5 Treadmill Hacks That Can Help Shave More Pounds

Ruby Sipp
Ruby Sipp
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read

If you’re trying to lose weight but you run at the same speed and incline every time you hit the treadmill, you can run right into a rut — which is a) boring and b) lacking in calorie-torching power.

The good news: Jogging on the dreadmill can go from a tedious trek to a quick fat-burning sesh. Use these strategies the next time you hit the hamster wheel in the pursuit of dropping pounds.

1. Mix It Up

Exercise’s role in weight loss may seem easy: To lose weight, you need to burn more calories, says Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist at Running Strong in Atlanta, GA. You can do that by upping your intensity or your duration. The problem is that if you work too close to your maximum heart rate, you might tire out too quickly. But if you run slow and steady you’ll have to go a long time to see results.

The happy medium is variety, says Hamilton. On some days, take your usual 20 to 30 minutes a little bit faster. On other days, go longer and slower — for about an hour or so.

2. Master Your Speed

Intervals — or short bursts of sprinting sprinkled throughout a workout — are one of the easiest ways to cut time off your workout (score!) and inches off your waist. In fact, a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that ladies who ran hard for two minutes (then slowed down for three minutes) burned more cals the day after their workout than those who went the slow and steady route. What’s even better: They dropped four percent of their body fat in the coming weeks. The group who did low-intensity, steady workouts didn’t lose any.

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