Walking on the treadmill...is it enough?

darkhakai
darkhakai Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
I am just wondering if any of you out there can tell me whether simply walking on a treadmill is enough for exercise or not? I would not say I am overly active by any means, and I despise the heat so I'll not be going outside anytime soon...lol. I work as a manager in a liquor store, so I do get *some* exercise at work, but I rarely log it unless I worked particularly hard that day.

I know I'm not wasting my time and that any exercise is better than none, but is it going to be enough for me to lose the weight I'm hoping to lose?

You can see my logs (I'm just getting started so be gentle, lol) and normally I have it at a 2.5% incline and the speed is anywhere from 2.5-3.5 mph. Last night was the first time I felt comfortable walking at a speed higher than 2.8 mph. My treadmill is set up in the living room in front of the air conditioner, the TV and the ceiling fan (did I mention I despise heat? lol) This means, the only time I am able to walk on it is when my son is napping or down for bedtime because otherwise I'm afraid he'll be injured by the machine.

I've owned my treadmill for exactly 2 weeks. It's used off Craigslist so it has no manual but it's a Gold's Gym 550 if that helps anyone. It has incline up to 10% and speed up to 10 mph. It also has weight loss and fitness programs but I have no idea what they are or how to use them. There's just a button for each that I have yet to press.

Tips would be absolutely adored. But please keep in mind that my intention right now is to set achievable goals and not push myself crazy hard since I'll likely give up and not stick with it. Also keep in mind I don't yet know how to cook very well if you give me tips on my eating habits.

Also sorry if this question has been addressed before. I'm still learning how to navigate the forums! :embarassed:

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Depends how ling you are on it. If you can manage 60m a day, 5 days a week, it is a decent addition to your weight loss goals.

    But weight loss is significantly more about diet than it is exercise.
  • warpedlogic
    warpedlogic Posts: 30
    Part of the problem with doing just cardio exercises is that we lose both fat and muscle. Muscle burns fat, so you can see the problem. What one should do is incorporate weights into their routine to minimize muscle loss and maximize fat loss.

    For eating tips:

    1. Learn what full feels like
    2. Learn what hunger feels like
    3. Learn what thirst feels like as it can mask as hunger
    4. If you're hungry, drink water and wait 15 min. If still hungry, then eat only until satisfied.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    Those different programs automatically adjust incline and speed depending on either time or heartrate. I LOVE interval training on a treadmill. :)

    The big thing is to eat well. Keep your calories on point, keep moving and start strength training if you can!
  • Roseysue
    Roseysue Posts: 12 Member
    I am no expert but I have to exercise and watch what I eat in order to lose weight. But everyone is different. We all have different stress levels, body types, sleep habits, etc, etc, so what works for me may no work for you. I've read what experts think on the subject and find that there isn't a definitive answer. Some studies show that you have to add exercise in with dieting to lose weight and I've seen studies that say dieting alone will work. Here's a link to a few articles I recently read:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1265857/Dieting-exercise-NOT-help-lose-weight.html

    http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/loseweightnoexercise.html

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/19/exercise-dieting-public-health

    http://www.weightlossforall.com/dieting-but-no-exercise-x.htm

    Hope that helps.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    I personally have week after week cranked up the duration and intensity of my cardio exercise which has significantly improved my results. I despise the treadmill. I would much rather be outside then suck in the house on a treadmill. I would give outside a try, but to each his own. As long as you keep your caloric intake under control you will lose weight.
  • shaynak112
    shaynak112 Posts: 751 Member
    It looks like you need to focus more on what you're eating. Fresh veggies and fruit. Rice. Beans. Oats.

    I used to go to the gym and do 45 mins on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the elliptical. I'd do a 6% incline on the treadmill and I think 3-4 mph for about 30 mins. I did this 3-4 times a week. I hate running ... I was hoping that the incline would help me start to run but it didn't :p lol. I did feel better after this but I'm not sure if it helped me lose any weight then. I wasn't tracking my exercise and I wasn't eating as well as I should have been then. BUT if you keep going like that and continuously increase your incline and speed (not necessarily fast ... but as you feel like you can!) then I think it will definitely help!

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