Treadmill Workout for Fitness and Fat Burning

Treadmill workouts are recognized as one of the best for burning fat. Using a treadmill can reduce stress, relieve tension, increase circulation, build muscle and, above all, reduce body fat.

Walking is probably the most overlooked exercise of all. A lot of people think walking or using a treadmill is boring. It doesn't have to be boring or unrewarding.

If you like mountain hiking, a treadmill workout can imitate the incline, speed and intensity of an actual hike. On the other hand, a cardiac patient or an elderly person can take a slow, leisurely stroll to build endurance. You can even walk your dog on a treadmill and keep him/her in shape, too. Using a treadmill to workout is the most effective way to raise your fitness level.

By adjusting your workout at intervals, you can optimize the amount of fat burned. The amount of fat burned is dictated by the calories burned. The more calories burned, the more fat that is burned. It really is that simple.

When used for fitness training, the treadmill workout can be ramped up depending on where the user is (speaking of fitness) at the time. Say that the person is a seasoned treadmill user and is up to 45 minutes a day at 3MPH on a 4% incline. This person could increase the intensity to 30 minutes at 4mph on a 6% incline. Doesn't sound like much, but 4MPH going uphill is a pretty good clip on a treadmill.

By far, the most widely known use of a treadmill workout is to burn fat and calories. For people that don't get a whole lot of physical activity otherwise, this is a very good thing. They can stay in the house during inclement weather and still get their workout in.

For instance, walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes at 2mph will burn approximately 150 calories for a person that weighs around 200 pounds. If you are heavier, that number will be higher, naturally.

Now take that up a level and say the same 200-pound person goes 30 minutes at 3mph on a 3% incline. This time the calories burned is about 250. You can see the importance of workout intensity in that example.

One of the best ways to use a treadmill workout to burn optimum fat is what is called the interval method. Basically, you start at a low level for a few minutes. Let's say 5 minutes at 1.5 mph on a flat surface. This is called the "warm up" interval of the workout.

Then you move it up to 2.5 mph on a 2% incline for 5 minutes. Then move it up to 3.5 mph on a 5% incline for 5 minutes. This is known as the "main interval".

Once you get to that level, work it back down the same way to a stop. This is called the "warm down" interval.

This 25-minute routine will burn approximately 400 to 500 calories, if I have done my math right.

Of course, this is NOT a suggested workout routine. It is just an example for information purposes.

So you want to start out slow with your treadmill workout and work your way up to a comfortable speed and incline position. Then work back down to a stop. In this way, you will attain the optimum effect and should be happy with the results.