In the quest for weight loss, many individuals find themselves overwhelmed by the multitude of exercise options available. Considerations such as physical limitations and the risk of injury often deter people from starting or maintaining a consistent workout routine. However, a treadmill walking program presents a simple yet effective solution that can be customized to individual fitness levels and needs, making it an excellent entry point into the world of fitness.
Why Choose Treadmill Walking?
Walking is a low-impact exercise that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. Treadmills offer a controlled environment where you can adjust the speed, incline, and duration of your workouts, making it easy to progress over time while minimizing the risk of injury. While weight loss may take time, the process can be enjoyable and sustainable with a treadmill walking program.
Customizing Your Treadmill Workout
To maximize the benefits of treadmill walking for weight loss, it's essential to adjust the settings to your fitness level and individual needs. Everyone has a different starting point, so the goal is to start where you feel comfortable and then gradually increase the challenge over time.
- Starting Speed: Adjust the pace at which you walk on the treadmill. Common starting speeds range from 2.5 mph to 3.5 mph, but yours might be a little slower or faster.
- Starting Duration: This number will be affected by how much time you have to work out and how much you can walk at a stretch.
- Starting Incline: You can change the angle of your treadmill to simulate walking up or down a hill. It’s fine if you don’t want to start with an incline!
Remember to warm up before and cool down after each workout to prepare your body for exercise and prevent injuries.
A Sample Treadmill Walking Plan
Here's a sample treadmill walking plan that you can use as a starting point. This plan can be extended over multiple weeks with two or three rest days per week. You might also find that some progressions aren’t challenging enough, so you can move to more difficult speeds, durations, or inclines earlier on.
Read also: Walking for weight loss
- Day 1: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 4 minutes, zero incline, 2.5 mph.
- Day 2: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 5 minutes, zero incline, 2.5 mph.
- Day 3: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 5 minutes, zero incline, 2.7 mph.
- Day 4: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 6 minutes, zero incline, 2.7 mph.
- Day 5: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 6 minutes, zero incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 6: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 7 minutes, zero incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 8: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 7 minutes, 1% incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 9: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 8 minutes, 1% incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 10: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 9 minutes 1% incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 11: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 9 minutes, 2% incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 12: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 10 minutes, 2% incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 13: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 11 minutes, 2% incline, 2.9 mph.
- Day 15: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 11 minutes, 2% incline, 3.1 mph.
- Day 16: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 12 minutes, 2% incline, 3.1 mph.
- Day 17: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 12 minutes, 2% incline, 3.3 mph.
- Day 18: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 13 minutes, 2% incline, 3.3 mph.
- Day 19: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 13 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 20: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 14 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 22: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 15 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 23: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 16 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 24: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 17 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 25: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 18 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 26: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 19 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 27: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 20 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 29: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 21 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
- Day 30: Warm up 3 minutes. Walk 22 minutes, 2% incline, 3.5 mph.
Slow progressions let you gauge your progress and improve at a rate that is manageable for you. Any time you feel that a change is too much, scale back to the previous day and repeat that workout for at least one day.
Maximizing Your Treadmill Workout for Fat Loss
To further enhance your treadmill workout for fat loss, consider incorporating the following strategies:
Interval Training
Incorporating moderate to high-intensity intervals into your treadmill workout can potentially boost your calorie burn. Try these variations:
- Interval Pace Changes: Increase pace for 30 seconds, then walk at a moderate pace for 1 minute.
- Speed Variations: Walk at a brisk pace for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to a jog for 1 minute.
- Incline Intervals: Walk at 0% incline for 2 minutes, then increase the incline to 5-15% for 1 minute.
Incline Walking
Walking at an incline engages more muscles, particularly in your legs and core, and increases calorie burn. A popular method is the 12-3-30 workout: walking at a 12% incline at 3 mph for 30 minutes. Incline walking may also help in strengthening your core muscles because it requires more effort from your abdominal muscles to maintain balance and stability.
Backward Walking
Backward walking also challenges your balance and coordination, which can enhance your overall stability and may help reduce the risk of falls. To walk backward on a treadmill, start by setting the speed to a slow pace, around 1-2 mph.
Read also: Weight Loss: Walking vs. Swimming Comparison
The Benefits of Walking Pads
Walking pads are portable treadmills that fit under your desk, allowing you to incorporate physical activity into your workday. Although both exercise machines encourage movement and can help you “get your steps in,” walking pads are not really created for aerobic activity. Walking pads usually don’t have handrails, which is a common safety feature on treadmills. Some walking pads come with adjustable resistance or speeds, but unlike treadmills, they are not designed for running.
Benefits of Walking Pads
- Increased physical activity and wellness: Swapping even some of that sitting time for moderate activity - such as brisk walking on a walking pad - could make a difference and benefit heart health.
- Improved brain function: People in one study reported that desk walking made them feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. And they had fewer negative effects, including lack of attention, on days when they used a walking pad compared to days when they worked at their desk.
- Decreased sedentary time: A 2021 study showed that office workers who used walking pads walked an average of 4,500 more steps a day.
- Lowered stress: A review of 23 studies on the relationship between use of walking pads at work and physical and emotional health found evidence that standing desks and the use of walking pads helped make people more active in the workplace, reduced stress, and improved overall mood.
- Increased focus and concentration: A 2024 Mayo Clinic study of 44 people using a walking pad or other active workstation showed they improved their mental cognition (thinking and judgment) without reducing job performance.
Important Considerations for Treadmill Walking
- Consistency is key: Aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity weekly to support overall fitness and fat loss goals.
- Avoid overtraining: Maintain consistency, but avoid overtraining as that can lead to fatigue, injuries, and burnout.
- Incorporate strength training: Incorporating strength training into your workout routine may accelerate fat loss and muscle development. Focus on exercises that target your core, such as planks, Russian twists, and leg raises.
- Maintain a balanced diet: Maintain a balanced diet rich in whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that provide the energy you need for your workouts and support overall health.
- Stay hydrated: Stay adequately hydrated throughout the day, especially before, during, and after your treadmill sessions. Dehydration can contribute to fatigue and may hinder your progress.
- Limit processed foods and sugary drinks: Consider reducing your intake of highly processed sugary foods and beverages as part of an overall healthy approach. These foods are often high in calories and may contribute to weight gain.
The 12-3-30 Workout: A Viral Trend
The 12-3-30 treadmill workout continues to be a favorite among workout trends since it went viral in 2020. The workout is simple: Set the treadmill to an incline of 12 (or lower - choose a challenging incline for your fitness level) at a speed of 3 miles per hour and walk for 30 minutes.
Benefits of 12-3-30
Walking has many health benefits including improved cardiovascular health and blood pressure, reduced risk of diabetes, increased metabolism and improved mental health. It can even lower the risk of some cancers.
Since walking is lower-impact, it is less likely to cause injury than running, and walking on an incline engages your leg muscles more than walking on level ground. This will make for a more intense workout for your glutes, hamstrings and quads, while also increasing your heart rate.
Safety Considerations for 12-3-30
There are some risks to adding a significant incline on the treadmill. Walking on an incline can be a big stressor to the lower back, hamstring, Achilles tendon, knee and plantar fascia.
Read also: Weight Loss with Indoor Exercises
Here’s what to know to prevent injury if you’re ready to try the 12-3-30 workout yourself:
- If you’re new to fitness, start on flat ground.
- Don’t do it every day.
- Gradually increase incline: Slowly progress your incline, start at the lowest setting and (gradually) increase, like any other workout in terms of increasing mileage or intensity.
- Supplement with strength and stretching: The bent posture of walking uphill places stress on your lower back, Achilles tendon, calf muscles, plantar fascia and hamstring muscles. He suggests doing core-strengthening exercises as well as stretching those areas specifically to help reduce your risk of injury while walking or running.
- Consider the impact: If you are just getting into fitness, start with lower-impact workouts.
Walking vs. Running: Which is Better for Weight Loss?
When your goal is weight loss, choosing the “right” treadmill workout-walking, running, or a mix-can make a big difference in enjoyment, sustainability, and results. Walking is a low-impact, accessible option that can be maintained over time. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Start with walking if you’re new, recovering from injury, or prefer gentler movement.
Walking and running each bring something unique to the table in your treadmill-based weight loss journey. Walking offers longevity, lower impact, and habit-forming ease. Running delivers higher intensity and faster calorie burn.