The treadmill is an exercise machine that allows a person to walk, jog, or run on a revolving track. This is a great tool for improving your overall fitness level. Cardiovascular training helps burn calories and fat, and increases your metabolism. A common problem people face is not knowing how long or how hard they should be training on a treadmill.
Aerobic Training
Aerobic exercise is the purpose of using a treadmill. This involves running at a static pace for a prolonged period of time. As a result, you increase your heart rate and keep it up for the duration of your workout. If you are new to exercising, start by only running 15 minutes a day for a few days a week. This will help your body slowly adjust to the stress of working out.
As you progress your fitness level, start by increasing your pace to make it more difficult. Then begin to increase the time spent on the treadmill. Go up five to 10 minutes a workout when you feel you can hold your pace for longer without having to slow down. The optimal workout should keep you on the treadmill between 30 minutes and one hour. You should not be running for more than an hour unless you are training for cross country running.
Always start your workout with a five-minute warm up phase. This includes light jogging and dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching occurs when you pull your muscles as you are moving in order to loosen them up.
Then begin your workout. Your run should last between 20 and 45 minutes. Finish your training with a five-minute cool down phase similar to the warm up.
Advanced Training
High-intensity interval training is an advanced method of training your cardiovascular system. Doing high-intensity interval training on a treadmill is a much more effective way to increase metabolism and decrease fat and calories than aerobic exercise. However, it is also much more difficult and strenuous on the body. As a result, you will spend less time on the treadmill than you would doing aerobic training.
High-intensity interval training rapidly increases your heart rate, and then allows it to fall back down prior to the next set. Thus, you will be training at maximum capacity for a short period of time and then allowing your body to regain its composure before continuing your exercise. For example, sprint for 20 seconds as hard as you can and then lightly jog for a minute while you catch your breath. That is considered one training interval.
When you first begin exercising, limit yourself to only 10 minutes of interval training a workout. Then as you improve your fitness and feel more comfortable, increase your workouts by five minutes at a time. Your interval training should last between 10 and 30 minutes. Thus, including warm up and cool down, you should not be running more than 40 minutes on your treadmill. If you do more than that, you will not be able to sustain your sprinting pace, defeating the purpose of the exercise.
Note: Consult a doctor prior to participating in any high intensity physical training program.
Tags: interval training, between minutes, more than, your workout, cool down, fitness level, five minutes