5 Tips For Losing Weight On The Treadmill

by Scott Gray
(Delta, BC, Canada)

5 Tips For Losing Weight On The Treadmill

In this article, you will learn how to lose weight on a treadmill. There is more to a treadmill workout than simply putting on your walking shoes.

Without some sense of direction, it can be quite difficult to lose weight on a treadmill. However, by following just a few simple tips, working out on a treadmill is one of the best ways to lower your body fat and improve your overall physical appearance.

A great number of people want to lose weight on a treadmill, so they run out and buy the one that they find the most appealing. However, most of those same people will end up storing or selling their treadmill in less than a year.

Often times, people are excessively optimistic when they purchase new home gym exercise equipment, expecting to use it diligently. However, in order to lose weight on a treadmill, you have to know how to use it.

1) Try To Duplicate Your Outdoor Walks


Walking on a treadmill is somewhat different from walking outside. However, you need to try to duplicate the experience of walking outside as much as possible. It is important to remember to maintain a steady, normal stride with your shoulders back and your head facing forward, not down at the ground.

Use the incline feature on your treadmill at varying levels in order to simulate walking over uneven ground. In addition, you should also use a faster speed that will compensate for the lack of wind resistance that you would have normally on an outside walk. However, you need to keep the treadmill at a low enough speed so you do not have to hold on to the handrails to maintain your balance as you walk.

2). Incorporate Interval Training Into Your Workout

When you decide to lose weight on a treadmill, you have the advantage of interval training on various skill levels. Interval training is one of the best ways to boost your metabolism and lose weight on a treadmill. Interval training is a combination of brief bursts of intense exercise with periods of exercise on a lower level of intensity.


When you exercise, your muscles create waste products that cause soreness. Interval training slows down the production of such waste, allowing you to work out comfortably for longer periods of time.

To incorporate interval training in your quest to lose weight on a treadmill, simply walk at a faster pace or run for one minute after you have walked at normal pace for five minutes, then return to normal pace. Repeat this variation throughout your workout.

3) Add Other Activities To Your Treadmill Workout


Watching your favorite television show or a movie to relieve the monotony of a treadmill workout is a great way to stay motivated to exercise. Some people choose to set up a workstation that allows them to work on their computers, talk on the phone and perform other tasks simultaneously as they lose weight on a treadmill.

Dr. James Levin, M.D., Ph. D, who researches obesity at the Mayo Clinic, says that it is possible to burn as much as one hundred additional calories per hour at a pace of one mile per hour on a treadmill without even breaking a sweat. All you have to do is simply replace the two or three hours that you would normally spend sitting at your computer walking on your treadmill instead. It is possible for an office worker to lose from forty-four to sixty-six pounds in a single year this way.

4) Start Slow & Build Up Your Treadmill Exercise Routine

The most effective way to lose weight on a treadmill is to work out consistently for thirty minutes, five times a week. At first, you should start out at a slower pace and lower intensity. Then, you should increase the length of your workouts, as well as the intensity.

To lose weight on a treadmill, you must keep in mind that you need your body moving as fast as it can for as long as it can, while still being able to speak. At the peak of your workout, you should feel just slightly warm and a little out of breath. If you go any farther than that, you will push yourself into anaerobic exercise and you will no longer be burning fat.

5) Keep Your Head Up

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you are trying to lose weight on a treadmill is posture. You need to keep your head up and your neck should be relaxed. Your arms need to be swinging at your side and your hips should be loose and relaxed. Hold in your tummy and focus on your breathing.

If you have any type of injury or illness, it is a good idea to talk with your health care professional before starting a weight loss routine on a treadmill.

Now, you know how to lose weight on a treadmill. Treadmills allow you to work out in the privacy of your own home in addition to providing you with more variety in your daily walk or jog. You can pace yourself at any speed. Best of all, weather conditions and location are irrelevant.

About the Author:
Scott Gray is currently a fitness enthusiast and maintains a health and fitness tips website where you can find information about cardio for weight loss, getting in shape and losing weight.