4 Treadmill Workouts to Lose Weight at Any Age (Walking Included)
Treadmill routines with high-intensity intervals, a steep incline, or maximum speed are an effective way to amp up your calorie burn.
The best part? An effective treadmill workout can help you reach your fat loss goals a little quicker. Plus, you can easily adjust the intensity of your workout to a level that works for you, no matter what your age!
As a Certified Personal Trainer and treadmill user, Chris Freytag has created the best treadmill workouts to try. They will help you burn fat, lose weight, and keep your workout routine interesting!
Here, we’ll look at the benefits of a treadmill exercise, tips for getting started, and 4 of the best treadmill workouts for weight loss.
Benefits of Treadmill Workouts
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While strength training is essential to build strong muscles and keep your metabolism revved, you also need cardiovascular exercise.
The CDC recommends you get at least 150 minutes of heart-pumping cardio each week. You can divide that number up however you like—do five 30-minute cardio sessions per week, three-hour-long sessions per week, or just 10 or 20 minutes here and there throughout the day.
The treadmill offers just one awesome way to get your cardiovascular exercise in for the week, and so many things make it a viable option for pretty much everyone!
Working out on a treadmill…
- Allows you to walk or run no matter the weather
- Helps you train for your first 5 or 10 k
- Allows you to work in intervals by adjusting the speed or incline
- Makes cardio workouts accessible to all fitness levels, no matter what intensity level
- Offers a low-impact flat ground alternative to running or walking on pavement
- Helps you track your progress by seeing extra calories burned, miles logged, and more
You can even get a foldable mini treadmill or walking pad to use during your work day!
Tips for Treadmill Workouts
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Try the following tips to get the most out of your treadmill workout:
- Warm up first. Warming up is an important part of any workout. A short warm-up raises your heart rate and helps your muscles prepare for exercise. I recommend at least five minutes of warming up by walking at a comfortable pace on the treadmill.
- Stay hydrated. This is important in any fitness routine! Grab your favorite water bottle and get set up before you start the workout. Drinking water regularly during exercise helps you stay hydrated and able to complete more exercise.
- Cool down after. Once you complete your workout, you’ll want to bring your heart rate back down. A cool-down will slowly reduce your respiration back to a normal rate. Reduce your speed every one to two minutes until you hit a fairly easy pace, then walk for about three to five minutes while your body eases into a calmer state.
- Don’t forget to stretch. Complete your post-workout stretch as quickly as you can after your workout. Ideally, you will stretch 5 to 10 minutes. Try this 10-minute stretch routine after your workout to prevent injury and muscle soreness.
Next, check out four effective treadmill workouts for weight loss! Do one of them a few times and then move to the next, or mix and match throughout the week to keep your body guessing. Either way, you’ll be glad you did!
20-Minute Speed Intervals Workout
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This quick workout involves high-intensity intervals focusing on changing up your speed, which will give you more of a calorie burn than walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace for an hour.
- You’ll do 4-speed intervals at 1 minute each, with 2 minutes of lighter work in between.
- It involves some short bursts up to a 7.0 mph speed, which is no doubt high-intensity training. But always listen to your body! If that is too much for you, use a speed that feels difficult for your body. There is no one right speed for everyone.
- You’ll bookend your workout with a 5-minute warm-up and cool-down.
The “feeling” column is helpful in identifying how hard you should feel you’re working or your “perceived exertion.” This workout is great for anyone looking to up their calorie burn or runners who are looking for a little speed work. Hit your stride and have some fun!
30-Minute Hill Climber Workout
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Get ready to work with inclines in this 30-minute hill-climber workout! This workout provides a 5-minute warm-up and then takes you on a series of speed and incline changes that give you the feeling of hiking on a mountain. Your speed will vary a little in this workout, but the focus is primarily on raising your incline.
The varying heart rate and aerobic/anaerobic combination will torch calories and fat and really increase your fitness level! Not to mention, anytime you raise the incline on your treadmill, you target different muscle groups to mix things up and give your glutes and thighs a run for their money. Consider it the next best thing to hiking an exotic mountain somewhere—no plane ticket required.
30-Minute Interval Workout
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This workout is all about getting a solid 30-minute interval run. It provides you with a fairly steady jog/run combination, so you’ll alternate between jogging at a lighter pace and running a little more intensely.
It’s a great workout for anyone looking to prepare for a 5k or simply need some nice cardio exercise for weight loss!
Your incline will stay the same throughout this workout; it’s just the speed that will vary. Again, if this speed feels too easy or too difficult, adjust it to fit your body. If you prefer to walk, use speeds between 2-4 mph.
The Walker’s Butt-Burner Workout
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For all of you walkers who want to lose weight, this 15-minute workout takes your typical walk in the park and upgrades it into a calorie-burning, butt-building workout! Getting your heart rate up will help burn up extra fat, and the incline challenges are a great way to shape and tone your glutes.
You’ll start with a 5-minute warm-up and then walk at a steady pace, changing the incline and speed throughout. Remember to use your arms and keep your abs tight as the hill increases; you can even engage your glutes to boost the toning effects of this workout.
Give these four treadmill workouts a try to beat boredom, mix up your workout routine, and burn more fat in less time.