Good Treadmill Workouts For Beginners

Aerobic exercise, such as walking or running on a treadmill, is necessary to maintain and improve the health of your heart, blood vessels and lungs. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderately to vigorously intense aerobic exercise three to five days a week to prevent chronic diseases. Work up to 30 minutes on the treadmill per day, all in one session or in two 15-minute stints.

Types

Beginning exercisers can perform a flat-terrain walking program, a flat and inclined workout, and a walk-and-jog routine. After two weeks of flat-terrain walking, incorporate the other two types of programs into your week. Walk on a 1-percent incline on Mondays, do a flat and inclined workout on Wednesdays and include a walk-and-jog session on Fridays.

Features

Treadmill exercises enable you to easily monitor your speed, distance, calories burned and heart rate. You can slowly increase your speed from one treadmill session to the next, or you can gradually add five minutes to your walk or walk-and-jog routine. For flat-terrain walks, begin with five minutes of walking, adding five more minutes every session until you reach 30 minutes. For flat and inclined walking, walk at 1 percent for three minutes, then increase your incline to walk at 3 percent for one minute; do this for up to 30 minutes. For your walk-and-jog routine, walk for three minutes then jog for 30 seconds; do this for up to 30 minutes. Gradually increase your jog time and decrease your walk time.

Significance

The treadmill is an effective cardiovascular machine for beginners to use when starting an aerobic exercise program. Using a treadmill at home or at your local gym removes the environmental barriers you would have if you did cardio outside, such as vehicle exhaust, inclement weather and a safe path. If you are a beginning exerciser, you gain health benefits even if you only do brisk walking. Most treadmills are equipped with a shock-absorption system, decreasing the impact on your joints --- particularly helpful if you are overweight.

Considerations

If you have a treadmill at home, you are more likely to keep up with your treadmill workouts. This means you will do your treadmill exercises more often, improving your aerobic fitness and your health. You do not have to consider travel time to the gym, nor do you necessarily have to make yourself presentable.

Warnings

Check with your doctor before beginning a regular aerobic exercise program. You may have risk factors for a heart attack or a diabetic emergency, which can be exacerbated with unsupervised exercise.