The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of cardio to achieve health benefits and 60 to 90 minutes to lose weight. If you choose a treadmill for your cardio, you will not only lose weight but also work multiple muscles. Most of these are found in the lower half of the body.
Gluteals
The gluteals--which consist of the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus--are the muscles of the buttocks. The main function of this muscle group is hip extension. Every time your thigh moves backward when you are running or walking on the treadmill, your glutes are getting worked. You can increase this work by cranking up the incline.
Hip Flexors
The hip flexors are the muscles that cross the hip joints. These two muscles, the iliacus and psoas major, are often referred to as the iliopsoas. The hip flexors get worked when the thigh moves upward toward the stomach. This movement is called a hip flexion.
Quadriceps
The quads are the major thigh muscles found on the front side of the femur. They have two major functions: hip flexion and knee extension. Knee extension takes place when the lower leg moves from a bent to straight position. While running on the treadmill, you target the quads every time your thigh moves up and lower leg straightens out right before placing your foot down on the belt. The four parts of the quadriceps are the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are knee flexors and hip extensors. They move the thigh backward and move the lower leg upward. They have the completely opposite functions of the quads, so they get worked when your leg is kicking backward and you are pushing off your foot for the next stride. The three parts of the hamstrings are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus.
Calves
The gastrocnemius and soleus make up what's called the calf complex. The gastroc is the large protrusion of muscle right below your knee and it has a lateral and medial head. The soleus is in front of the gastroc, and it tapers down to the Achilles tendon. Every time your foot moves into plantar flexion, you are working your calves. This takes place when your toes point downward.
Tibilais Anterior
The tibia is the shin bone that runs from the knee to the foot. The tibialis anterior is the sheath of muscle that runs down the shin. Whenever you dorsiflex your foot, your tibialis anterior muscles get targeted. In opposition to plantar flexion, this takes place when your toes point back toward your shins. You experience this when your leg is in front of your body right before you strike the belt with your foot.
Abdominals
The rectus abdominis and obliques are the muscles in your stomach. More specifically, the obliques are found on your sides. Both of these muscles are contracting when you run on the treadmill. They help keep your body balanced, and they help with drive strength when you are running hard.
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