Does a treadmill do any good?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    FashionQueen86 wrote: »
    This might seem like a stupid question, but it's like almost every time I'm on a treadmill, I feel like it's lying to me. It takes super long to burn calories yet my body feels like it's being pushed hard enough to burn more than what the machine says. I'm able to jog the treadmill for an hour between 3.8 or 4.0 mile speed. The question I have is that are treadmills even that effective? That's all you pretty much see in gyms, but I could have sworn I saw somewhere that it does more damage than help.

    What exercises helped you lose a lot of weight?

    Fork put downs and table push-aways....

    Your diet is going to be largely responsible for your weight control. I exercise like a crazy person...I love lifting weights, I love jumping on my bike and riding 50 miles...I love taking a good swim in the summer...I love a nice long hike in the mountains, etc...like I said...I workout and exercise like a crazy person. I've lost weight, maintained weight, and gained weight all while exercising like a crazy person...the difference between those three objectives wasn't the exercise...it was my diet and calorie (energy) intake.
  • winram11
    winram11 Posts: 12 Member
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    I consider the treadmill to be a cardio machine where weight loss is kind of incidental. If I were to recommend, I would say that you should aim for a heart rate that you maintain for 30-60 minutes, and not even focus on calories. Then get a good video to watch and forget about what you're doing. :)

    There really is no great exercise for losing weight. The overall idea is to eat at a deficit, then get muscle mass (by doing some regular exercise of ANY kind) because muscles cause a metabolism boost, which in turn will cause more weight loss.

    I have done walking at 3.5 mph for the last year, and only just now started adding actual strength training 1-2x a week. Eating at a deficit, drinking plenty of liquid, and getting good heart rate up and sweating for 30+ minutes a day equals good success. Don't be focused on numbers (except to know for sure you're really eating at a deficit).

    I don't even look at numbers anymore at the gym, except timers and my own heart rate. It's all you need!
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    edited April 2015
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    You should try some speed intervals to get your heart rate up. Your speed is considered a brisk walk, not yet a jog. I run on the treadmill at 5 mph and burn around 100 cals per mile.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    FashionQueen86 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    They're less effective than running outside, but much more effective than sitting on the couch.

    I run on a treadmill regularly (I like to run at weird times when I don't feel safe running and I live in an area with fierce winters) and I think it works just fine. I burn a lot of calories according to my calculations (I don't use the machine's numbers).

    What damage do you think it is doing? How much are you wanting to burn?

    I guess the damage I was referring to was on the knees.

    Running is high impact....street or treadmill. Many other forms of exercise are high impact also. There are some people who can't do a lot of high impact (myself for example....but I'm over 50).

    For me, exercise is a lifestyle change. I spent a lot of time finding something I enjoy enough to do for years to come.

    Intervals (as already suggested) might add some interest.: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/cardio/treadmill/treadmill-interval-plans/
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    As pointed out above (and accurately), exercise is for fitness. Eating at a calorie deficit is for weight loss.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    GingerSka wrote: »
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    The calorie burns on machines are generally wrong. Don't rely on that number for actual calories burned.

    This. I also put a towel over the console so it isn't staring me in the face.



    I put my tablet there. Lol I can't see the time and where I'm at and I watch tv. Bonus!
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
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    You can get a bigger burn on a treadmill by walking on an incline than you can running, well depends upon how steep you make it. I walk on mine at 10% incline at 3.5mph and can burn 400+ calories in 30 minutes. Much more than running on no incline.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I like walking on the treadmill (no high impact stuff for me, ever). No bugs. No worries about weather. I do like the breeze outside, but I don't miss the traffic fumes when I'm in the gym. I also like being able to push myself with varying the incline and speed.

  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
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    For me, getting a treadmill was the best thing I ever did. As everyone has said, it's the amount of food that we eat that determines weight loss, but honestly, I never did eat much anyway and ultimately, my weight gain is due to my life being spent on my couch typing. (work from home) Sometimes 12+ hours a day, and most days, I would move from the couch to my bed, so to say my lifestyle was sedentary was an understatement.

    Getting my butt up off the couch and moving was absolutely key for me. I haven't changed what I've eaten much at all, but I have lost around 13-14 pounds since March 1. I went from about 3,000 steps a day up to over 10,000, usually more.. I don't jog on it, but I walk at a pretty good incline at 3.5 mph and do 3-5 miles a day. I'll do that interval thing where every half mile, I'll sprint for 15-20 seconds.

    Walking on my treadmill upped my available calories I am able to eat per day, so basically, it helped create a caloric deficit. Plus, it's not very healthy to sit all damn day. :)

    I have a Neflix account and I also like to collect movies, so there are days where I don't want to stop because i'm in the middle of a really good movie! LOL
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
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    I love my treadmill and have always hated running before. I do intervals - 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking at a progressively steep incline, for 30 to 35 minutes. But I also do Jillian Michael's DVDs like 30 Day Shred, a couple of days a week, to work in some strength training, which I think is extremely important for overall fitness and loss of inches.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
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    I remember when I started I was too heavy for a treadmill unless it was some £500 gym grade one, I'm finally at the point I can buy a regular one without breaking it so I've been thinking about getting one as well.
  • Lizadizzle
    Lizadizzle Posts: 35 Member
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    I hit the treadmill at work at least 3x weekly for about an hour. I'm just starting out (again :/ ) but for the last three weeks or so, I've been doing an average of 2.7 mph, slow af compared to you and MFP tells me I burn between 350 - 400 calories for the hour. I generally log it as "leisurely walk 2.5 mph" if I stay at 2.7 for the whole hour. Last week I did 20 minutes of 3.0 mph and the rest between 2.7 and 3.0. So I logged it as 3.0 for 20 minutes and 2.5 for 40 minutes. That particular night MFP said I burned off like 430 calories or something. I'm down 6 lbs in 3 weeks, so... I'll say that yeah, it works.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    I log 1200 to 1600 treadmill miles from a year.

    Works for me.

    Physics, right?

    Got a 14-miler scheduled tomorrow and The Weatherman says: Treadmill.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    I run between 6-8 and burn about 120 cals per ten minutes. Works well for me.
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
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    I use mine when the weather is crappy, and when I feel like watching netflix or YouTube to pass the time while walking/running.
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
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    I've lost 90ish lbs thanks to treadmills.

    I would just keep the incline high and walk for 1- 2 hours. Now, I don't like walking/jogging on the treadmill because it feels weird. I've gotten used to a longer walking stride from walking outside that feels weird on the treadmill, but still nothing beats the calories I burn from walking between 9- 15% incline at 3 mph for an hour. I burn close to 500 calories.

    I still can't stand the elliptical, the arc trainer, and those awkward feeling walk/jog machines similar to the elliptical.
  • karen_fitzgibbon
    karen_fitzgibbon Posts: 736 Member
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    Omfg i love my treadmill! I run on it most nights after the kids have gone to bed. I'm halfway through my c25k alternating between 5kph and 10kph
    I don't know if it's doing well for my weight but it's working wonders for my legs and my fitness levels
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
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    GingerSka wrote: »
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    The calorie burns on machines are generally wrong. Don't rely on that number for actual calories burned.

    This. I also put a towel over the console so it isn't staring me in the face.



    I do this too!!! Lol

  • spzjlb
    spzjlb Posts: 599 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I also don't love treadmills but I use mine frequently. I do shorter workouts but intervals: 2 min easier pace with low incline alternating with 1 min of either as fast as I can safely run or as steep an incline as I can manage. Effective and you can toughen the intensity as you advance. I usually do 20 min then I have time to do something with weights.

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