treadmill help!

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nic041mccoy
nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
edited February 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I'm actually kind of new to working out.. But I finally got a gym membership. I've been going for about 4 weeks and actually have a good time on the treadmill. Does anyone know of a good fat burning workout I can use? P.S... I don't run! Not even back when I was skinny. I'm just not a runner lol (plus I have asthma so running makes it worse). So anything with brisk walking please :)

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  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Steep incline and don't hold on. When I use to go to the gym I'd do a hill program going from 3-3.7 miles/hr. Good cardio workout for sure.
  • nomoyoyoing
    nomoyoyoing Posts: 159 Member
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    Yep: put the treadmill on an incline and GO! Do NOT hold on to the bars on the side or in front of you. Use your arms for momentum of you want, but don't hold on, this will increase your calorie burn 10-fold, if not more. I know you said you're not a runner, but why not try to increase the speed to 5.1 mph some time and jog a couple minutes? You might enjoy it!
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
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    nomoyoyoing wrote: »
    Yep: put the treadmill on an incline and GO! Do NOT hold on to the bars on the side or in front of you. Use your arms for momentum of you want, but don't hold on, this will increase your calorie burn 10-fold, if not more. I know you said you're not a runner, but why not try to increase the speed to 5.1 mph some time and jog a couple minutes? You might enjoy it!

    I might just have to try that. :) Thank you very much!
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
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    janjunie wrote: »
    Steep incline and don't hold on. When I use to go to the gym I'd do a hill program going from 3-3.7 miles/hr. Good cardio workout for sure.

    Awesome. I'll try this tomorrow. Thanks! :)
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
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    Asthma often fades after childhood and is often mistaken for allergies or triggered by irritants in the air like dust, tobacco smoke, pets, pollen or sometimes even temperature changes. You shouldn't have any of that to contend with at the gym so you might actually find that you CAN run on the treadmill without breathing problems. If not, walking is a great exercise and on a high incline you will definitely feel the burn.
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
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    Very true. I might try it out. Thanks!
    peter56765 wrote: »
    Asthma often fades after childhood and is often mistaken for allergies or triggered by irritants in the air like dust, tobacco smoke, pets, pollen or sometimes even temperature changes. You shouldn't have any of that to contend with at the gym so you might actually find that you CAN run on the treadmill without breathing problems. If not, walking is a great exercise and on a high incline you will definitely feel the burn.

  • DanSTL82
    DanSTL82 Posts: 156 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Use an elliptical instead of a treadmill. It is easier on your joints and you can set the resistance higher so you're working harder to pedal the machine rather than just going faster. However, if your problem is that you can't do an exercise that gets you breathing heavy, there really are no high-fat-burning workouts that will both burn lots of calories and also won't leave you panting. They pretty much go hand-in-hand.
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
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    EQComics wrote: »
    Use an elliptical instead of a treadmill. It is easier on your joints and you can set the resistance higher so you're working harder to pedal the machine rather than just going faster. However, if your problem is that you can't do an exercise that gets you breathing heavy, there really are no high-fat-burning workouts that will both burn lots of calories and also won't leave you panting. They pretty much go hand-in-hand.

    Came here to make this point. I have, and always will have, fairly severe exercise-induced asthma. Walking is a completely legitimate cardio exercise, but at some point, you're going to need to get fast enough or walk on a high enough incline so that your lungs are having to work a little hard. Otherwise, you're going to be working out for very, very long sessions that won't result in a lot of cardiovascular benefits or calorie burn.

    I would definitely talk to your doctor about controlling your asthma, as opposed to completely avoiding triggers. If you haven't been to an asthma specialist in a while, you might find there have been some pretty decent advancements in medication. They even sell portable nebulizers now - and in the winter time, I will occasionally carry mine to my workout with me. Medications such as Dulera might also grant you an overall decrease in attacks.
  • sanfromny
    sanfromny Posts: 770 Member
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    I have asthma also. I take two puffs 15 minutes before starting to exercise. Of course I always keep my pump in hand just in case. Dont be afraid to exercise. The more you do it the stronger your lungs will become. I've only had severe asthma for about 5 years, my husband has had severe asthma all his life and he played college and semipro football for many years.

    Also most treadmills have a few different program options, 1 for fat burn, 1 for hill climb, 1 for various, etc. Try using one of those programs

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