During a treadmill workout, your goal might be to burn as many calories as possible without running so quickly that you hurt yourself or even fall off the treadmill. Without increasing the speed of your run, it's possible to intensify the calorie burn with a few simple adjustments. One of the benefits of adjusting your run to burn more calories is that if you're short on time, you can still burn enough calories to meet your goals.
Pumping your arms vigorously, instead of holding onto the handles of the treadmill, can help generate more of a burn during your workout. If you're inexperienced with using the treadmill, keep your hands on the handles.
Wearing ankle weights while running on a treadmill increases the impact of each step, which is not recommended if you have joint problems.
Ankle weights
Step 1
Begin running on the treadmill as you normally would. Start by walking and then gradually increasing your speed to a desired level. When you're comfortably running at your desired speed, you're ready to adjust the treadmill to increase your calorie burn.
Step 2
Adjust the incline level on your treadmill by pressing the "Incline +" button, or the equivalent, depending on the style and make of the treadmill. Increasing the incline will make you run slightly uphill, which helps you burn calories faster than running on flat ground. Many treadmills have training intervals that adjust the incline periodically throughout the run. If you're unsure of what interval to set, try an incline of 1, 2 and then 3 percent and see how you feel.
Step 3
Use ankle weights to increase the resistance in your lower body if your treadmill doesn't allow you to adjust the incline. Ankle weights are available in several sizes and strap to your ankles to increase your calorie burn during workouts.
Tips
Warnings
Things You'll Need
References
Tips
- Pumping your arms vigorously, instead of holding onto the handles of the treadmill, can help generate more of a burn during your workout. If you're inexperienced with using the treadmill, keep your hands on the handles.
Warnings
- Wearing ankle weights while running on a treadmill increases the impact of each step, which is not recommended if you have joint problems.
Writer Bio
Toronto-based journalist William McCoy has been writing since 1997, specializing in topics such as sports, nutrition and health. He serves as the Studio's sports and recreation section expert. McCoy is a journalism graduate of Ryerson University.