 3,500 calories, this level of running every day would burn more than a pound a week, a healthy rate of weight loss. Increase that rate to 8 miles an hour and that same 160-lb. person can burn nearly 500 calories in just 30 minutes. You may find running on a treadmill easier than running outside. A treadmill can help you keep track of how fast you're going while you maintain a consistent pace.
Walking
Although walking isn't as intense as running, it's a good tool for weight loss. For instance, a 200-lb. person can burn nearly 350 calories in an hour walking on a treadmill at 3.5 mph, reports MayoClinic.com. Use the incline function to create a more challenging workout. Since this function simulates walking up hills, it will strengthen your legs and help you burn more calories.
Interval Training
Perhaps the best way to lose weight on a treadmill is with interval training, which involves alternating short bursts of intense exercise with longer periods of more moderate exercise. For instance, walk for 30 minutes at 4 mph, but double your pace every two minutes and run for 30 to 45 seconds before returning to your walking speed.
Interval training doubles your endurance while improving your oxygen use and strength by more than 10 percent, according to a February 2010 article published by USAToday.com. It also results in a 5 percent increase in speed when compared with a regular exercise program, such as jogging, according to the article. Interval training also produces weight loss results. A 2009 University of New South Wales study reported by National Public Radio showed that people who rode a stationary bike for 20 minutes, alternating between 12 seconds of slow peddling and 8-second sprints, lost three times as much weight as people who pedaled for twice as long without doing sprints.
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