Learning how to use a treadmill is a skill that will pay dividends throughout your entire life.
Whether it be by improving health, dropping fat, or boosting mood, the treadmill is a staple piece of equipment that can quite literally change your life.
Let’s get right into it and take a look at how to use a treadmill.
Familiarize yourself with the treadmill: Before using the treadmill, make sure you know where the power switch is, how to start a treadmill, how to adjust the speed and incline, and how to stop the machine in case of an emergency.
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear: Wear comfortable workout clothes and shoes with good traction. Avoid loose clothing that could get caught in the machine.
Start with a warm-up: Begin with a 5-10 minute warm-up by walking or jogging at a slow pace.
Adjust the speed and incline: Once you’re warmed up, increase the speed and/or incline to reach your desired intensity level. Start with a lower intensity level and gradually increase as you become more comfortable on the machine.
Maintain good posture: Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and head up. Avoid leaning forward or holding onto the handrails as it can disrupt your natural gait and cause strain on your joints.
Focus on your breathing: Breathe deeply and rhythmically throughout your workout. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Use the preset programs: Many treadmills come with preset programs that can vary the speed and incline for you, simulating a real-world run or walk.
Cool down: End your workout with a 5-10 minute cool-down at a slow pace to gradually lower your heart rate and prevent injury.
Clean the machine: Wipe down the machine with a towel or disinfectant after use to keep it clean and free of germs.
Beginner Treadmill Workout
A good beginner treadmill workout is a workout that allows you to familiarise yourself with the treadmill in a safe and comfortable way.
For example, this could mean going for a slow jog on a low-speed setting for 10-15 minutes just to get the swing of things.
Alternatively, you could go on an incline or experiment with various settings to get used to the other controls.
The point is this; as a beginner, you just want to get used to how things work.
As you begin to get more comfortable, you can push yourself further and experiment with different speeds.
Interval Treadmill Workout
If you want to know how to use treadmill to lose belly fat, then doing interval workouts will be for you.
An interval treadmill workout is where you increase the intensity significantly for a short period of time, followed by a period where you tone it down to recover.
This is also known as HIIT (high intensity interval training), and it has been shown to be incredibly effective at burning fat.
In practice, this could mean that you do an intensive sprint for 30 seconds, slow things down to a fast walk for 30 seconds, and then repeat.
This kind of workout is very effective, and it also helps to keep things interesting.
14 Tips for Treadmill Running
Warm Up
First and foremost, you should always do a warmup before running on a treadmill.
A couple of stretches and a slow ramp-up on a treadmill will be more than enough to get the blood flowing – it doesn’t have to be an extensive routine that takes longer than the workout itself.
Just dedicate 5 or so minutes at the beginning of every workout to do a small warmup.
Know Your Treadmill
You need to know your treadmill if you want to have a good running experience.
This is mainly due to safety reasons – you need to know how to do an emergency stop or slow down if you are going too fast.
However, it will also just make your experience better overall.
When you can make your treadmill do exactly what you want, the whole experience becomes much more seamless.
Use a Slight Incline
Did you know that just using a slight incline on your treadmill can accelerate your results dramatically?
Even a slight incline can increase the number of calories you burn in a session significantly, and it will also get you fitter much faster than running with no incline.
Avoid a Too-Steep Incline
While using a slight incline is good, you don’t want to overdo it.
Using a steep incline can tire your legs out incredibly fast, stopping your workouts before they even begin.
Don’t use an aggressive incline unless you are training for a specific sport/event or just want to experiment.
Refrain From Holding on to the Handrail or Console
A common mistake that we see most new treadmill runners committing is holding the handrail or console.
While holding onto your treadmill can make you feel more supported, it reduces the effectiveness of your workout drastically and will hinder your ability to improve.
It’s fine to hold onto the railings when you first start while you are getting used to it, but do not let it turn into a habit.
Stay Upright
Another tip we have for you is to stay upright.
If you begin to slouch or lose your form while running, you increase the chances of injury and lower the effectiveness of the workout.
It can be difficult, but try to maintain your posture no matter what.
Look Up
Something that can help both mentally and physically is to simply look up.
Looking in front of you instead of at the belt of your treadmill may let you push yourself farther as you will be able to take your mind off the workout, and it will also ensure that you maintain proper posture.
Pay Attention to Your Stride
You need to pay attention to your stride.
Make sure you are not overextending any limbs or making your workout harder than it needs to be – everything should be natural and aerodynamic.
Improve Your Stride Count
Stride count simply refers to how many steps you take per minute while running.
Increasing your stride count will allow you to get more bang for your buck, meaning you will burn more calories in less time.
Avoid Stepping On or Off While the Treadmill Is Moving
Stepping onto or off a treadmill while it is moving can be incredibly dangerous.
You should only get onto or dismount a treadmill once the belt has completely stopped.
Listen to Music
Listening to music can help stave off boredom and allow you to push yourself further.
It’s a small change, but it can have a noticeable effect on your experience and progress.
Visualize a Route
A trick that runners have been using for years is visualising a route.
Not only will this make using a treadmill more interesting, but it may even help you run for longer than you would have.
Hydrate
Staying hydrated is incredibly important when running on a treadmill.
Make sure you have a bottle of water with you at all times when on a treadmill, and do not let yourself get dehydrated.
Cool Down
Once your workout is over, it’s time to cool down.
Cooling down can reduce the chance of injury and also speed up recovery, and it can take as little as a few minutes.
Just a simple slow walk on the treadmill at the end of your workout will suffice.
How to Use a Treadmill: Components of the Machine
A treadmill typically consists of several main components.
Firstly, the belt is a vital part of a treadmill as it is where the user runs or walks.
The belt is usually made of a durable material and is powered by a motor that moves it around the deck.
The deck is the platform that supports the belt and user’s weight.
It’s designed to absorb shock and reduce impact on the user’s joints while running or walking.
In addition to this, most treadmills also have a console or display that shows the users workout metrics, such as speed, distance, time, and calories burned.
The console also typically includes buttons and controls for adjusting the speed and incline of the treadmill.
Finally, a treadmill may include additional features, such as heart rate monitors, speakers, and even built-in workout programs to provide a more varied and challenging workout experience.
How to Use a Treadmill Safely
Learning how to use a treadmill safely is of the utmost importance – you could potentially injure yourself if you aren’t careful.
Luckily, being safe on a treadmill is easy if you follow a few key points.
First, get used to the controls.
You need to know how to turn your treadmill on and off, as well as how to increase and decrease speed.
Next, you need to make sure that you do not wear any baggy clothes that are going to get caught in the belt.
This will guarantee that none of your clothes get stuck in the treadmill, preventing injury and reducing the chances of something going amiss.
On top of this, you should never go faster than you feel comfortable with.
When you want to increase speed, do so slowly so you do not get overwhelmed.
If you do find that you are going too fast and cannot keep up, either turn the machine off or reduce the speed to something that is more manageable.
If you follow all of these steps, you will never run into any safety issues while using your treadmill.
How to Use a Treadmill with Correct Form
To use a treadmill with correct form, you need to keep your arms by your side (not holding the railings), keep an upright posture with your back being relatively straight, and get into a rhythm with your breathing.
Practising good form on a treadmill will come naturally once you have done it a few times – there is nothing particularly difficult about maintaining proper form on a treadmill.
General Treadmill Tips
While using a treadmill is pretty straightforward, there are a few more general tips we have for you that could improve your experience.
For one, it’s worth noting that going on a treadmill alone is not enough to lose weight.
In order to lose weight from a treadmill, you need to be in a caloric deficit.
This means burning off more calories than you need to maintain your current bodyweight.
You can find out what your maintenance calories are by going to an online calorie calculator and inputting your details.
From here, just reduce the number of calories you need to maintain your weight by 500.
You can achieve this deficit with diet or exercise, or even a mixture of both.
Another tip is that it is going to take some time to see results from a treadmill.
It can take months of hard work to see results from a treadmill, so do not give up if you see no noticeable differences in your body or fitness level (although your fitness level will improve much quicker than your physical appearance).
Apart from this, just remember to have fun!
Try not to make using a treadmill an extra chore that you hate.
How To Use a Treadmill – FAQs
How Should a Beginner Use a Treadmill?
A beginner to treadmills should take things slow at first, making sure to get used to all of the controls.
Only increase speed once you feel comfortable and have good control over the entire machine.
How Long Should a Beginner Use a Treadmill?
As a beginner, you should use a treadmill for 5-10 minutes every day.
This will get you used to how things work, and once you feel comfortable, you can increase this time further and experiment with different settings.
Can I Lose Belly Fat with Treadmill?
Yes, you can lose belly fat with a treadmill.
Using a treadmill burns calories, which makes you lose fat if you are in a caloric deficit (eating fewer calories than what you need to maintain your current bodyweight).
How To Use Treadmill Step by Step?
To use a treadmill, familiarise yourself with the controls, don’t wear clothing that is going to get caught in the machine, press the “on” button, and then adjust the speed to something you are comfortable with.
How To Use Treadmill Control Panel?
Each treadmill control panel is different, but generally there will be an on/off button, speed controls, incline controls, and an emergency stop button.
Look out for all of these buttons and familiarise yourself with each of them so you know well ahead of time what each does.
How To Work a Treadmill at the Gym?
To work a treadmill at the gym, locate the on and off buttons as well as the speed and incline settings.
From here, get on the treadmill and turn it on, and then select the settings you would like to have.
How Long is 30 Minutes on a Treadmill?
30 minutes on a treadmill would equate to 4000 steps or two miles on average.
How To Use Treadmill For The First Time?
To use a treadmill for the first time, locate and familiarise yourself with all of the controls and take things slow.
Do not increase the speed until you feel comfortable.
How to Use Treadmill To Lose Weight?
To use a treadmill to lose weight, you need to burn off more calories than you need to maintain your current weight, also known as being in a caloric deficit.
We hope this article has been able to help you!
Using a treadmill is easy once you know what to do, and it is something that will become second nature once you begin it on a regular basis.
If you would like more advice on how to use a treadmill or you’d just like access to more fitness advice in general, feel free to check out the rest of the articles we have here at MovingForwards.
