If you get on a treadmill and walk, jog or run at the same speed for your entire workout, you're not getting all the benefits the machine has to offer. A good treadmill workout for burning calories includes a warm up, the use of different speeds and inclines, and a cool down period to help prevent muscle stiffness and soreness later. Add variety to your treadmill workouts, including upper-body exercises, to burn the most fat and calories.
Calories Burned
Although you burn fat as a percentage of calories by walking at a moderate pace, raising your heart rate burns more calories and more total fat calories. Even though you burn a comparatively smaller percentage of calories from fat walking higher speeds, you will end up burning more total fat. Walking at 2 mph, a 160-lb. person will burn approximately 180 calories, according the Mayo Clinic. Raising that to 3.5 mph, a person the same weight will burn more than 275 calories. Jogging at 5 mph and running at 8 mph burn 584 and 986 calories per hour, respectively.
The Warm Up
Start each treadmill workout with a warm up to benefit your heart, lungs, bloodstream and muscles. Start at a walking pace for one minute, and then raise your speed .5 mph per hour each minute until you reach your target heart rate for your workout. Even if you feel you can start at your maximum speed, you won't give your heart rate and metabolism a chance to gradually increase from their resting rates.
The Exercise
During the main portion of your workout, vary your muscle movements to burn more calories. Raise the incline on the deck to work your calves more and elevate your heart rate through increased bodyweight resistance. If the treadmill has a negative incline, simulating walking or jogging downhill, use it. This will engage your quadriceps more. Add several sprints per hour, raising your heart rate for 60 to 90 seconds, and then recover at a slower pace for two minutes or more. Add walking poles or dumbbells to work your arms, chest, shoulders and back while you walk.
Use Monitors
If your treadmill provides electronic data, take advantage of these features. Find speeds or heart rates you can maintain for future workouts. Use these speeds and heart rates to keep yourself motivated and to track improvement in your cardio and muscular fitness.
The Cool Down
Don't end your treadmill workout at the speed you exercised. This won't allow lactic acid and other anabolic wastes that have pooled in your muscles to leave at a pace that will help prevent muscle stiffness and soreness after your workout. Decrease your speed by .5 mph every minute until you reach your resting heart or close to it. Stretch after you leave the treadmill to help remove more waste from your muscles and further decrease chances of developing muscle pain later.
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