Treadmill Workout Plans To Lose Weight

Treadmills are one of the most efficient pieces of indoor exercise equipment for weight loss. On a treadmill, you control the speed and incline of your workout, allowing you to tailor your session to your own goals and skill level. Walking and running on level ground burns about half a calorie to a calorie per pound of body weight per mile. To lose a pound of body fat, you must consume 3,500 fewer calories than you burn.

Types

By varying the speed, incline and duration of your workouts, you can create an infinite number of treadmill workouts to help you reach your weight loss goals. Speed intervals are periods of fast running or walking that can last from thirty seconds to a few minutes followed by a slow recovery walk or jog. Hill workouts vary intensity by increasing the grade rather than speed. Hill and speed intervals are efficient workouts that burn a tremendous number of calories in a short time. Endurance workouts are those in which the athlete holds a steady pace for a longer period. All of these workouts are appropriate for both walking and running activities.

Time Frame

The Surgeon General recommends that Americans exercise at least five days a week at a moderate to vigorous intensity, but the American College of Sports Medicine warns that greater than three days per week of vigorous intensity exercise, such as speed and hill intervals, increases an athlete’s injury risk. Therefore, you should alternate hard interval workouts with lower-intensity endurance sessions. To prevent weight-loss plateaus, increase the duration of your workouts by 10 percent per week, and every six to eight weeks change the frequency, intensity or duration of your workouts.

Benefits

In addition to being an excellent weight-loss activity, treadmill walking and running provide a whole-body workout, building leg, abdominal and back muscles as your core holds your upper body steady while your legs move. In addition to a heart-healthy cardiovascular workout, you get a leg muscle-building boost by running uphill. Since walking and running are weight-bearing activities, they improve bone mass.

Tips

To prevent injuries and make your workout more pleasant, always warm up for at least ten minutes before your main set, slowly building into your target speed. Also, include a two- to twenty-minute cooldown after your workout to prevent soreness and post-workout dizziness. A cooldown can be a slow walk or jog, and should not leave you winded. According to Peak Performance, exercising at a zero percent grade is easier than running on flat ground outside because of the lack of wind resistance. To maximize the weight-loss potential of your workouts, increase the incline a notch on every workout.

Warning

To prevent injuries, make sure you take one day completely off the treadmill per week. If you feel any pain that suggests injury, use a different piece of equipment for a few days. Also, your body adapts to your training if there isn’t enough variety, halting weight-loss progress. So, to keep your routine fresh and keep seeing results, avoid doing the same workout daily.