Treadmill Overview

A treadmill exercise machine is possibly the foundation of indoor cardio. Every commercial gym has enough for an army of exercisers. Part of the popularity is it's ability to accommodate every intensity level- form a very easy walk to a full-out sprint.

If you are looking into a treadmill for home use, consider the following:

Make sure that you get a treadmill that has a running area of at least 3 feet wide by 50 inches long. If you’re over 6 feet tall, you’ll need a surface even longer.

Be sure to try the prospective treadmill out. Make sure it provides adequate shock absorbing.

Look for a treadmill with a 1.5 horsepower engine at minimum.

The Treadmill Exercise Machine for Cardio

As you are probably aware, engaging in aerobic training has many benefits. Many people report feeling more “energy” from cardio. This also helps increase aerobic capacity, which is also associated with a faster metabolism. This means that stored body fat burns faster, and this enhances weight loss.

The simplest form of cardio for the treadmill is performed at a steady pace. Perform your aerobic exercise for at least 30 minute, 4 days a week.

To qualify as aerobic, you should at least break a sweat. You should stay within your target heart rate for at least twenty minutes. Your approximate target heart rate zone is between 65 and 80 percent of your max heart rate (calculated as 220 minus your age). Heart rate zones will vary tremendously from person to person, and it’s advisable to work with a certified personal trainer to help establish your unique heart rate zones.

Cardio Interval Training for the Treadmill Exercise Machine

Fitness interval training is a method of cardio that speeds up weight loss, builds your cardio capacity and increases your metabolism- all in less time. It’s quicker both in terms of workout duration and overall results in weeks instead of months.

Include intervals in your aerobic fitness routine at least once weekly. Interval training involves alternating high-intensity cardio bursts with periods of rest. Over time this will significantly increase your metabolism.

Examples of intervals for the treadmill include the following:

If you’ve spent much time on a treadmill, you probably know a pace you can sustain for 15 minutes or longer. For example, you may be able to run at 5 mph on a treadmill exercise machine, but 5.5 mph would be too fast to keep up for more than a few minutes. So, in this example:

5-minutes Warm Up
3x (3-minute 5.5mph, 3-minute 4.7mph)
5-minutes Cool Down

The above is considered interval training even though you will never achieve complete recovery. In addition to calorie burning and weight loss, this workout can help you raise your average running speed!

Here’s another very intense interval training workout. These short 1-minute bursts require very intense efforts, and the rest periods are so short they don’t allow for complete recovery.

5-minutes Warm Up
5 x (1-minute very intense, 1-minute moderate-easy)
5-minutes moderate-easy
5 x (1-minute very intense, 1-minute moderate-easy)
5-minutes Cool Down

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