Losing Weight On A Treadmill

Posted by tim on February 14th, 2007 at 11:29pm

Aerobics, boxing, kickboxing, taebo ??? name it, you’ve tried it. Unfortunately, you still have yet to get the results you want. You have lost a pound or two on occasion, but never enough to make you satisfied. You want a fit, strong, and toned body, and it just doesn’t seem to be happening with any of the exercises you’ve tried.

Then, from out of the blue, as you wander around at your neighbourhood gym, you see it ??? what might be just the answer to all your weight-loss problems.

The treadmill is an amazing piece of equipment that, when used properly and correctly, can definitely help you shed not just a pound or two, but all of those unwanted pounds. Read on for some tips on exactly how to do just that.

1. Two of the simplest, and perhaps most effective forms of exercise, are running and walking. And with the treadmill, you can do both. The treadmill is also a very flexible machine when it comes to these two exercises ??? you can adjust the incline and speed at the rates that you prefer so that you can maximize fat burning and allow you to shed all those unwanted pounds.

2. Feeling discouraged? Ask the help of a friend to get you off the couch and running on a treadmill. Having an exercise buddy is a great way to boost your energy and keep you pushing to lose weight.

3. Don’t fall into a treadmill rut ??? you won’t be able to maximize your workout if you run at a standard, steady speed and incline. Give your body a boost out of the blue by changing up your treadmill settings within your workout. This way, your body is “shocked” out of its routine, so it is forced to exert more energy, and therefore burn more fat.

Try a setting that you can only keep up with for one minute. After that minute, change the setting into a slower, steadier pace and use that setting for two consecutive minutes. Afterwards, switch to the more rigorous setting and stay there for another minute, slow down again for two, and continue the cycle five to eight times.

4. Let go of the handles on the treadmill. Holding onto the handles of the treadmill during your workout reduces the calories that you burn and the effectivity of your workout.

5. Incorporate a dumbbell workout into your treadmill routine. After doing your warm-up, do a one-minute jog on the treadmill, step off, and do lateral lifts with 5 to 12 pound weights, depending on your strength. Afterwards, go back on the treadmill for another minute, step off, and lift weights again. Do this for twenty minutes, without taking breaks in between the cycles or between the treadmill and the weights.

6. Tired of the old walking and running and keen on learning some new tricks on the treadmill? Why not include jumping intervals on your treadmill routine? This will increase your heart rate and really make your muscles work. Do an ordinary one-minute treadmill routine, then try hopping. Not the kind of person who likes to keep his feet off the ground and take off into the air? Then spice up your treadmill routine by walking or running backwards on it.

Remember the practice makes perfect, and whatever technique you decide to use on the treadmill, keep at it long enough and you will be able to maximize its fat-burning effects.

Under Equipment Tips