How Much Time Should Be Spent on the Treadmill?

One of the best ways to lose weight and burn calories is through running. Running on a treadmill is a convenient way to train your cardiovascular system, burn fat, and speed up your metabolism. However, many people are unsure of how long they should spend on a treadmill.

  1. Beginner Workout

    • The most basic form of treadmill exercise is aerobic training. This consists of walking, jogging, or running at a static pace for a prolonged period of time. Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and forces your body to keep it up. If you are new to training, walk or lightly jog for 15 minutes a day, a few days a week. This will help your body get adjusted to exercise. Once you feel comfortable, increase your workout to 30 minutes a day. As your conditioning improves, start increasing your speed. The optimal time spent on a treadmill doing aerobic training should be between 30 minutes and one hour. Keep increasing your pace as you feel more comfortable, but do not decrease the time you spend exercising.

      Every workout should start with a five-minute warm up phase. Walk or lightly jog for a few minutes allowing your body to loosen up and prepare for the work out. Then train at your normal pace for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on your cardiovascular level. End the workout with a five-minute cool-down phase similar to your warm up. Do not exceed one hour on the treadmill.

    Advanced Workout

    • High intensity interval training is a more effective way of using your treadmill to increase your metabolism, your cardiovascular level, and to burn fat. Instead of keeping your heart rate at an elevated level, you will be rapidly increasing and decreasing it in short intervals. Do this by working as hard as you can for a short period of time and then resting for a minute before your next set. For example, sprint on the treadmill for 20 seconds, then lower the speed and lightly jog for a minute, allowing yourself to catch your breath and regain composure. As soon as you do so, sprint again for another 20 seconds.

      Because of the demanding nature of this workout, you will spend less time on the treadmill than you would doing aerobic training. Begin with a warm-up phase and limit yourself to 10 minutes of training. As you improve your fitness level, increase your workout up to 30 minutes a day. As a result, you should not spend more than 45 minutes on the treadmill when doing interval training. If you push yourself for longer than your body can stand, you will no longer be training at a maximum level and will thus defeat the purpose of the workout.

      Note: Consult a physician before participating in any intense training regime.