The amount of time you spend on the treadmill depends on your goals, current fitness level, and other activities you do during the day. The Surgeon General recommends that all Americans strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise a day, a guideline met by a brisk half-hour treadmill walk. The half-hour guideline is useful for people who want to reap the health benefits of exercise but are not actively trying to lose weight.
Intensity
As a general rule, the higher the intensity of your treadmill session, the less time you need to spend at it. In other words, if you are trying to lose weight, your guidelines may suggest a 45-minute moderate-intensity workout most days of the week. On a treadmill, moderate-intensity may mean walking at a 4 mph pace. However, if you decide to run at a 6 mph pace, a higher-intensity workout, you can cut your time down to 30 minutes.
Weight loss
If you want to lose weight, plan on spending 45 minutes to an hour on the treadmill. Start slowly and at a moderate intensity level. If you are just starting out, walk for 15 minutes. Then add five minutes every time you work out until you can comfortably complete an hour on the treadmill. As you progress, gradually increase the pace along with the time.
Diet is also a critical component of weight loss; as you increase your exercise time, avoid consuming more calories than you burned.
Frequency
The amount of time spent on the treadmill over a week also depends on your goals. If you are trying to stay healthy, a good guideline is to have a date with your treadmill most days of the week. If you want to lose weight, experts at the American Council on Exercise recommend five to six days per week. Remember to give yourself at least one full day of rest each week; this is particularly important if you are working at a high intensity level.
Breakdown
Even if the guidelines for your goals suggest that you should work out for a 45 minutes, five times a week, that doesn't mean you have spend 45 minutes straight on the treadmill, especially if you struggle with finding time. If you have a treadmill at home, consider doing 25 minutes in the morning and 20 at night. If you work out at the gym, try starting your workout with a 15-minute treadmill workout, then switch to 15 minutes of weights, and then come back to the treadmill for 15 minutes.
Injury Prevention
Spending an hour or more on the treadmill at any intensity increases the risk of muscle soreness and back, knee and hip issues. Slow warm-ups and thorough stretching post-workout will help prevent soreness and injuries.
Higher-intensity workouts increase the risk of injuries like ankle sprains and stress fractures. If you choose to run your treadmill workout, don't push too fast. Give your body time to adapt to the new demands and time to rest after exertion.
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