With prices ranging from $500 to more than $4,000, the American Council on Exercise, or ACE, points to the treadmill as America's most popular piece of home gym equipment. Walking on a treadmill lets you get the same benefits from your exercise program as if you hit your local trail or park for an energetic stroll. Treadmills also come equipped with sophisticated features that tell you if your walking workout is up to speed.
Walking Basics
Walking is a safe and effective moderately intense aerobic exercise for most healthy adults -- and it may be better than running. Harvard Medical School explains that compared to low-impact walking, running comes with an increased risk of injury. When you run, each time you land on one foot, you absorb around three times your body weight. If you're exercising to lose weight, key to your fitness program is walking at the right intensity, frequency and duration. Walking on a treadmill makes it easier to know if you're meeting your fitness goals.
Treadmill Benefits
One beneficial feature of treadmills is that you control the speed of the moving belt, and this determines your pace. Many treadmills come with an incline setting that simulates walking uphill at various grades. More sophisticated machines feature presets that vary your speed and incline, giving you a challenging workout. Whenever you walk on the treadmill, the intensity of your workout matters in terms of how many calories you burn per minute. The more you weigh, the more calories you burn. Using the ACE physical calorie calculator, if a 165-lb. person walks on a treadmill at a steady 4 mile per hour pace, she burns around 187 calories during a 30-minute workout. A person who weighs 200 lbs. burns roughly 204 calories during the same workout.
Walking Solo
A home treadmill or gym membership can be cost-prohibitive to the exerciser on a budget. Walking outdoors offers hidden benefits that a treadmill doesn't offer, such as an opportunity for companionship. MayoClinic.com suggests inviting a friend or family member to accompany you on your walk to keep you motivated. Additionally, walking outdoors lets you vary your route. A pedometer is an inexpensive clip-on device typically ranging in price from $10 to $50 that can be helpful to your progress. No-frills pedometers track the number of steps you take, while those with more bells and whistles log your time, distance and number of calories burned. MayoClinic.com does caution you that many pedometers aren't accurate in tallying up your distance or calories burned, however. Make sure to consult the manufacturer's directions so you know how to use your pedometer correctly.
How Much to Walk
You don't need a treadmill to start a walking program, although this piece of equipment comes in handy on rainy days or during seasons when it's too hot or cold to exercise outdoors. Regardless of how you manage your walking program, Harvard Medical School suggests walking 30 to 45 minutes as many days of the week as you can fit in. You'll still get health benefits walking at a leisurely stroll, but you'll do even better to aim for a brisk clip that puts you between a 3- to 4-mile per hour pace.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Physical Activity Calorie Calculator
- American Council on Exercise; What You Need to Know to Purchase a Treadmill
- Harvard School of Public Health; Walking: Your Steps to Health
- MayoClinic.com; Walking: Trim Your Waist, Improve Your Health
- MayoClinic.com; Walking for fitness? Make it count with a pedometer
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