If you are looking to get a lean body, you may wonder if you can tone with a treadmill. The short answer is "Yes." Treadmills offer a good opportunity for burning fat and calories, so they can help tone your total body. They are especially beneficial for your lower body and can help get your legs in better shape.
Fat-burning
Treadmills are one of the best fat-burning machines, according to "Flip The Switch: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism." For the best results from your workout, focus on form and intensity. Good posture and smooth walking or running motion will not only protect your joints from injury, but help your body work more efficiently and maximize the toning benefits.
Calves
To target your calves, "Strength Training For Women" recommends challenging yourself with a steep incline and a brisk walking speed. Your legs will have to work harder than they would running at an equivalent speed, so you really tighten those calves. For an advanced workout, the book suggests carrying hand weights while you walk, adding upper-body toning to your routine.
Quadriceps
Hill running is one of the best ways to tone your quads, but as Hal Higdon notes in his book "Hal Higdon's Smart Running," downhill running can be damaging to your knees. On a treadmill, though, you can strengthen your quads and tone your thighs with less risk of injury. Higdon recommends blasting your quads with 90-second sprints at 4- to 6-percent incline.
Glutes
Boost your glutes with a 50-minute workout from "The Six-Week Bikini Countdown." Start off with a three-minute warm-up, then alternate eight minutes of walking at 3- to 6- percent incline with two-minute bursts of running. Repeat this part of the routine four times, then cool down with a walk at 0-percent incline. This exercise will challenge and tone your whole lower body.
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