Walking on a treadmill for weight loss: how to walk correctly?

Did you know that walking on a treadmill for weight loss is no less effective than running? The main thing is to walk correctly, observing the technique of movements, maintaining the pace, maintaining the time and mileage. By exercising regularly, you can not only pump up your muscles and improve your health, but also achieve significant success in losing weight.

Everyone knows that women seeking to lose weight can act very energetically, and sometimes even thoughtlessly, in order to achieve their goal. Meanwhile, walking on a treadmill, in addition to the obvious benefits, also has contraindications. Remember, no approach should be at odds with the benefits for the body. Not a single “beauty” and not a single weight loss is worth such sacrifices!

Read the material very carefully - we have collected the most useful tips for effective and safe weight loss. Follow our recommendations, and “those jeans” will soon finally see their finest hour!

How to walk on a treadmill correctly?

First, let's find out how to properly walk on a treadmill to lose weight in the butt, buttocks and abdomen. By the way, when the body begins to burn calories, the first thing it does is spend them in those places where there is an excess. A little later, the process becomes more uniform, the volume of the arms decreases, the double chin disappears, and, unfortunately, the chest.

Duration

What causes weight loss in general? Excess weight is energy that a person received in excess from food, but did not spend. Why he absorbed so much of it is another question, by the way, the answer to it, as well as understanding the problem, can help in the future not to gain the hated kilograms again.

To lose weight, a woman must spend accumulated energy, that is, physically load the body, for example, on a treadmill. At the same time, she must monitor her diet and ensure that incoming calories do not exceed their expenditure. Our physiology is such that during the first 30-40 minutes of exercise, the body draws energy from glycogens carefully accumulated by the liver. Only after this does it turn directly to fats.

Accordingly, your treadmill walking program for weight loss should include an average time of each workout - at least 1 hour.

1 Rule. The duration of 1 walking session on a treadmill for weight loss is 1-1.5 hours.

Regularity

Many women are interested in how often to do brisk walking on a treadmill to lose weight? Fitness trainers and nutritionists agree that exercise should be regular, and preferably daily. However, there are nuances:

Beginners should proceed with caution. Start by training 2-3 times a week;
More experienced girls are recommended to run on a treadmill every other day;
When the load no longer seems too difficult, start changing the speed modes, increase the exercise time, give yourself a workout with walking on an incline treadmill;
If you want to achieve rapid weight loss, we recommend exercising every day, combining exercise with diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Rule 2. Ideally, training for weight loss should be done every day, regularly increasing the load.

Speed

According to reviews, cardio walking for weight loss on a treadmill should take place in a comfortable heart rate zone. Almost all modern exercise machines today are equipped with a cardio sensor. Monitor its readings so that your heart rate does not exceed 130 beats per minute.

At this pace, you will be able to exercise for a long time without causing damage to your health and without feeling very tired. Of course, you don't have to rush out like you're Kevin McCallister's family missing their plane to France.

Each lesson should begin with a warm-up - with slow walking on a treadmill;
Gradually increase the speed of the simulator so that in 15-20 minutes you reach a heart rate of 130 beats. /min;
In the last 5-10 minutes of the session, the speed is reduced again, aiming for a smooth transition to a state of rest.

Rule 3. The recommended heart rate during the active phase of exercise for weight loss is 130 beats. /min.

Breath

This is a very important parameter that affects not only the effectiveness of the training, but also the athlete’s endurance and his comfortable state of health. When walking on a treadmill for fat burning, it is important to breathe correctly:

Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth;
Strive to maintain a uniform breathing rhythm;
An approximate pattern of inhalations and exhalations for calm walking looks like 2/4. This means inhale for every 2 steps, exhale for every 4, that is, for the second step after inhalation. If you walk intensely, almost running, use a similar 3/3 pattern;
Stick to medium depth of breaths. If you inhale superficially, you will quickly become out of breath, but if you breathe too deeply, you will feel dizzy due to the influx of oxygen;
If you are out of breath, stop and regain your breathing. Then continue.

Rule 4. For a fast step, the breathing rhythm when walking on a treadmill for weight loss must correspond to the pattern: 3 steps - inhale, 3 steps - exhale.

Proper breathing will minimize the risk of dizziness and blood pressure surges. It forms good concentration of the athlete and increases his endurance. Remember, there can be no question of maintaining walking technique if a person is breathing incorrectly.

Technique

You need to walk with a straight back, your eyes looking forward. Make sure your feet step on the machine, gently rolling from heel to toe. Bend your arms at the elbows and let them intuitively help your body movements. Choose comfortable sneakers and comfortable clothes.

Types of loads

The whole secret is in breathing - and this applies not only to the correct breathing technique during physical activity. The types of blood oxygen saturation determine different types of exercise: aerobic and anaerobic:

Aerobic: associated with high oxygen consumption when the heart and lungs work intensely but evenly for a long time. Energy is generated by the oxidation of glucose and then fats gradually, but in significant quantities.
Anaerobic: focused on short-term, but very intense exercise, during which the muscles simply do not have time to receive enough oxygen and are forced to quickly use the available resources in anaerobic mode. The amount of energy is sufficient for a short load. Such a quick workout is aimed at increasing muscle mass.

Aerobic exercise or cardio is used differently for weight loss, because the intensive breakdown of glucose under the influence of oxygen leads to a decrease in body weight. In the first 20-30 minutes, the supply of nutrients in the muscles is burned, and then fats are used.

The load on the heart is of great importance, since it feeds on fatty acids to produce the energy required for its contractions.

. Aerobic exercise includes running, swimming, walking, water aerobics and other moderate-intensity activities. HR (heart rate) is calculated using the formula 220 minus age. This maximum value, or at least 75 percent of it, must be maintained during exercise. There is also another formula that determines the limits of aerobic values. You need to calculate:

maximum heart rate: 220 minus age;
the value of maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate is reserve.

We will get 2 values: maximum heart rate and our reserve. Based on these numbers, you can calculate the limits of your pulse. Within these limits, you will engage in aerobic activity.

reserve *0.5 plus resting heart rate – lower limit;
reserve*0.85 plus resting heart rate – upper limit.

Consider an example: your age is 30 years old, and your resting heart rate is 65. The maximum heart rate value is 220-30=190. Your reserve is: 190-65=125 hits. The lower limit is calculated as: 125 multiplied by 0.5 and added 65 = 127 beats. The upper limit is: 125 multiplied by 0.85 and added 65 = 170 beats. Your heart rate during exercise should be between 127-170 beats per minute.

When walking to lose weight, you should strive for these heart rate indicators, for which you should purchase a fitness bracelet or any other device to calculate the rhythm.

Anaerobic exercise is performed in a very strenuous work mode. Everyone associates this type with strength training and sets of exercises, and this is true. But in the wrong hands, the same running can easily become an anaerobic exercise, from which you will not lose weight. Here we are talking about fast running over short distances.

This is often the sin of novice athletes who believe that speed is equivalent to results. Then comes fatigue, a break and a new try. Such short exercise regimes convert aerobic exercise into anaerobic exercise and reduce the effectiveness of weight loss.

But walking will completely relieve you of such risk. Long-term controlled exercise will lead to rapid weight loss.

Walking Variations

If you are interested in how to lose weight on a treadmill while walking, be prepared to alternate between different variations of “walking”.

Interval walking. Its essence lies in the frequent change of rhythms - from calm to fast and vice versa. You can increase or decrease the walking speed, change the slope of the working surface of the simulator.
Nordic walking. In simple terms, this is skiing, but without skis and poles. The athlete imitates the skiing technique of working with poles, which helps him maintain a given pace. Refers to a gentle type of load;
Sloping uphill. This variation allows you to use the target muscles more strongly and quickly start the weight loss process;
With weights. To increase the load, you can pick up small dumbbells, hang special weights on your feet, or put weight bags on your belt.

Rule 5. To quickly lose weight, it is important to alternate different variations of walking - this way the body will receive adequate load, and the muscles will always be in good shape.

Target muscles

Let's find out which muscles work when walking on a treadmill, this will allow us to better understand which areas will lose weight faster.

The gluteal muscles are used first;
Secondly, quadriceps and biceps femoris;
The calf muscles are also involved;
Tibial anterior and posterior;
Flexors and extensors of the toes;
Abdominal and back muscles;
Muscles of the shoulders and forearms.

As you can see, during exercise on the treadmill, the muscles of almost the entire body work. Please note that if you increase the inclination of the canvas, the load on the calf and thigh muscles will increase. If you walk with weights, you can not only ensure weight loss, but also improve the quality of muscle mass, form a beautiful relief, and with appropriate nutrition, you can even increase its volume.

Technique

So, you are properly dressed and equipped and start walking. There are various options for this type of load, let’s consider the general technical points:

your back should be kept straight, without leaning back or forward;
the head looks forward, all the natural curves of the spine are preserved;
shoulders down, chest straightened, stomach tucked;
the step is carried out by rolling from heel to toe at a distance of no more than half a meter;
during a step, the foot is pushed off by the gluteal muscles and gently rolls forward;
the legs do not rise above knee level, but also do not slide on the surface;
arms are bent at the elbows, at waist level;
when moving, the arms slide along the sides of the body, performing a countermovement.

Ideally, you should feel a slight twist in your body: when your left leg moves forward, your body twists slightly to the right and vice versa. This movement in the body evenly distributes the axial load.

Benefits, harms and contraindications

First, let's talk about the pros of walking on a treadmill, because there are many more cons!

The ability to maintain great physical shape without excessive stress. This is important for women who want to lose weight through sports, but have health restrictions;
Walking is a great way to strengthen the heart and breathing, increase endurance;
The treadmill makes it possible to regulate the volume of load, which is very convenient, because each person has his own starting level;
Such training, due to the low load at a moderate pace, is allowed for older people, as well as during pregnancy;
Provides an acceptable load on joints and ligaments;

An activity can cause harm only if you exercise without a system, thoughtlessly, and without following the rules listed above. In this case, you risk getting injured, losing your health, and quickly becoming disillusioned with your training.

Also, you can harm yourself if you walk with contraindications:

Spinal injuries;
Traumatic brain injuries;
Cardiovascular diseases in the acute phase;
Epilepsy;
Conditions after a heart attack or stroke;
Exacerbations of chronic diseases;
Oncological neoplasms;
Inflammatory processes, including at elevated body temperature.

Rule 6. To maximize the benefits of walking on a treadmill for women and men, always exercise in good health and in a great mood. If there are contraindications for medical reasons, be sure to consult your doctor.

Tips and reviews for losing weight using a treadmill

Well, now you know the benefits of walking on a treadmill, and you are familiar with the main rules for successful training for weight loss. Here are some more tips to increase efficiency:

Watch your nutrition and follow a low-calorie diet. At the same time, the diet should be balanced, including fruits, vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Minimize fats, but don't eliminate them completely. To lose weight, steam or stew food, give up fast food, baked goods and sweets.
Drink plenty of water. The recommended volume depends on the initial weight, but start from the average values: a woman weighing 70 kg needs to drink about 2 liters of pure still water during the day until 19-20.00;
In addition to the treadmill, do not forget about other machines and physical exercises. An exercise program for losing weight should be comprehensive.
Always remember how long you need to walk on the treadmill to lose weight - at least 1 hour a day.
To break up the lesson and not get bored, choose a cool playlist or turn on an interesting TV series;
Don't try to lose weight quickly right away. As practice shows, the slower the kilograms melt, the greater the likelihood that they will never return.

Judging by the reviews, proper walking on a treadmill helps relieve stress. The woman relaxes and lets go of her worries. With physical fatigue comes peace, a sense of accomplishment, and pride in oneself. These are the best motivators for losing weight, believe me!

We analyzed reviews of this type of weight loss online and found that walking on a treadmill is extremely effective. The most important thing is to follow the recommendations and stick to the chosen program. The exercise is suitable for absolutely all people - adults, children, pregnant women, and those recovering from injuries or illnesses.

Sample lesson program

So, you know what walking on a treadmill does, in conclusion, we would like to present a simple and effective training program. With their help, you will start the process of losing weight and will “keep your finger on the pulse” throughout the entire process:

60 minute program for beginners and experienced athletes.

Warm up at a speed of 3-5 km/h for 5-7 minutes;
We walk for 5 minutes at 5-7 km/h, then 5 minutes at 7-10 km/h;
We move for 10 minutes at a speed of 4-6 km/h;
For the next 15 minutes, you can include an element of complexity in the complex: interval running, change the incline of the working surface, or take dumbbells. If you're just starting out, just continue at a moderate pace;
Drive for 10 minutes at a speed of 6-8 km/h;
During the last 10 minutes, gradually reduce your speed to a very slow pace until you stop.

When working out to lose weight, remember the main thing - all your work will be nullified if you do not follow the recommendations or try to achieve what you want as soon as possible. Remember to gradually increase the load, and always listen to your feelings. Any activity should give joy, otherwise, why is it needed at all?

Classical

Normal walking on a flat surface is performed according to the above method. The speed varies according to the degree of training: you should start with a warm-up at a speed of 2-4 kilometers per hour. After 5-10 minutes of this work, you can increase it to 6. Maintain a calm and even breathing rhythm; after 15 minutes from the start, you can drink a little water.

The duration of the weight loss exercise should be at least an hour. In this case, the pulse should fit within the limits of aerobic exercise, which we talked about at the beginning.

The classic version of walking is indicated in old age, as well as for varicose veins, problems with joints, heart, breathing and pregnancy. Such an intensive daily walk is useful even for the rehabilitation of certain diseases.