Is A Treadmill Good For Weight Loss?

When exercising to lose weight, you want to choose the most efficient method to burn the greatest number of calories. Treadmills are popular for gym or home use, as they are simple to use and effective in eliciting a calorie burn. However, a treadmill can help with weight loss only as long as you combine it with an overall strategy that includes a low-calorie diet and other physical activity.

Features

A treadmill is a stationary cardio machine that allows you to walk, jog or run indoors. It features a moving belt that can reach speeds from 0.1 mph to more than 12 mph for some commercial models. Most treadmills also offer an incline feature to raise the slant of the belt to simulate hills.

Weight Loss and Exercise

A pound of weight equals 3,500 calories, so to lose 1 lb. per week you must create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. Exercising on a treadmill helps you create this deficit by contributing to an overall daily calorie burn. However, you must also take your diet and the other activity you do during the day into account. If you are eating more calories than you burn daily, you will not lose weight regardless of the type and amount of exercise you perform, so make sure to adopt a low-calorie diet. The American College of Sports Medicine notes that a person seeking to lose weight should plan for moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week. On a treadmill, this translates into a long brisk walk. Being active at other times during the day by taking additional walks and doing chores is also an important to weight loss.

Calorie Burn

A treadmill workout can help you burn a lot of calories in a relatively short period of time. The amount of calories you burn depends on your size and the intensity level of your exercise routines. MayoClinic.com points out that a 160-lb. person can burn 986 calories in an hour running at an 8 mph pace; jogging at 5 mph burns less -- 584 calories; and if that 160-lb. person walks at a moderately brisk 3.5 mph, the burn is only 277 calories. Adding an incline to these various speeds will increase the calorie burn.

Considerations

If you are new to exercise, a treadmill can help with weight loss, but it will take time to achieve the fitness level necessary to burn significant calories. Also, consider the fact that a treadmill will not help you lose weight if you dislike the exercise and find excuses to avoid it. In addition, treadmills can be hard on the joints, especially if you are more than 50 lbs. overweight, notes the Cleveland Clinic. Those with arthritis, knee problems or back pain may not be able to use a treadmill for long periods of time, and are better off with low-impact exercise options like the elliptical or stationary bike.

Interval Training

A steady state workout can help burn calories, but adding in periods of high-intensity work alternated with lower-intensity bouts can contribute to weight loss. A workout like this, known as interval training, can help increase your overall calorie burn during your treadmill workout while keeping the intensity manageable, notes Rob Morris, author of "Treadmill Training for Runners." A study published in the April 2007 issue of the "Journal of Applied Physiology" found that just seven high intensity interval training sessions -- consisting of an hour of alternating 4 minutes of all-out work with 2 minutes of active recovery -- helped increase fat oxidation in women after just two weeks. Performing high-intensity intervals does not require high-speed running. Intervals on a treadmill may be performed by briskly walking up an incline of 10 percent or more to raise the heart rate and challenge maximum oxygen uptake levels. Begin your interval training workouts by including a minute of hard work alternated with 2 to 3 minutes of less intense jogging or walking. Over time, gradually increase the difficulty of your intervals or the length of the intervals to keep challenging your body.