The treadmill is one of the most popular pieces of exercise equipment available, but it may not be the best if you're after weight loss. If you enjoy getting on the treadmill every morning to trot away for endless minutes to clear your mind and to stay fit, go for it. However, if you're goal is weight loss the best place to be is not on your treadmill, but in the weight room with the boys.
One of the most common myths amongst novice exercisers is that you will get big bulky muscles if you lift weights. The only way you will get big muscles like the boys is to increase your levels of testosterone through injections or supplementation. Pay attention to the boys with the muscles, they are doing something right. There are a lot of serious workout buffs in the gym that never do any form of cardiovascular conditioning. So, how do they stay trim?...By burning calories around the clock. That's what lifting weights will do for you. The problem with using the treadmill for weight loss is comparable to the problem of working dollars for hours. If you get paid by the hour, once you stop working you stop getting paid. If you use the treadmill for weight loss you burn calories when you're using it, but once you step off, the furnace goes out, and you stop burning calories.
The problem with using the treadmill for weight loss is that the focus is on burning calories. If your entire focus for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume, you will always be trying to chase the calories away and counting them. This mindset will eventually wear on you because you will avoid foods that you enjoy and then you have to exercise all the time because you feel like you have a gun to your head. This is not a fun approach nor will it last. Instead, concentrate on increasing your metabolism so your body becomes more efficient at burning calories around the clock. You should do this by adding resistance training to your exercise program.
If you must use the treadmill for weight loss, use it to your advantage. Get out of the mindset more is better or longer is better, and emphasize high intensity quick workouts. The old notion of low intensity long duration workouts to burn fat and lose weight is no longer valid. New research suggests interval training is best for increased metabolism and long term caloric burn. This is done by increasing either the speed or incline on the treadmill to a point at which you couldn't go any faster unless a bear was chasing you. Do this for a period of 60- 120 seconds and then slow down to recover so you're breathing and heart rate drop. This may take 30-90 seconds. Repeat this sequencing for 20-30 minutes. This treadmill routine will result in quicker and more weight loss than walking on a treadmill for an hour. Be sure to get a physicians clearance prior to beginning your treadmill and weight loss program.
Dr. Kevin Dobrzynski DN
