Exercise machines were a $4.22-billion business in 2008, with treadmills accounting for 26 percent of those sales, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. Treadmills are popular because they're easy to use and promote overall fitness, but they can also be an effective tool for weight loss. As with any exercise program, check with your doctor before starting a new regimen.
Weight-Loss Benefits
With obesity rates near 34 percent of all Americans, as stated in a 2008 report from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, many people are turning to exercise to help them lose weight. In order to shed pounds, you have to burn more calories than you take in. One pound of fat equals approximately 3,500 calories, which means if you want to lose one pound per week, you'll need to average 500 fewer calories per day from eating less and exercising more. According to the Mayo Clinic, a person weighing 160 pounds can burn 183 calories an hour while walking at 2 mph on a treadmill or 277 calories an hour walking at 3.5 mph.
Expert Insight
A study at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee tested young adults on several different types of indoor exercise machines, including a ski machine, a cycle ergometer, a rowing ergometer, a stair stepper and a treadmill. The results, published in 1996 in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," reported that subjects on the treadmill burned approximately 40 percent more calories per hour than the least-effective machine, the cycle ergometer.
Tips for Faster Weight Loss
Walking or jogging on a treadmill alone will help you burn calories, but there are ways to help increase your rate of caloric expenditure. The Mayo Clinic reports that one of the most effective tools is interval training, where you alternate bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter effort. These bursts can be as little as 30 seconds or up to two to three minutes. Another way to burn calories faster on the treadmill is to walk briskly, at least 3 mph, shown to be more beneficial than slow walking for weight control in a Harvard study published in the "International Journal of Obesity" in 2009. Wearing ankle and wrist weights may also promote greater weight loss, according to research published in 1989 in the "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation."
Considerations
Any weight-loss program that becomes boring may mean you're less likely to stick with it. When choosing a treadmill for exercise and weight loss, look for those that have electronic programming that will allow you to vary the speed and incline of your workout or even choose from pre-set aerobics or fat-burning routines. Not only can these features add variety and interest to your routine, they can increase the intensity level, helping you burn calories even faster.
References
- ConsumerReports.org: Treadmill Guide
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- MayoClinic.com: Interval Training: Can It Boost Your Calorie-Burning Power?
- ABC News/Health; "The Fastest Way to Burn Body Fat"; Stefan Aschan; January 2007
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Benefits of Physical Activity
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