What is the right way to run on a treadmill to lose weight. Answered by a marathon runner

Everyone has probably run on a treadmill. It is available in every gym and is used for warming up, warming down or a full cardio workout. The exercise machine, it would seem, is quite simple. But in order to jogging on it was the result, you need to know a lot of nuances. We will talk about them.

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To determine a comfortable speed, you can use your ability to talk freely while running. If you can say six sentences continuously, it means you’re running at a really easy pace.

How fast you should be

If you’re a beginner or running to lose weight, you should definitely alternate between calm, easy running and walking. If you are ready for more serious loads, you can run continuously or at intervals. The speed during continuous cardio should be such that the heart rate is kept at 60-70% of the maximum. The maximum for each individual is determined by the formula “220 minus age”. For example, a 35-year-old runner, in order to lose weight, needs to run at a speed that keeps the heart rate around 130 beats per minute. And people with different builds and experience will reach this mark at different speeds. Even fast walking may be enough for some people. Therefore, it is the heart rate that is important, not the number of kilometers per hour.

If you run intervals, your speed will vary during the workout. 1-2 minutes you walk at a fast pace – 5-6 km/h, 30 seconds you run at the limit of your abilities – at a speed of 12-15 km/h, then rest again and so on.

If you want to improve your running performance or are preparing for a race, you should run at a higher speed during a long, steady run, so that your heart rate stays at 70-80% of maximum. You can also use other techniques in which the speed is varied: alternating running (fast intervals alternate with quiet intervals: you can count by time, you can count by distance), repetitive training (fast intervals with rest in between until full recovery), interval training, recovery crosses (running with a low heart rate for short distances).

What the incline angle should be

You don’t have to set the incline angle on a treadmill. But you can do it if you want to further strengthen your glutes and calves or get the effect of running on asphalt. For this purpose, an angle of 1.5° is optimal. You can leave it on for the entire workout or, if you’re doing interval training, use it only during bursts. A higher angle is recommended for specific loads (most runners do hill runs once a week). For trailrunners and skyrunners, hill climbs are needed more often than once a week and the angle is adjusted individually.

At what point the speed and angle needs to be changed

If you’re doing continuous cardio, it’s best to keep your speed and angle the same throughout your workout and increase them gradually, by degrees and a couple of kilometers per hour per week. If running interval, speed and angle should be increased sharply during each “burst” and decreased during rest.

On some modern quality training machines you can customize the whole workout. The track itself will change speed and angle when necessary, if you set the necessary conditions.

How much you need to run on a treadmill

Those who want to lose weight can start with continuous running for 20 minutes at a time, and then gradually raise the bar to 30-40 minutes 2-3 times a week. For those who want to improve their running performance, continuous running is recommended from 40 minutes to two hours. The golden mean for advanced athletes is 1.5 hours.

If the training is interval, thinners will be enough to start with 5-7 laps of rest and “explosions” and gradually increase the load to 10-12 laps. Those who run for results may have more laps, and the time for training, respectively, too.

And if you have been running on the track for a long time and want to diversify your training, read our article.