Although losing weight is never easy, 10 pounds is a manageable number with effort and dedication. You don't have to invest in an entire gym worth of exercise equipment or hire a personal trainer to beat you into submission to lose 10 pounds. Instead, a simple treadmill workout combined with healthy eating can help you shed stubborn pounds.
Drink plenty of water before and after exercise.
Plan to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. This weight-loss strategy makes it more likely that you'll keep the weight off and ensures that you're adequately nourished -- a very important factor in having the energy to exercise.
Eat a sensible, healthy diet. You'll need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your diet per week to lose 1 pound and 7,000 to lose 2 pounds. It's difficult to burn this many calories with a treadmill workout, so cut unnecessary calories from your diet. Try eliminating excessively sugary snacks, sweetened drinks and late-night meals. Instead, eat plenty of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Protein-packed snacks such as nuts can help you feel less hungry and ensure you have sufficient energy to exercise.
If you have knee or joint injuries, consult your doctor before beginning a treadmill fitness routine.
Treadmill
Step 1
Build your cardiovascular fitness by running or walking on the treadmill several times a week. Cardiovascular exercise burns calories, exercises large muscle groups and can help your heart remain healthy. If you're walking on the treadmill, you'll need about 150 minutes of exercise per week. If you're running, shoot for 75 minutes per week.
Step 2
Increase the calories you burn by running or walking with the treadmill set to an incline. The number of calories you burn in a single treadmill session depends on the duration and intensity of the session as well as your weight, but you can generally expect to burn between 100 and 350 calories in a 30-minute treadmill session.
Step 3
Incorporate interval training into your treadmill routine. Interval training utilizes short bursts of activity to increase cardiovascular intensity and build muscle. Run at close to your maximum speed for 30 seconds, then set your treadmill setting to a brisk walking pace for two minutes. Increase your speed again for 30 seconds to one minute, then reduce it again. Repeat this process throughout your exercise. To add intensity to your sprint, try sprinting with the treadmill set to an incline setting.
Step 4
Increase the difficulty of your treadmill routine and build muscle by incorporating weights into your workout. Try walking with 2- to 5-pound hand weights, slowly lifting and then lowering the weights as you walk. Strengthening your muscles can increase your body's calorie-burning ability.
Tips
Tips
Tips
Warnings
Things You'll Need
References
- HealthStatus: Calories Burned Estimation
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?
- High Intensity Interval Training Explained; James Driver
Tips
- Drink plenty of water before and after exercise.
- Plan to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. This weight-loss strategy makes it more likely that you'll keep the weight off and ensures that you're adequately nourished -- a very important factor in having the energy to exercise.
- Eat a sensible, healthy diet. You'll need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your diet per week to lose 1 pound and 7,000 to lose 2 pounds. It's difficult to burn this many calories with a treadmill workout, so cut unnecessary calories from your diet. Try eliminating excessively sugary snacks, sweetened drinks and late-night meals. Instead, eat plenty of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Protein-packed snacks such as nuts can help you feel less hungry and ensure you have sufficient energy to exercise.
Warnings
- If you have knee or joint injuries, consult your doctor before beginning a treadmill fitness routine.
Writer Bio
Van Thompson is an attorney and writer. A former martial arts instructor, he holds bachelor's degrees in music and computer science from Westchester University, and a juris doctor from Georgia State University. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including a 2009 CALI Legal Writing Award.