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How the treadmill helps to lose weight [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Mar 29, 2020 9:00:00 AM

How the treadmill helps to lose weight

How the treadmill helps to lose weight

 
This is an overview of the basics of how to run a treadmill. We will go into the different programs, how to set the treadmill up and what the best way is to lose weight. 
 
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How the treadmill helps to lose weight

 
Losing weight mainly depends on two factors. 
 
  • The number of calories you take in
  • The number of calories you burn 
 
Let’s look at both separately. 
 

The number of calories you burn 

 
Burning calories is the main goal in the gym when you are aiming for weight loss. The strategies for burning calories are: 
 
  • Strength training 
  • HIIT 
  • Cardio
 
Strength training is one of the activities in the gym which burns the most calories per second. A heavy deadlift or squat will needs a tremendous amount of energy to be completed. The challenge is that this does not last very long. Therefore strength training is better than doing nothing to lose weight, but not the best use of your time. You just don’t collect the calorie burn for long enough. 
 
High-intensity interval training or HIIT has gained a lot of popularity lately. Some forms of HIIT are Tabata, Crossfit, and intense spin classes. The goal is to push your body to the limit followed by rest. With this, you can get the body to bring calories even beyond the workout itself. While this works for losing weight it lets the injury risk skyrocket. Especially when the exercises are done for time and change often. High-Intensity interval training is more suited to someone who already has the experience and is fit. Not the best idea for beginners or when you have a lot of extra pounds to carry. 
 
Cardiovascular training or cardio, in short, is sustained training at the same pace for a longer period of time. If you are looking to but the most calories in total this is the best option. While it isn’t the best option in terms of calories per second or minute you will always come out with more calories burned overall for a 20 minute 5k run than a 100m sprint. The only challenge with cardio is that it can become very boring. So brace yourself and maybe listen to a podcast on the treadmill
 
Overall I have done all of these versions of the training. Strength training is great to build a tough body that doesn’t get easily sick and to gain weight in the form of muscle. Interval training is great to burn your recovery times up and to push your maximum speed up. Cardio for 20 to 40 minutes at a moderate pace is the best form of exercise to lose weight. 
 

The number of calories you take in

 
The more effective way if you want to lose weight. 
 
Technically the easiest way to lose weight is to stop eating. This is definitely not recommended as it will impact your health negatively and go hand in hand with psychological problems like eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. If you want to lose weight without exercising monitor your daily intake.
 
Many diets work with one of the following principles: 
 
  • Cutting out an entire food group 
  • Cutting out one of the macros
  • Portion control 
 
Cutting out an entire food group runs along being a vegan, vegetarian or having a gluten intolerance. The reasons for these diets can be ethical or medical. When you deprive yourself of an entire food group it usually takes a lot more effort to make up for the deficit. Meal planning becomes more important and shopping can turn into a nightmare in terms of availability and price. 
 
Cutting out a macronutrient runs along the lines of a low carb or low-fat diet. Here you shun certain macronutrients by controlling the labels in the fridge closely. While there are studies that these diets can be beneficial you run a risk that because of mislabeling and focusing too much on one thing you still eat unhealthily. Low-fat products often make up for the lack of taste by adding sugar. Low sugar products like to add fats and oils to make themselves more palatable. 
 
The most reliable way of dieting is portion control based on peer-reviewed studies. Rather than avoiding specific food groups or macronutrients you only eat a predetermined amount of food. This leaves you open to foods that are rich in fats and carbohydrates and is less of a strain on the brain. 
 
All diets work. Therefore the best diet is the one you can stick to. For many, the easiest diet to stick to is to control your portions. Best starting points for portion control are: 
 
  • Beer 
  • Chocolate 
  • Fizzy drinks 
  • Biscuits 
 
 
 
 

Topics: Treadmill, Cardio, Marathon