Treadmills are one of the many types of cardiovascular equipment. They range in styles and features from very basic with no bells and whistles to high-grade with digital screens, MP3 player attachments and heart-rate monitors. The best way to exercise on a treadmill depends on your personal preferences and what you are looking to do with your workouts.
Step 1
Use the treadmill to burn calories. To lose weight, you must produce a caloric deficit in your body. This means you are burning more calories than you are consuming. A way to promote this process is by making dietary adjustments and partaking in cardiovascular exercise. Run or walk on the treadmill for 45 to 60 minutes five or six days a week to increase your caloric expenditure and promote weight loss. If you are going to walk, do it at a fast past.
Step 2
Increase your intensity with interval training. Interval training is characterized by alternating between high and low bouts of exercise for your whole workout. There are many different ways this can be done, but it all has the same up and down pattern to it. Here's an example of an interval workout: Start out with a 10-minute warm-up jog at a light pace. Increase your speed so you are at about 75 percent of your maximum effort. Go for 60 seconds, then decrease your speed to a moderate pace for 2 minutes. Alternate back and forth 15 to 20 times, then finish with a light 10-minute jog.
Step 3
Do wind sprints to really turn up the intensity. Sprints are not only intense, but they can also give you a good workout if you are pressed for time. To do sprints, start out with a 5-minute warm-up at a moderate pace, then crank the speed up until you are sprinting all out. Run for 20 seconds, place your hands on the side rails and lift your body up in the air. Place your feet on the sides of the track and rest for 40 seconds. Lift yourself back up and slowly lower your body back down until you are sprinting again. Follow this pattern 12 times and finish with a light, 5-minute jog. This whole routine takes less than 30 minutes.
Step 4
Incorporate the treadmill into your workouts. Step on the treadmill and jog at a light pace for 5 to 10 minutes before your weight training workouts for an adequate warm-up. In similar fashion, do the same thing at the end of your workouts for a cool-down. You can also hop on the treadmill and jog for 60 seconds in between your sets if you are trying to increase your caloric expenditure when you are weight training.
Step 5
Spice things up with a circuit routine. If you get bored with running all the time on the treadmill, integrate it in with other exercises to make a circuit. For example, run on the treadmill for 60 seconds, jump rope for 60 seconds, spin for 60 seconds, row for 60 seconds and then step for 60 seconds. Follow this same pattern 10 times.
Step 6
Use the treadmill for hill climbing. To really work your leg muscles, develop more power output and increase your speed, turn the incline way up on the treadmill. Start out with a 10-minute warm-up with no elevation. Turn the incline up to a point where your toes are only touching the track. Run for 2 minutes, then lower the track to flat and run for 4 minutes. Alternate back and forth five times and finish with a 10-minute light jog with the track flat.
Things You'll Need
- Jump rope
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