Treadmill: Technique, Benefits, and Common Mistakes

Treadmill HIIT Workout – Sharp Muscle
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Updated: March 25, 2023

The treadmill is a great training tool and one of the extremely popular aerobic exercise equipment, providing a straight, skilled aerobic workout.

As strength and endurance are developed, it can be used for jogging and/or interval training. In addition to being a versatile cardio machine, it is a great way to help you burn more calories, which helps you achieve your goal. If your goal is to burn 300 additional calories per day with brisk walking.

What is Treadmill?

Treadmill exercise is a type of physical activity that involves using a treadmill machine to perform cardiovascular workouts. It typically involves walking, jogging, or running on the moving belt of the treadmill to increase heart rate, burn calories, and improve fitness levels. Treadmill exercise can be customized to suit an individual’s fitness level, goals, and personal preferences, and can also include variations such as speed, incline, and interval training. Regular treadmill exercise can offer a range of health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight management, and reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Benefits of Treadmill Workout

Studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of heart diseases. If you are high cholesterol or cardiovascular issues, it can be very beneficial. Treadmills provide excellent heart practice, which can greatly increase heart health.12

Cardiovascular exercise controls cholesterol levels in the blood, prevents arterial obstruction. They increase high density lipoprotein and reduce lipoprotein with low density in the blood. In addition, they can strengthen your heart muscle. It helps in reducing blood pressure and allows the heart to pump the blood more efficiently.

This is the most popular advantage of working on a treadmill workout that is to lose weight and also burn fat quickly and effectively. The treadmill is easier than running outdoor on your knees and joints.3

The CDC suggests 150 minutes medium per week- or 75 minutes vigorous workouts. In another study, you have to walk on a jog or treadmill on a treadmill at a distance of about 4 miles to burn 400–600 calories.4

This is ideal for strengthening your muscles, including glutes, thighs and calves. The treadmill removes the calves, is difficult and helps to tone and make muscles in its buttocks, legs and thighs.

In addition to the leg muscles and abdominal muscles will be engaged during training. In other words, treadmill training will also tone your stomach. Swing arms while running on the machine, you get light-power workouts for the back, shoulders, and arms.

The treadmill triggers the release of the running endorphin, which are the chemicals of happiness that are released by the nervous system. In addition, exercise can increase brain sensitivity to norpenephrine and serotonin hormones. These hormones are known to remove symptoms of depression and stress. As a result, mood improves, while symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety are reduced.

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A study on the effects of physical activity on mental health was published in the lensate, especially focused on depression, indicating that regular exercises had less day depression per month.5

In another study6, people suffering from depression moved to treadmill machines for 30-minute sessions. After 10 days, all the participants reported significant decreased symptoms of depression.

To show the role of physical activities in preventing diabetes, a study was done7. It includes more than 3000 participants at high risk of diabetes. The participants lasted for 150 minutes for 3 years every week. At the end of this research, each person lost 12 to 15 pounds. Even more importantly, their risk of diabetes decreased by up to 58%.

Various studies have claimed the benefits of physical activity on insulin sensitivity. In one study, 28 women with type 2 diabetes are engaged in aerobic exercise for 4 months. He exercised for 40– 60 minutes, 3 days per week. According to this study, workouts increased their insulin sensitivity by about 20%.

Treadmill Technique and Common Mistakes

Treadmill HIIT Workout – sharp muscle
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

The treadmill does not matter to the weather, allows you to walk or run. It is easily found about each gym.

Set the treadmill for a combination of speed and inclination that forces you to go as hard as possible for the time limit indicated in the chosen workout program.

Technique

  • Drive to run legs and arms as soon as possible for 8 to 15 seconds while focusing on the treadmill track.
  • Relax completely for 30 to 45 seconds between intervals.
  • Infection from running to relax, or vice versa, keep the treadmill on and simply turn off.
  • For the rest of the period, use the side handle to lift yourself from the track and place your feet on the side rail.
  • Do not take small, early steps; Take a full stride at each step.
  • Drive with your arms while running.

Common Mistakes

Warm-up for five before jumping on the treadmill. Prepares the body for exercise by gradually increasing heart rate and circulation, increasing blood flow to the muscles and loosening your joints.

Try to walk on an incline without holding on to the railing. Running up a slope burns more calories than walking on flat ground because you have to drag your body weight up the hill.

Walk and run on the treadmill with the same strides as you would outside. Maybe you are subconsciously lengthening your step to cover more ground or shortening your step to burn more energy. Unfortunately, running with an unnatural step burns energy very quickly and you won’t be able to workout for as long.

An unnatural move can also increase the risk of injury, which can be detrimental to the overall training.

Try increasing the speed of your treadmill more. Set the incline even higher, as a higher incline translates into a more strenuous workout.

If you do the same routine every time you step on the treadmill, the body will adapt to the workout in such a way that you will burn fewer calories. The muscles become more efficient at working at that particular pace, so you actually get less benefit from the workout—you could even hit a dangerous plateau.

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Treadmill HIIT Workout

TimeSpeedAction
5 minutes3.0Warm-up
30 seconds6.0Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
(jump off the Treadmill)
30 seconds6.5Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
30 seconds7.0Sprint
30secondsRecovery
30 seconds8.0Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
30 seconds8.5Sprint
30 seconds Recovery
30 seconds9.0Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
30 seconds9.5Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
30 seconds10.0Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
30 seconds10.0Sprint
30 secondsRecovery
5 minutes3.0Cool down
(slow walking)

Best fat-loss workout program with Treadmill HIIT Workout: Six Shredded weight training program

Treadmill Steady-state Cardio: Step-by-step

  1. Warm-up: Start by walking at a slow pace for 5–10 minutes to gradually raise your heart rate and loosen up your muscles.
  2. Set the speed: Increase the speed to a comfortable, moderate pace. The ideal speed will depend on your fitness level and goals, but a good starting point is around 3–4 miles per hour.
  3. Set the time: Choose a set amount of time to perform your workout, such as 30 minutes.
  4. Maintain a steady pace: Maintain a consistent speed throughout your workout. You should be able to carry on a conversation, but feel slightly out of breath. Avoid holding onto the handles or leaning forward, as this can reduce the intensity of the workout.
  5. Cool-down: After your workout is complete, gradually decrease your speed and walk at a slow pace for 5–10 minutes to gradually lower your heart rate and cool down your muscles.
  6. Stretch: Once you have cooled down, perform some stretching exercises to help reduce muscle soreness and increase flexibility.
  7. Stay hydrated: Remember to stay hydrated throughout your workout, and adjust the speed or incline as needed to ensure that you are working at an appropriate intensity.

The right pace

The right pace for steady-state cardio training on a treadmill will depend on your fitness level and goals. As a general guideline, a moderate pace for steady-state cardio is usually around 3–4 miles per hour (mph) or 5-6.5 kilometers per hour (kph) for walking, and 5-7 mph or 8-11 kph for jogging or running.

However, you should adjust the pace based on your individual fitness level, and aim for a pace that is challenging but sustainable for the duration of your workout.

A good way to measure your pace is by using a heart rate monitor, which can help you ensure that you are working at an appropriate intensity to achieve your goals.

Treadmill Incline Training: Step-by-step

Incorporate these three incline workouts into your treadmill routine can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, build endurance, and burn more calories.

Here are step-by-step instructions for performing three different treadmill incline workouts:

Steady-State Treadmill Hill Workout

  • Begin by warming up for 5–10 minutes with a slow walk or light jog on a flat incline.
  • Set the incline to a moderate level, such as 5-7%, and start walking or jogging at a comfortable pace.
  • Maintain a steady pace and focus on your form, keeping your chest lifted and your shoulders relaxed.
  • Continue for 20–30 minutes, gradually increasing the incline level if you feel comfortable doing so.
  • Cool down for 5–10 minutes at the end of the workout, gradually decreasing the incline and speed.
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Treadmill Threshold Interval Workout

  • Start with a 10-minute warm-up at a moderate pace on a flat incline.
  • Increase the incline to a challenging level, such as 8-10%, and run at a hard effort level for 2–3 minutes.
  • Reduce the incline to a lower level, such as 1-2%, and recover at a moderate pace for 1–2 minutes.
  • Repeat the interval of hard effort and recovery for 15–20 minutes.
  • Cool down for 5–10 minutes at the end of the workout, gradually decreasing the incline and speed.

Treadmill Interval Workout with Hills

  • Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up at a moderate pace on a flat incline.
  • Increase the incline to a moderate level, such as 5-7%, and run at a hard effort level for 1 minute.
  • Reduce the incline to a lower level, such as 1-2%, and recover at a moderate pace for 1–2 minutes.
  • Increase the incline to a challenging level, such as 8-10%, and run at a hard effort level for 1 minute.
  • Repeat the intervals of hard effort and recovery for 20–30 minutes, alternating between moderate incline and challenging incline levels.
  • Cool down for 5–10 minutes at the end of the workout, gradually decreasing the incline and speed.
Note:
Remember to adjust the intensity and duration of the workouts based on your fitness level and goals, and listen to your body to avoid overtraining or injury.

Treadmill Fartlek Training: Step-by-step

  • Begin with warm-up by walking or jogging slowly for 5-10 minute at 3.5 miles per hour at a seven percent incline.
  • Run for one mile at six miles per hour at a one percent incline.
  • Take a three-minute rest by slowing down to five miles per hour without changing the incline.
  • Speed up to 6.8 miles per hour and run for 30 seconds for the work set.
  • Take another three-minute rest by slowing down to five miles per hour without changing the incline.
  • Repeat steps 4 and 5 for a total of 25 minutes, alternating between 30-second fast runs and three-minute rest periods.
  • Run one more mile at six miles per hour.
  • Cool down by jogging slowly for a 5-10 minute at 3.5 miles per hour at a five to seven percent incline.
Note:
To adjust the speed and incline to your fitness level and goals, and to listen to your body to avoid overtraining or injury. You can customize the workout by adjusting the duration and intensity of the intervals, or by adding incline to the workout.
Sources

  1. Exp Clin Cardiol. 2005 Winter; 10(4): 229–249. “Prevention of cardiovascular diseases: Role of exercise, dietary interventions, obesity and smoking cessation.” Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716237/.[]
  2. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019; 2019: 3756750. doi: 10.1155/2019/3756750. “Exercise for Prevention and Relief of Cardiovascular Disease: Prognoses, Mechanisms, and Approaches.” Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6481017/.[]
  3. Obes Rev. 2017 Jun;18(6):635-646. doi: 10.1111/obr.12532. “The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.” Available here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401638.[]
  4. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html []
  5. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2004; 6(3): 104–111.doi: 10.4088/pcc.v06n0301. “The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed.” Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/.[]
  6. CMAJ. 2006 Mar 14; 174(6): 801–809.doi: 10.1503/cmaj.051351. “Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence.” Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/.[]
  7. World J Diabetes. 2016 Jun 25; 7(12): 243–251. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v7.i12.243. “Daily physical activity and type 2 diabetes: A Review.” Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4914832/.[]

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