You don't have to spend hours running on a treadmill to experience weight-loss benefits. A moderate-intensity 20-minute workout can give you the weight loss and body-sculpting results you're looking for. For the best results, alter the intensity, incline or decline positions during your 20-minute routine.
Fitness Treadmill Workout
Burn calories, tone your body and lose weight with Fitness Magazine's 300-calorie burn 20-minute treadmill workout. Warm up for several minutes by walking at a natural pace on a flat treadmill. Then set your incline to 1 and walk at a steady 3.0 for three minutes. Follow the instructions for a fun and easy workout.
3:00-3:30 Set the speed to 3.5 and the incline 2.
3:30 - 4:00 Keep the speed at 3.5 and bump up the incline to 4.
4:00 - 4:30 Same speed, but bump the incline to 6.
4:30-5:00 Slow your speed to 3.5 and increase incline to 7.
5:00-6:00 Increase your speed to 5.0 and drop incline to 1.
6:00-7:00 Decrease your speed to 4.0 and keep the incline the same.
7:00-7:30 Increase your speed to 4.5 and raise incline to 2.
7:30- 8:00 Keep the speed the same and increase incline to 4.
8:00-8:30 Keep the speed the same and increase incline to 6.
8:30-9:00 Same speed, increase incline to 7.
9:00-10:00 Lower speed to 3.5 and decline to 1.
10:00-11:00 Increase speed to 6.0 and stay at 1 incline level.
11:00-12:00 Decrease your speed to 3.5 and stay at level 1 incline.
12:00-12:30 Increase speed to 5.0 and increase incline to level 2.
12:30-13:00 Keep speed the same and increase incline to 4.
13:00-13:30 Maintain speed and raise incline to 6.
13:30-14:00 Maintain speed and increase incline to 7.
14:00-16:00 Lower speed to 3.5 and decrease incline to level 1.
16:00-17:00 Increase speed to 6.0 and stay at incline level 1.
17:00-20:00 Decrease speed to 3.0 and stay at incline level 1.
Adaptive 20-Minute Workouts
Take a longer treadmill workout and adapt it to fit your schedule. RaceWalking.org suggests mixing treadmill walking with circuit training. For example, walk on the treadmill at a moderate speed between 3.5 and 4.0 for five minutes. Then get off the treadmill and perform 1 minute of lunges around the treadmill. Get back on the treadmill and walk another 5 minutes, then get off and perform 1 minute of pushups or abdominal crunches. Repeat this sequence until you've exercised for 20 minutes.
To work your calves and hips a little harder, walk backward for short periods on the treadmill. Set the speed at a comfortable, safe pace and walk backward for 2 minutes. Holding onto the side rails, turn around and walk at a faster pace for 5 minutes, then repeat the sequence until you've exercised for 20 minutes.
Walk and Sprint
Beginners may burn calories and see weight loss by switching off longer periods of walking and sprinting to start. Start by walking as quickly as you can on a 1 or 2 incline and still maintain balance and form. Keep your abs pulled in and your buttocks muscles pulled tight. Try for a 4.0 or 4.3 speed to start. Walk quickly for five minutes. Decrease the incline and increase your speed. Jog at 5.0 to 5.5 for 3 minutes. Drop the speed back down to 3.5 to 4.0 depending on how you feel and walk for another 5 minutes. Again increase your speed for another 3 minutes. Decrease speed to between 3.8 and 4.0 and walk for another 4 minutes, followed by a cool down.
Fast Walking
If you have knee or back problems and don't want to jog, you can still achieve weight-loss results by walking on a treadmill. Raise the incline to between 1 and 3 and walk at a moderate pace for about 5 minutes, with your speed setting at 3.5. As you warm up, gradually increase your speed. After 5 minutes, raise the incline to 4 and decrease your speed to 3.8, slightly faster if you can. Walk the incline for 5 minutes. Lower your incline and increase your speed to 4.0 to 4.5, walking quickly for another 3 minutes, followed by a 2-minute minute cool down at a slower pace.
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