Treadmill Workouts for Beginners

A treadmill is truly an ingenious invention isn't it? A machine designed to make people walk! It would seem that walking seems to have become a rarity in the wake of cars and motorcycles increasingly used for the shortest journeys, that man had to invent another mechanically powered device that would make people walk! But a treadmill is more than that. It just takes a change in perception to see what the treadmill is. More than just a mechanical device, it is also a motivator and a trainer. It ensures that you walk the whole amount of time that you've punched in and that too at a preset pace. It basically makes sure that you exercise. Think of it as a non-human personal trainer! Can anything else make you walk briskly for up to an hour? Can land elevate itself at your command? The answer to both these questions is 'no'. And that's where a treadmill comes in. It comes with a range of functions which helps you lose weight.

Treadmill Exercises for Beginners

Walking, jogging and running are all cardiovascular exercises. What cardiovascular exercises do is that they ensure movement of the largest muscle groups of the body; the legs. When you move this muscle group at a fast pace, it creates an activity which burns a lot of calories. Hence cardiovascular exercises are looked upon favorably as great tools for ensuring weight loss. The most commonly done cardio exercises are the treadmill and the exercise bike.

First of all, you should decide whether you'd like to do a few minutes of cardio workout everyday or dedicate up to two days a week solely for cardio exercise. If you are a beginner to cardio exercise, it may not be a good idea to have a full workout around the treadmill as it may tire you out. I recommend you do about 15-20 minutes of cardio everyday.

Treadmill Workout Routines

Walking
The first most obvious thing that comes to mind when one says treadmill is walking exercise. You can set a pace which you feel comfortable walking for up to 20 minutes. You could start with a speed of 5 km/hr and if you feel that the workout is too slow for you, you could yank it up to 6.5 km/hr. Walking is a simple exercise for you and it is better you start your workout with this if you have never played any sports. It is also a good warm-up.

Running
If you have played sports before and feel fit enough to run for a while, you could skip the walking and start your treadmill workout with a light jog. Start your workout with a brisk jog at 10 km/hr. And depending on whether you are comfortable or not, you can increase or decrease the speed of the treadmill at which you're running. Ideally you should maintain a steady pace throughout so select a speed which you are comfortable with. Don't overdo it as it may cause injury. Reduce the speed for the last 4-5 minutes so that you can cool down.

Using the Incline
To increase the intensity of the workout, the treadmill offers the incline function. When you use the incline, the treadmill automatically lifts itself up and gives you the feeling of walking uphill. Walking uphill is obviously tougher than walking on a flat surface hence it burns more calories too! Hence you can use an incline of 2-3 levels on a scale of 8 levels of incline. Do not go beyond that as there are chances that you may not be able to adjust with the speed of the treadmill.

Interval Workout
A treadmill also comes armed with an interval workout. An interval workout is a preset function which does all the changes in the incline, and leaves you to adjust the speed. The interval workout intermediately increases the incline of the treadmill to give you a more challenging workout.

Treadmill exercises are great for losing weight and should always be done in tandem with bodybuilding exercises.