Treadmill Workout For Beginners

Treadmills are excellent fitness tools for burning calories and building your cardiovascular system, but to the uninitiated, developing an effective fitness program can be a large first hurdle. Choosing a training program appropriate to your fitness level will help you burn more calories and better stick to your fitness goals.

Expert Insight

One health study carried out by the Health and Human Performance Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota, discovered that "training for fat oxidation and training for aerobic fitness are not mutually exclusive and may be accomplished with the same training program." The study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, concluded that by exercising on a treadmill between 60.2 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, you can maximize the amount of calories you burn while also receiving aerobic benefits.

Misconceptions

One of the most common misconceptions about treadmills by new users is that results can be achieved simply by getting on the machine and running or walking at a speed for a set amount of time. While this sort of routine does give some health benefits, it fails to maximize your workout. Interval training is one of the key workout program elements promoted by fitness magazines and websites when it comes to achieving results quickly for beginners.

Features

A workout that utilizes interval training is divided into three clear stages: warm-up, full exertion and cool-down. These stages give your body time to adjust to the exertion and help you sustain your calorie-burning pace for a longer period of time. Interval training workouts on the treadmill may vary the speed, incline or both. In beginner workout programs online or in publications such as Fitness magazine, the warm-up and cool-down periods comprise 20 to 50 percent of the workout.

Effects

Interval training when walking or jogging allows your muscles to stretch and warm-up before being exerted heavily. This prevents injuries such as cramps and strained ligaments. When you increase the speed of the treadmill and open your stride, you also work different muscle groups than if you were just walking at a leisurely pace. The Treadmill Talk website also advocates interval training for beginning runners because it provides variety and keeps the program interesting, which is crucial for sustainability.

Considerations

When designing your program, you should think about what health benefits you are trying to achieve. If you want to lose weight or build your aerobic capacity, a sustained walking or jogging program multiple times a week may be necessary. If you want to build a particular muscle group, such as your glutes, a shorter program with a focus on steeper inclines may be a better choice.

Beginning workout programs tend to be between 15 and 50 minutes long, depending on your fitness level and goals. Whenever you design a fitness program it is critical to include rest days for your body to recuperate and to consult with a physician before beginning the regimen.