Treadmill Walking

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melaniebutler2012
melaniebutler2012 Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just got a treadmill, and I'm looking for advice and support to lose weight by walking. I have 40 pounds I want to lose, and I've read lots of stories about people who have done that in just a few months, by walking. Any suggestions about how long to walk, how fast, and how often? Thanks!

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  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
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    According to the CDC you need to do brisk walk or moderate exercise for 150 hours a week just to maintain your health, which is 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week. This is the minimum, once you are comfortable with it you can increase the incline, speed, and duration.

    http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

    Fat is worth about 3500 calories per pound. According to MFP 30 minutes of walk at 3.5 mph is worth 139 calories. Without a diet, you will need about 500 hours on the treadmill to lose 40 lbs.
  • cerulean9
    cerulean9 Posts: 9
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    Hi Melanie: I've found using the incline on a treadmill a great way to get a run-like intensity while avoiding too much impact. I use a "treadmill workout" that I downloaded from iTunes on my ipod and, for the interval training parts, I crank up the incline and maintain a walk rather than running. I find that at my current fitness level (needing to lose about 50 lbs.), 4.5 mph and a 6% incline is a good challenge for 60 - 90 second intervals. Then I maintain somewhere between 4 mph and 4.5 mph with a 1% incline on the recovery sections of the workout.
    I feel like I've had a great workout by the end of 30 mins, and for some reason having someone tell me what to do keeps me on the treadmill for the whole time. (Might be tempted to get off earlier otherwise!) I've been really happy with the results of interval training - it seems like I get good fitness gains quite quickly this way. My experience has been that a good 30-minute interval training session 3-4 times a week works well. Just make sure you're sweating by the end! A heart rate monitor helps to make sure you're getting your heart rate up enough on the intervals. I agree with Hexahedra's comment that at least 30 mins of some exercise 5 days/wk is optimal - so you can add in other kinds of exercise around your interval training.
    I do find that I have to remind myself to maintain good form while walking fast on a treadmill - keeping core tight and not bending too much at the hips while on an incline. I can maintain good walking form up to about 4.5 mph and a 6% incline. At higher inclines, I have to drop the speed to maintain form (and vice versa) - worth it to avoid injury. Holding on to the heart rate monitor bar on a treadmill can also mess up your form, so having your own heart rate monitor is a good investment.
    Good luck!
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
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    It's certainly possible.

    I guess I'm just curious as to why you purchased a treadmill simply to walk on it . . .

    I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't want to maybe start jogging or something.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    It's certainly possible.

    I guess I'm just curious as to why you purchased a treadmill simply to walk on it . . .

    I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't want to maybe start jogging or something.

    I walk on my treadmill because my bike kept slipping off the back.
  • pet1127
    pet1127 Posts: 572 Member
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    It's certainly possible.

    I guess I'm just curious as to why you purchased a treadmill simply to walk on it . . .

    I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't want to maybe start jogging or something.

    I walk on my treadmill because my bike kept slipping off the back.


    giggling :laugh:
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    One of the things I find that helps me use my treadmill more is a TV. We have a TV set up in front of our treadmill. There are times I will jump on thinking that I will do 10 minutes. Then I find a show on and am hooked for the next 30 minutes or an hour. That has really me keep up with using it.

    As for how much you should use it to loose weight? I guess enough to keep you net calories in check. For me I find keeping my steps over 10,000 a day helps.
  • BOLO4Hagatha
    BOLO4Hagatha Posts: 94 Member
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    It's certainly possible.

    I guess I'm just curious as to why you purchased a treadmill simply to walk on it . . .

    I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't want to maybe start jogging or something.

    Maybe she can't go outside. If she lives in a place where weather is terrible, a teradmil is a good investment.


    Or maybe she just doesn't like going outside. Like me. I'd rather run on a treadmil and have an ac cooling the room than going outside to run in the heat.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    It's certainly possible.

    I guess I'm just curious as to why you purchased a treadmill simply to walk on it . . .

    I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't want to maybe start jogging or something.

    Umm .... maybe she needs to do low impact. There are people with bad joints (arthritis, injury, older or whatever) ... that can't take the physical pounding of running on a treadmill.
  • rbn_held
    rbn_held Posts: 682 Member
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    Definatley having a TV helps. . I kinda mix things up a bit. I do circuits were I do intervals of jogging, walking and a fast walk up different inclines. Walking up a incline gets my heart rate up just as mush as jogging but with alot less impact. I have a DVR so I usually use my time on the treadmill to catch up on all my recorded shows. This makes the time go by alot faster
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
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    I lost a significant amount of weight a few years ago (unintentionally, really) by walking briskly for about an hour a day, minimum. Over the space of a year, I was probably down about 50 pounds. I was also eating smaller meals, snacking less, and drinking less alcohol. Good luck!

    Edit: I'll also add that, although I run a bit now, there are loads of reasons that isn't right for everyone. I started running when I moved to a place that I walk less for my transportation and I gained all of my weight back. You can cover the same distance in less time, so it's easier for me to squeeze a run in that a long walk. However, I enjoy walking, so it is a pleasure to do if I have the time, especially in the summer when I get really overheated outside. A combination of both is working great for me, but there's nothing wrong with sticking to your walks!
  • murphzmom
    murphzmom Posts: 4 Member
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    Can you tell me the name of the app that you purchased through iTunes. This sounds like it would be a good way for me to keep motivated to go the whole 30-45 minutes of my workout. Many times I get bored and will stop after about 20 minutes. By having something that I need to listen to would help.

    Thanks!!:smile:
  • RobTheGourmet
    RobTheGourmet Posts: 189 Member
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    It's certainly possible.

    I guess I'm just curious as to why you purchased a treadmill simply to walk on it . . .

    I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't want to maybe start jogging or something.

    Umm .... maybe she needs to do low impact. There are people with bad joints (arthritis, injury, older or whatever) ... that can't take the physical pounding of running on a treadmill.

    I use a treadmill for this reason, had a serious knee injury in my past and its easier on my knee with a softer even walk then on the street or sidewalk which is uneven and causes even more knee pain.
  • toddmoore83
    toddmoore83 Posts: 32 Member
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    Yes a TV or an IPAD helps a lot. I get on Netflix and start a 1 hour show and go till it's over. This may take time to build up to an hour so pick a half hour show. I also use the treadmill programs. Most are 30 minutes that vary speed and incline to provide great workout. I think to really boost weight loss is to cut out all soda and sweet tea. Water is the way to do.. You can always add lemon, orange or lime slices to add flavor, these also promote good health with vitamins and cancer blockers.
  • tweez8976
    tweez8976 Posts: 94 Member
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    Hi - I lost over 40 lbs using the treadmill and for me it is all about the incline! Things that helped me:

    1. iPad - I have Amazon Prime and can stream movies and TV free
    2. Built up my endurance to the higher inclines (my gym has treadmills that go up to 30% incline but I started out only doing 6-9%)
    3. Vary my speed and incline (slower speeds with higher inclines) - I might only go 2mph at a 24-30% incline but I still get my heart rate going!
    4. I rarely go above 3.5-4 mph or below 12-15% incline now but it took a while to get there
    5. If you prefer music over movies/TV, there is nothing better than a great playlist - find a song/songs that really keep you motivated, then you can find out the beats per minute of that song and search for others that are similar to the paces you will be using. (I like to walk to the beat - faster song comes on, I speed up and vice versa).

    Good luck!

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