Good treadmill workouts help achieve your fitness goals safely. Use a treadmill as a walking, jogging or running machine to tone muscles and burn calories. Adjust the incline and rate of speed settings on your treadmill before and during your exercise session. Healthy adults between the ages of 17 and 64 need at least 150 minutes of brisk walking weekly, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tips for Beginners
Familiarize yourself with the treadmill's control panel before you get on the machine. Locate the emergency shut-off button. Practice good posture and keep your gaze forward during your treadmill workout. Avoid looking at your feet. Walk, jog or run using your normal stride. Maintain a position in the middle of the belt, towards the front of the machine so you can easily reach the control panel.
300 Calories in 20 Minutes
Burn 300 calories on the treadmill in 20 minutes. Set the incline to 1 percent and the speed to three mph for the first three minutes, followed by 30 seconds at three and 1/2 mph with a 2 percent incline and 30 seconds at three and 1/2 mph with a 4 percent incline. From the fourth to the fifth minute, set the speed to three and 1/2 mph and spend the first 30 seconds with a 6 percent incline and the last at a 7 percent incline. Raise the speed to four mph and decrease the incline to 2 percent for the fifth minute, followed by 30 seconds at four and 1/2 mph with a 2 percent incline. For the final 30 seconds set the speed to four and 1/2 mph with a 4 percent incline.
500 Calories an Hour
Burn 500 calories an hour on the treadmill. Set the incline of your treadmill to 1 percent. Start with a 10-minute warm-up jog at five mph. Sprint at seven and 1/2 mph for 10 seconds and return to a five mph jog for one minute; repeat the sprint and jog sequence two times. During minutes 14, 15 and 16, jog at five mph. Run at six and 1/2 mph for the next 10 minutes. Jog at five mph during minutes 27 to 31. Then run for four minutes at six and 1/2 mph. Jog at five mph for minutes 35 to 39 and then repeat minutes 31 to 39 twice. Take the last five minutes to cool down to a slow jog or walk.
Sculpt and Firm your Butt
Sculpt and firm your butt using a 20-minute treadmill workout that requires a treadmill with a rate of perceived exertion setting. Keep a speed of four mph for the duration. Start with five minutes at an incline of three to three and 1/2 and five RPE, followed by two minutes at an 8 to 10 percent incline at seven RPE and one minute at a 4 to 6 percent incline at six RPE. Perform minutes eight and nine with the incline set to 10 percent and eight RPE, followed by one minute at a 5 to 7 percent incline at seven RPE and two minutes at a 12 percent incline at nine RPE. Spend minute 14 using a 10 percent incline at nine RPE followed by one minute with a 12 percent incline at 9 RPE and the last five minutes with a 2 to 4 percent incline at five RPE.
References
- "Fitness": 3 Ways to Burn 500 Calories
- "Fitness": The Glute-Sculpting Treadmill Workout
- American College of Sports Medicine: Selecting and Effectively Using a Home Treadmill
- "Fitness": The 20-Minute, 300-Calorie Treadmill Cardio Challenge
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity do Adults Need?
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