How to run and lose weight on a treadmill? 12 tips

If you’re a runner then I’m sure there have been many times when you couldn’t do a workout because of the weather. I’m not talking about colder weather or light rain. No. I’m talking about a big freeze, heavy rain, or even a thunderstorm. You can’t control the weather, but you can use the treadmill to run no matter what the weather conditions are outside. 

As for the treadmill, it has many advantages. Do you have one in your home? You probably bought it to burn calories and eventually get into high shape. In this article, I will show you how to lose weight on a treadmill. If you implement these tips in your life, the expected results will come faster! 

Treadmill – burn calories running

Have you ever felt that you literally didn’t want to do anything? Daily chores were hard, let alone going outside and going for a run. A treadmill is a great idea to motivate yourself. You don’t even have to leave the house to get the exercise you need, take care of yourself, and burn calories. 

What’s more, a treadmill is a perfect solution for people who don’t want to run in public or are simply embarrassed. Just start up the machine at home and enjoy a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.

How to lose weight on a treadmill? How to do it efficiently? Here are 12 tips!

1. Regularity – the key to success

If you want your training, which can be hard and exhausting at the very beginning, to bring any results, you need to remember about regularity. Without it, you won’t move on and will not see any result, which will be frustrating and discouraging. 

That’s why it’s best to run on a treadmill 3 times a week. It will be a good way to start your treadmill adventure if you are a beginner. If you are an experienced runner you can do your training on this machine even every day. 

When running every day, remember about recovery, which is extremely necessary for your body. Choose days when your run will be more intense and days when you will do light and short runs.

2. Plan your training

“Training planning? What’s that for? After all, I know I have to run on the treadmill. I’ll do it when I have time. Why stick to a set plan?” 

It is precisely this kind of thinking that is wrong and often affects your training regularity, which I just mentioned. If you set yourself a plan, it will then be much easier for you to maintain regularity. 

Plan your workouts a week ahead. Sit comfortably in an armchair on a Sunday evening with a mug of tea and think about your daily schedule. Then you’ll know what’s in store for you on any given day. You’ll be able to choose whether you’ll do interval training that day or a slow jog to loosen up. 

3. An app to help you plan and track your workouts

We live in an era of mobile devices, so many people use running apps to track their progress and plan their next workouts. 

You too can take advantage of these apps. It will also bring more motivation into your daily workouts, as you will see your training progress. You will also set big and small goals that will push you forward. Who knows, maybe in the future, thanks to your perseverance, regularity, and training, you will run as fast as Usain Bolt 😉 

Wondering which application to choose? I have created an article on this topic, especially for you! Click HERE and discover the best apps for runners! 

4. Do a proper warm-up 

Seemingly everyone knows about the warm-up, but not everyone does it before training on the treadmill. This is a very important element that will prepare your muscles for the effort. It will make your body work better and, most importantly, you will be less likely to get injured. 

In this way, the warm-up will have an indirect effect on the rate at which you burn calories while running on the treadmill. 

5. Adjust the effort to your condition

If you are at the beginning of your treadmill running adventure then your condition will not allow you to run 30 or 40 minutes without rest. 

Don’t give up right away. This is normal. The body needs to get used to physical activity. 

Start with a trot, and after about 5 minutes take a break – but a break does not mean the end of running. A break is a march on the treadmill. In this way, you will prepare your body for the exertion, and you will become stronger every day. 

Do you feel that your fitness is improving? Change from trot to a normal run – enjoy running without breaks 🙂 

6. Adjust the incline of the treadmill

Now think about outdoor training. You don’t always run on flat surfaces, right? On your way, you meet hills, and sometimes you have to run uphill or downhill. This also affects the number of calories you burn during your workout. Why? Because your body has to overcome heavier obstacles. 

The real question is – why should you choose the incline of the treadmill during your workout? 

• You can adjust its incline to make your workout even more like one done outdoors.
• The incline will make your workout more efficient.
• It engages your muscles to a greater extent. 

7. Proper running technique on the treadmill – burn calories?

The proper running technique won’t make you burn more calories while running on a treadmill. 

You’re probably thinking, “Why mention it if it doesn’t do anything to help me lose weight?”

Correct technique is extremely important because it will prevent any injury you may suffer while running on the treadmill. Fat burn is not everything, remember that safety comes first.

How to run on a treadmill?

• Position yourself in the middle of the lane and slowly increase your pace.
• Keep your head straight.
• Look ahead, not down.
• Move your bent arms along your torso.
• Keep your shoulders lowered, and your shoulder blades slightly pulled toward you. This will keep your back straight.
• Tighten your abdomen slightly.

8. Run on a treadmill long enough 

What does it mean to run on the treadmill long enough, and what will it do? 

Do at least a 20-minute run on the treadmill. At the beginning of your workout, you will be gaining energy using carbohydrates and fat. With that said, you’ll be doing it only 20% from fat and as much as 80% from carbohydrates. 

After 20-30 minutes, these proportions will begin to change – the value of using fat to obtain further energy will begin to increase. After an hour of training, you will already be taking this energy 80% from fat and only 20% from carbohydrates. The longer you run, the more unwanted fat you will burn.

9. Remember to stretch after a workout

As after any workout, after running on a treadmill, you can’t forget to stretch. 

It will work perfectly to calm your body, relax your muscles and restore their length. 

Stretching is an indispensable element that every athlete should perform after training. 

10. Experiment with running on a treadmill

What does it mean? Running at the same pace can become tedious. Therefore, if you can already easily run for about 40 minutes without stopping then it is a good idea to add intervals. 

Intervals and varying your running pace will not only improve your metabolism and increase the effects of your workout but also add a lot of variety to your exercise.

NOTE: The body is attracted to stimuli. After a few months of regular and the same training, it can get used to it. This is why the rate of weight loss decreases and running on a treadmill may no longer produce such good results. 

Make your workouts more varied! How?

• Intervals – start with a strong and intense run, almost at the maximum of your ability (about 30 seconds), then move to a trot. This is a type of rest, which should be 3 times longer. Perform several repetitions. 
• Fartlek – that is, a continuous change of pace of running. This will bring variety to your workouts. They will not be monotonous, and also your body will not get used to them, and you will continue to burn calories.

11. Measure your heart rate

Are you still wondering how to burn fat on a treadmill? You can measure your heart rate.

“Will measuring my heart rate help me burn calories?” YES 

“How is that possible?”

To burn calories you must start by calculating your maximum heart rate. How to do it? Here is the formula:

220 – 0.5* your age – 0.022* your weight = Hrmax (maximum heart rate).

It says that you should train at 60-75% of your maximum heart rate to burn the most calories. It’s a good idea to calculate these values and measure your heart rate while running. 

12. Healthy eating 

“I exercise regularly, and apply all the points mentioned above, but I still can’t lose weight.”

The question is, are you eating properly? Treadmill workouts alone are not enough. You also need to change your eating habits. 

If you do not do this then you will not see results. Your weight will stagnate or may even increase! Healthy eating will also give you the needed energy to function. 

Now you know how to lose weight on a treadmill. As you can see these elements will help you achieve your goal.