Getting the most out of theTreadmill

Chriztii

Recently received a nice treadmill from my sister and I just wanted to know how to get the best use out of it? Should I start off with walking long periods of time, or running for short? should I put on an incline when walking? Should I go fast then slow then fast then slow? Not quite sure

Want to make sure I don't waste time doing not much on it! haha

PlayerHatinDogooder

I would just turn it off and go outside.

Chriztii

I would just turn it off and go outside.

And that does not answer my question, please don't comment if you're not actually answering because I did not ask what is better running on a treadmill and running outside I asked how to get the best use out of the treadmill

pastrychefoz

Treadmills are great for a couple of reasons firstly some people don't feel comfortable running and are self conscious about how some people see them out in public.
And in winter you can do a 20 min session before work and 20 min after work easily which is great if you have kids or are time poor.

I started off with walking then upped the incline then started nice and slow at 6km then worked up to longer times and then faster intervals.

I couldn't of dreamed that I could do those cruisy evening runs in summer that I do now but I'm glad I had the treadmill to get me started.

Things to watch if u start running

Good shoes with good support for your gait.
Take it easy listen to your body specially knees and ankles, rest or take a step back if u are feeling discomfort.

Enjoy it u will be surprised how fast u get into it.

Chriztii

Treadmills are great for a couple of reasons firstly some people don't feel comfortable running and are self conscious about how some people see them out in public.
And in winter you can do a 20 min session before work and 20 min after work easily which is great if you have kids or are time poor.

I started off with walking then upped the incline then started nice and slow at 6km then worked up to longer times and then faster intervals.

I couldn't of dreamed that I could do those cruisy evening runs in summer that I do now but I'm glad I had the treadmill to get me started.

Things to watch if u start running

Good shoes with good support for your gait.
Take it easy listen to your body specially knees and ankles, rest or take a step back if u are feeling discomfort.

Enjoy it u will be surprised how fast u get into it.

Great! thanks! I feel very self conscious when running outside because of how unfit I actually am. Whenever someone looks at me I feel like I am running too slow and then my breathing goes out of whack and I end up walking haha.

Nicolee_2014

Does the treadmill have its own programmes? I just got a new treadmill today (upgraded the 9yo one I had) & it has all different programmes that have incline/speed etc.
To get the most of it, use it every other day or every day.

sijomial

It completely depends on what your goals are.

Do you want to run long distances? Do you want to improve your speed?
Are you training for a sport or an event like a 5k?
Just using it for a calorie burn?

Do you have time to do long runs or are you likely to be just grabbing 20 minutes here and there?

Very different benefits from training at different intensity and duration - you might find researching heart rate zone training interesting.

Fred4point0

There are several things you can do on a treadmill. Of course there's walking but that can get pretty boring after awhile. I generally walk for 30 minutes in the evening a few times a week after work. I also do interval treadmill running at least twice a week. My runs start with me walking at level 4 and increasing the speed after a minute until I reach level 8 or 9 depending on my mood. I continue this cycle for at least 20 minutes. Some experts state that you should increase the incline to level 1 or 2 to simulate outdoors walking or running. You can always increase it higher if you want to. Another suggestion is to walk at a moderate pace with 5 lb dumbbells in each hand doing curls and overhead lifts every other minute. I hope these ideas help. Enjoy your treadmill.

grimendale

The two major factors in burning calories on a treadmill are distance and incline. Speed is relatively irrelevant. You will burn approximately the same amount of calories over a given distance no matter how fast you go, but it will take you longer to cover said distance as you slow down. Figure out how long you want to dedicate to the treadmill and find a pace that is challenging but doable and try to keep that. As someone else mentioned, carrying dumbells can increase the burn as well. Higher inclines will burn more calories, but can put a lot of strain on knees and calves, particularly if you're not used to it. Intervals with high and low inclines, or a steady incline fo 2-3% would be effective.

Chriztii

Very interesting, yes my goal is to burn calories for now and I do get a long period of time so with these comments the best thing it seems is to walk with a incline for a long period of time maybe holding 1kg weights? I think that sounds good. Yes it does have inbuilt programs, I was going to try those too Thanks for the advice!

AbsoluteNG

The two major factors in burning calories on a treadmill are distance and incline. Speed is relatively irrelevant. You will burn approximately the same amount of calories over a given distance no matter how fast you go, but it will take you longer to cover said distance as you slow down. Figure out how long you want to dedicate to the treadmill and find a pace that is challenging but doable and try to keep that. As someone else mentioned, carrying dumbells can increase the burn as well. Higher inclines will burn more calories, but can put a lot of strain on knees and calves, particularly if you're not used to it. Intervals with high and low inclines, or a steady incline fo 2-3% would be effective.

No, HIIT workouts will increase your metabolism for the entire day. With a treadmill she can sprint, jog, sprint, jog, and sprint to boost her heart rate. This will increase thermogenesis by exercising, just another word for metabolism.

AbsoluteNG

Scientific study below if anyone is interested on endurance training vs HIIT. I only read the abstract but it said that those who did who did HIIT burned more fat than endurance even though the endurance people ran twice as far and had 5 extra weeks of training. Some key words for those that dont know, Adiposty is another word for fat and both beta oxidation and lipid oxidation means fat burning.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/8028502/

piratesaregrand

I just made my training thing up. My goal is to run for 30 minutes nonstop. I did the first day to see how long I could run, and used that as my base point.

I do a 5 minute walking warm up with the incline on 2. Do my run, incline on 2. I add a minute to my run each week. Then I walk the rest of the 35 minutes increasing the incline every minute walking as fast as I can.

Once I hit the 30 minute run I will work on my speed.

Probably not the best way to go about things, but it's working for me.

iCupCakeNZ

If you want you could try the C25K on the treadmill If you're like me and are just a beginner on there (or working out in general) then the C25K is a great app to use it basically helps you burn calories as well as slowly giving you the strength to change from walking to jogging to running and you only need to do it 3 times a week

tracybewick

Google 'treadmill shredmill' it's a great 45 min workout with various speeds and inclines (mostly fast walking!) it's a good calorie burn and you can always start a little slower than it says.

It gives me something set out rather than just 'making it up as I go along'....I'm a gym bunny but still find i burn up a sweat but also good for those just starting out.

Good luck with it
Tracy x

DavPul

It's a device that let's you walk or run in place. Let's not over think this. Cut it on and walk or run on it.

AprilRN10

Interval training is what I like best. I follow a program similar to C25K but it's by John Bingham and I like it better. I didn't like C25K. I bought one of his books and it has a ton of programs in it. All are intervals but some are walking 5k all the way up to 1/2 marathon running.

mareeee1234

It's a device that let's you walk or run in place. Let's not over think this. Cut it on and walk or run on it.

my god, YES

Hexahedra

Running burns more calories than walking, and the longer you run the more you burn. Just make sure you warm up by walking for 3-5 minutes before you run, then walk another 3-5 minutes after to cool down. The incline is useful to approximate real world condition (hills etc.), so use it when you feel you can handle it.

To give you a sense of purpose and achievement, it's better to also get a C25K program. You will have something to strive for, and you will feel really good when you can finally run a 5K.

PlayerHatinDogooder

I would just turn it off and go outside.

And that does not answer my question, please don't comment if you're not actually answering because I did not ask what is better running on a treadmill and running outside I asked how to get the best use out of the treadmill

Sorry.

The best use would be to return it and get a refund.

Wizard87

It's all a tradeoff, really. If you want to build speed, usually you start with little or no incline and work on doing the same distance faster and faster. Want to build endurance, little or no incline with ever-increasing times. If muscle mass / leg strength is a goal, do increasing inclines, even if not at a very brisk pace. Running on an incline will burn more calories than running on a flat surface, assuming you run at the same speed. But running a set distance will burn no more calories than walking that same distance, unless you change the incline.
I have an older treadmill that let me create workouts and feed them into the treadmill. If you look online, there are a lot of sites that outline workouts. It's up to you to actually make those workouts into something your treadmill can use. I've done it with 6-7 workouts, and it's nice to have a variety so I don't get bored. I made some short for days when I don't have much time.

IronSmasher

The best use of it is to run on it.

If you are new to running, build up to it with a beginner running program.

Using it to burn calories by simply walking on it is practically a waste of a treadmill.

pspetralia

Intervals

ken_hogan

I would just turn it off and go outside.

And that does not answer my question, please don't comment if you're not actually answering because I did not ask what is better running on a treadmill and running outside I asked how to get the best use out of the treadmill

Sorry.

The best use would be to return it and get a refund.

Agrees with both of Player's posts.

Capt_Apollo

i know plenty of people that have completed couch to 5k with a treadmill... then go outside to run and can't make it half a mile.



why you would run on a treadmill when you have a perfectly good outdoors is beyond me. and you know what? i see all people of all shapes and sizes and levels of fitness outside running.

there is this old man, probably three days older than dirt. i see him running all the time. it's really more of a little trot. but the guy is going.

this one woman was walking and i passed her, and then a minute later she sprinted past me... then slowed to a walk. she did this for a few minutes. i passed her and then she sprinted as far ahead of me as she could. i was glad to be a part of her fartlek work out.

and don't get me started on the people that look like they're having a seizure when they run. arms flailing off to the side, one eye closed, head bobbing.

man, i don't even want to know what i look like when i'm running... well, i kinda know because i've seen race pictures. you know what? i don't care. i'm out there running, just like all my brothers and sisters out there.

MFPRat

Are you interested in running? There are wonderful couch to 5k programs online that can help you work toward that goal.

I use a treadmill at the gym. 5 minutes warm up where I gradually increase my pace, then I up the incline, but only a bit (to protect my knees mostly). Then I do a sort of interval based on the music I listen to. However, I don't run. It's rough on my knees. I work on the treadmill for about 35 minutes then cool back down for 5 minutes gradually lowering the incline and speed.

This is a good workout for me now because it's helping me increase my endurance for more rigorous activity (kick boxing, step, bootcamp, spinning, etc).

Lupercalia

Treadmills are great for a couple of reasons firstly some people don't feel comfortable running and are self conscious about how some people see them out in public.
And in winter you can do a 20 min session before work and 20 min after work easily which is great if you have kids or are time poor.

I started off with walking then upped the incline then started nice and slow at 6km then worked up to longer times and then faster intervals.

I couldn't of dreamed that I could do those cruisy evening runs in summer that I do now but I'm glad I had the treadmill to get me started.

Things to watch if u start running

Good shoes with good support for your gait.
Take it easy listen to your body specially knees and ankles, rest or take a step back if u are feeling discomfort.

Enjoy it u will be surprised how fast u get into it.

Great! thanks! I feel very self conscious when running outside because of how unfit I actually am. Whenever someone looks at me I feel like I am running too slow and then my breathing goes out of whack and I end up walking haha.

Sorry, I can't really help with your treadmill issue as I can't stand the damned things myself.

My suggestion is that you should really try to stop worrying about people looking at you when you're exercising. Nobody really cares much if you're fat, fit, hot, ugly, missing a limb, etc. And why would you give a flying F if they do, anyway?

Too many people let ridiculous, self-conscious thoughts like these get in the way of actually doing some work. Once upon a time,I was really fat and had to actually work out in front of people. These days I'm not as fat as I was then, but I'm still fat. And I still work out in front of people every damned day. Nobody has ever made an offensive comment to me, or one that I could actually hear. It's all good! Don't feel like you need to hide from the world inside your house on your treadmill. :flowerforyou:

averytds

I do 15 or 20 minute intervals after lifting on my lift days. Other than that, I have a treadmill desk set-up for doing anything pc related, online shopping, forum browsing, etc. Lets me get a few more miles in where I would normally have spent that time sitting.

ladylu11

walking- yes, on an incline. The higher the better.
Running- do sprints. 12-15 minutes. 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off

mararabb

"why you would run on a treadmill when you have a perfectly good outdoors is beyond me"

I would much rather run outside than on a treadmill, but we're looking at purchasing one. My husband prefers to walk while he watched tv. For me, there are days when running outside isn't really an option so a treadmill would help me keep a better schedule. It also gives me a place to run when the kids schedules keep me busy enough that I can go out until 9 or 10 at night. I've been doing it, but it's not really safe. Then there's always the weather to consider.

iSarahMay

I would just turn it off and go outside.

Can't agree more with the above post!!!

Whether is is sunny or snowy nothing beats running/walking in the fresh air..