The treadmill has changed the face of cardio forever. It allows users to not only build muscle and stamina while getting cardio in one place but also allows them the ability to lose weight as well. What are the best treadmill workouts for beginners who want to lose weight?
The top 8 treadmill workouts for beginners who are looking to lose weight include walking, inclined workouts, high-intensity interval workouts, weight training, hill workouts, walking lunges, side shuffles, and
If you are wanting to lose weight and love the accessibility of a treadmill, there are plenty of options for you. Using a treadmill is not only for increasing your heart rate, but is a great method of getting a fat-burning run in without having to run around the block or around the gym track multiple times. Continue reading to find the top 8 treadmill workouts for beginners.
Why Treadmills are a Great Options for Beginners and Weight Loss
Treadmills are no new piece of equipment. They have been around since the early 1900s and have been a piece of equipment that has made its way into gyms and homes all around the globe. With their popularity, it would then seem that these pieces of equipment are useful, but what exactly do they do and why are they such a preferred piece of equipment when it comes to beginners who are wanting to work towards weight loss?
No matter what your age or level of fitness is, you are able to tailor your workouts to fit your own capabilities and endurance levels by not only selecting the speed at which you walk or run, but also the level of resistance at which this is accomplished. For weight loss, the biggest use of a treadmill is to increase heart rate, but this does not always mean that an increased heart rate must be preceded with high resistance and an intense pace.
If you are a beginner in the workout and weight loss world, you will be able to hop onto a treadmill and pace yourself in order to build up resistance without overexerting to a point that the workout is unbearable. A brisk walk for ten to fifteen minutes is more than capable of increasing many individuals’ heart rate, and when your heart rate is increased, weight loss is promoted. So, what are the 8 best treadmill workouts for beginners?
8 Best Treadmill Workouts For Beginners and Weight Loss
When it comes to a treadmill, the use of such a machine may seem relatively black and white to many people. You start the treadmill, select your speed, select your resistance, and either walk or run for a certain period of time before you move on to a new task. Although rather simplistic, there are certain workouts that can be done while using a treadmill that are more likely to induce weight loss, especially for beginners.
1. Begin with Walking
It may be tempting for many beginners who are excited about their weight loss journey to get on the treadmill and go straight into a run with the goal of losing as much weight as quickly as possible. The efforts here are certain to be noted, but if you are a beginner and this type of workout is new to you, it can be a very quick way to set yourself up for failure.
Walking will get you acclimated to the machine, but will also help to prepare your body to get ready for either future workouts in the coming week that will be higher intensity or will warm up your body for a more intense workout that will directly follow your walking session on the treadmill. The important thing is to realize that walking works as a method to warm up your body, acclimate beginners to the feel of the treadmill, and set them up for long-term success.
2. Inclined Workout
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The beauty of treadmills is that they are very versatile when it comes to the type of running or walking you are completing. If you are in need of a lower-intensity walk and are not yet ready to take on more than a flat surface, you can speed walk or run in different intervals to promote weight loss without having to face any inclines. However, if you want to add a bit of resistance to your walk as a beginner, an inclined workout can be great for increasing heart rates.
Once you have warmed up, you will begin to increase the incline to 3 or 4 percent and either speed walk, jog, or run for 90-seconds. The goal is to simply be challenged, so choose the correct pace for you. You will then jog or briskly walk for 60 seconds with no incline. Once this is up, you will raise the incline to 5 or 7 percent and jog or run for another 90 seconds then recover for another minute with no incline. This is then repeated for 15-25 minutes.
3. High-intensity Interval Workout
One of the most known ways of fat burning is through high-intensity interval workouts or HIIT. The goal behind this style of workout is to quickly increase heart rate for a very short amount of time, rest for a longer amount of time, then quickly increase heart rate again and repeat this process for a certain amount of time. Heart rate is increased during those active periods through intense sessions of whatever workout the individual is completing.
For those beginners who are looking to promote weight loss, high-intensity intervals are ideal because they are not long workouts that are high-intensity over the entirety of the session, but also give individuals the ability to effectively increase their heart rate in order to promote weight loss. First, and for every workout, you are going to begin with a 5-minute warm-up that can either be walking or a very light run before starting the formal workout.
Start with 15 seconds of high-intensity sprinting or climbing at a high incline that will promote a good amount of resistance. After the 15 seconds is up, rest for 45 seconds by walking at a slow pace and repeat this process for 25 minutes. The longer you perform this workout, the easier it will become as your endurance capabilities strengthen. As each session gets a bit easier, increase the incline as well as the length of time you spend with this workout.
4. Weight Training with a Treadmill
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This title is not as intense as it sounds, so don’t be deterred just yet. If you are someone who simply cannot stand the idea of sprinting or cannot physically accomplish a high-intensity workout like the one listed above, your ability to use a treadmill is not nulled. For beginners, light weight training when using the treadmill is a great way to promote an increase in heart rate and endurance training without intense running sessions.
To weight train with a treadmill, you will need to either get ankle weights whose weight is noticeable to your body when walking, or grab a pair of wrist or hand weights to hold as you walk. A number of different upper body workouts can be implemented when walking, but these should be done anywhere from 25-30 and increased over time.
5. Hill Workouts
If high-intensity workouts are not for you, but weight training is a little too uneventful for your style, consider using the option of adding hills to your treadmill workout. Instead of running on a flat surface, you will select a preprogrammed workout on your treadmill that will randomly add hills as you are either walking or running. This random increase will increase your heart rate quickly.
For a hill workout, you will want to start out with a session that lasts 25-30 minutes as well, but if you find that your heart rate has not been noticeably increased during this time period, extend the workout or increase the incline percent on the treadmill. If the workout is too much for you, decrease your time or the level at which the incline is adjusted.
6. Treadmill Walking Lunges
For those of you that want something a bit more out of the ordinary when it comes to weight loss and the use of treadmills, consider adding walking lunges to any other used routines. Treadmill walking lunges are great for training your glutes, quads, and calves and will offer a change of scenery from the typical running or walking pace that can get some beginners feeling like they are in a bit of a rut.
To complete treadmill walking lunges you will set the speed of the treadmill to either 1.5 or 2.0 and grip onto the sides of the treadmill as you take a large step forward with your right leg, bending them at a 90-degree angle. You will switch legs and complete the same step with your left. Keep your core engaged, your back flat, and avoid leaning forward. Repeat this for 7-10 minutes and slowly build your time as you build your endurance.
7. Treadmill Side Shuffles
Another workout that is great for beginners is the implementation of low squat side shuffles. These are great for the inner and outer thighs and help to change up the pace of the usual treadmill interaction. Side shuffles are for those who would like to focus more on strength, but are also wanting to build up their endurance through the use of treadmills in order to promote a higher amount of weight loss through increased heart rate.
To complete a side shuffle start by standing sideways on the treadmill with your back straight and knees slightly bent. Set the speed to 3.0 to 4.0 and begin to side shuffle as you land right on the balls of your feet. Repeat this for 10-15 minutes.
8. Treadmill Push
The treadmill push is a bit more unconventional, but it offers flexibility for new users and is a great way to get your heart rate up while also offering some serious endurance training. The treadmill push is designed to mimic pushing a weighted sled and can be easily implemented if your treadmill is capable of moving when even turned off. Be sure to check that this is possible before starting.
To complete a treadmill push, you will stop the treadmill and pull the emergency tag. Then, stand on the treadmill and grip the handles in front of you with both hands with your elbows slightly bent. YOu will then drive your legs forward so that you push the belt of the treadmill back with your feet. This can be done for 10-15 minutes as you build up your resistance.