Exercising on a treadmill has its attractions. For one thing, you can buy your own and work out at home or use one in the comfort of a nearby gym. Treadmill training can be boring. However, many gyms provide television and music to help you pass the time. How much time should be spent on a treadmill depends on your fitness goals.
Basic Fitness
Running or walking on a treadmill has the same exercise value as they do when they are performed outdoors. The Mayo Clinic website says you should exercise at least 2.5 hours each week. Typically, a person seeking to achieve basic physical fitness will break this into 30 minute workouts. Many treadmills are equipped with heart rate monitors you can use to monitor your exercise. Start with a target heart rate of 50 percent of your maximum heart rate or MHR and work up to 60 to 70 percent. You can estimate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220 or 226 for women.
Weight Control
Regular aerobic exercise of the kind you get on a treadmill is one of the best ways to lose weight. As with basic physical fitness, you should spend at least 2.5 hours per week exercising. All your aerobic exercise may be done on a treadmill, or you can mix in other aerobic activities. How many calories you burn depends on your exercise intensity, weight and time spent exercising. For example, the Mayo Clinic says that jogging 5 mph uses 594 calories per hour for a person weighing 160 lbs. To estimate how long it will take to lose a given number of pounds, multiply the number of pounds by the number of calories to lose one pound, which is 3500. Divide by the number of calories you burn each hour with your chosen activity and pace. Then divide this figure by the number of hours each week you work out on the treadmill to find out how many weeks it will take to lose the desired amount of weight. Keep your heart rate between 60 and 70 percent of MHR while running or walking.
Competition
A treadmill is a useful option for more serious athletes as well as people who just want to get fit or lose weight. Treadmills are handy when weather is extremely hot or cold. You can also use a treadmill to facilitate interval training. This is a technique in which you alternately run faster than your normal pace for a short time and then jog slowly to recover. By setting the treadmill speed at the desired level you can precisely control your training pace. At the same time, competitive runners should do at least some outdoors running. Few treadmills offer a downhill run feature. Plus, you need practice running on the uneven surfaces you'll encounter in a race.
Considerations
Spending time on a treadmill can lower the risk of injury. Treadmill surfaces are smoother and softer than asphalt or concrete. There is less impact shock to the legs and joints and less chance of turning an ankle. You also avoid harsh weather, traffic and problems like aggressive dogs. Be sure to wear good running or walking shoes to further reduce injury risk. Also, drink plenty of water. You sweat more on a treadmill because no air is moving past you.
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