How Long Should I Walk On A Treadmill

How long should I walk on a treadmill to see the results? If you are wondering about this, we will help you out.

Walking is an easy and accessible way to keep fit. It strengthens different body muscles, enhances flexibility, and promotes weight loss for heavy and obese people. If you are looking to shed weight or improve your overall fitness, walking on a treadmill is an effective way to meet your goals.

How Long Should I Walk On A Treadmill

Using a treadmill for your walking workouts is better than walking outside. It provides numerous benefits among them giving you better control of your workout for optimal results. Walking on a treadmill is also more comfortable on your feet and ideal for nearly all users, even seniors and people with joint, knee, and hip problems.

How to Burn Calories on a Treadmill

If your goal is you reduce body fat, you need to walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes to reach your goals. Generally, you have to burn about 3,500 calories to shed 1 pound of body fat. How many calories you burn on each walk will depend on a wide range of factors including the intensity of your walking and weight.

For instance, a 125-pound person who takes 30 minutes walking 4 mph burns about 135 calories. This means that it will take you almost a month to burn 3,500 calories and shed 1 pound of body fat.

To enhance the workout benefits for your body and reach your goals more quickly, you should train for longer distances and add intensity to your walking routine. Instead of training for 30 minutes only, you can push forward to 45 minutes or 60 minutes depending on your lifestyle and fitness levels.

Furthermore, increasing the speed on the treadmill means that you will be able to cover more distance within the set time. This in turn results in the burning of more calories. Performing more rigorous workouts will also help shorten the time it takes to reach your goals.

A good example is by adding an incline on the treadmill. It will add more resistance which requires you to engage your muscles more compared to walking on a flat surface.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) also offers a way for you to add intensity to your treadmill walking route. HIIT training increases your oxygen demand during workouts which in turn expedites your total caloric expedition during and after a workout.

To incorporate HIIT workout in your walking routine, jog and run for 1 minute or less, then walk for three to five minutes. Do this repetitively until you complete your 30 minutes of exercise. As you boost your endurance, you should also adjust the recovery time to match your fitness level.

Treadmill Walking vs Outdoor Walking

Walking outside is way different from walking on a treadmill. Choosing between the two walking modalities will largely depend on your lifestyle, what motivates you and where you live. Each modality has its benefits and disadvantages so you can weigh in your needs and see what you would prefer.

Benefits of Outdoor Walking

There are so many benefits that come with walking outsides beyond the fact that it’s absolutely free. These benefits include:

Burn More Calories

The first benefit of walking outside is burning more calories. Obstacles such as rough walking surfaces and wind resistance will push your body to work harder for it to move forward. This means that it will end up using more energy which translates to burning more calories.

Boosts your Mood

Walking outside will not only help you burn calories, but also boost your mood. Walking in nature will help alleviate stress and anxiety. You will also have the time to interact and connect with other members in the neighborhood and take a break from your everyday routine, especially if you work from home.

Strengthens Multiple Muscles

Another benefit of outdoor walking is that it helps strength and stabilize different muscles. This enhances balance and core strength which are essential to your overall fitness as you age. If you reside in a hilly area, walking up the hill will workout your glutes and quadricep muscles. You will also be able to lengthen and condition your leg muscles when you are walking downhill.

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Disadvantages of Outdoor Walking

Walking outdoors isn’t always a practical choice as it comes with these challenges.

Weather Problems

If it is snowy, rainy or the temperatures are too hot, you will find it difficult to take a meaningful walk outside. This means that you have to forgo your walking workout until the weather is favorable.

Hard Surfaces

Walking on paved areas is not always comfortable as it exerts more stress on your knees. If you have joint problems, it is best to walk on a treadmill.

Benefits of Treadmill Walking

If you choose a treadmill, here are the benefits that you get.

Better Workout Control

A treadmill comes with a set of pre-programmed workouts for you to control your workout depending on your fitness level and goals. You can change the speed to burn more calories and the incline level to push your body to work harder.

Cushioning

Treadmills have a certain level of cushioning to make your workouts more comfortable. The cushioning softens the impact on your joints and makes long workout sessions more bearable.

Convenience

Having a treadmill at your disposal gives you the convenience to walk, run or jog at any time of the day. You also get to use the treadmill all-year round as it is not affected by weather.

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Disadvantages of Treadmills

Boredom

Treadmill walking can be boring given it’s monotonous. However, modern treadmills come with large screens to keep you entertained as you exercise.

Burns Fewer Calories

Walking on a treadmill expends less energy compared to walking outdoors. This means that you will have fewer calories burned.

Costly

Treadmills are expensive to acquire and maintain. You will have to pay for the initial cost, electricity bill, and other maintenance costs.

Final Thoughts

Walking is the best exercise for all fitness fanatics. It requires no prior skills or specialized equipment to have it done. With regular practice, your will be able to build your body’s strength, endurance, and speed. Regular walking either on a treadmill or outdoors will also help build strong leg muscles and keep your body in shape.

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