The treadmill is one of the most sought-after home gym equipment by most fitness lovers. Rather than walking, many love to run on the treadmill especially when the weather outside isn’t supportive of running.
If you are a beginner trainer wishing to run on the treadmill you could always wonder on how long to run? The answer truly depends on your purpose of using the treadmill.
How Long Should I Run on a Treadmill Per Week/Day?
Performing any exercise regularly showers you with health benefits and keeps you fit. Doing jogging or running is classified under vigorous-intensity exercise that promotes fitness levels in any individual.
The CDC recommends jogging for at least 75 minutes per week to reap health benefits. You could split up the 75 minutes into 10-minute sessions daily while extending your performance to 15 minutes on one day of the week.
It is also recommended to have a rest day in between. So, you could also run/jog for 15 minutes a day 5 times a week to garner benefits.
It depends on you entirely to split up your exercise schedule to fit it perfectly in between your hectic schedule.
Once you are comfortably set in such a routine, the benefits are many including reduced risk of diseases, cancers, and other heart problems too.
The activity surely strengthens bones/muscles, improves mood, and mental health. If you aren’t satisfied with these, try doubling your activity time, that is, increase it to 150 minutes/per week, and be sure of acquiring even greater health benefits, says the CDC.
How Long Should I Run on the Treadmill to Lose Weight?
If weight gain is a side effect of eating more calories and staying sedentary, weight loss is the natural side effect of watching what you eat and doing strength training exercises such as running.
For a beginner, it is always recommended to start practicing walk-run routines before you become adept at running continuously.
You might want to lose excess fat and if weight loss is your goal, you need to run for at least 20 minutes at least 3 times a week. The effect might be slowly visible but it does show in you when you perform the workout consistently.
For instance, it takes 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat. Initially, it might seem time-consuming but you will reach your goal when you stay patient and do your exercises dedicatedly.
Once you reach your desired weight target don’t stop but keep running every day to maintain your body weight and to stay healthy.
Further reading:
- How Long Does It Take to Lose 40 Pounds on a Treadmill?
- What Does the Treadmill Do for Your Body?
- Couch to 5K on a Treadmill: All You Need to Know
How Long Should You Run on a Treadmill for Beginners?
A treadmill is a good cardio exercise machine for beginners to start running as you can set the running speed as per your needs.
As a beginner, you could start running slowly on the treadmill for 15 minutes thrice a week. In due course, you can increase the duration to 30 minutes at least four days a week.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, once you build endurance and stamina you would be fit enough to run at a moderate level for 150 minutes a week or run vigorously for 75 minutes every week.
However long you might exercise, never start your workout without warming up or finish it without cooling down.
How Long Should I Run on a Treadmill for Training for a Race?
Running marathons has become a part of our lifestyle and the preparations that go into it aren’t always simple. Running outside isn’t always the same as running on a treadmill.
If you plan to run a 5k race (3.1 miles) and plan to run a mile in 10 minutes or so, you should be taking not more than 31 minutes to complete the course.
Try building up your running time on the treadmill to surpass this duration. You can try to run for 40 minutes the week before the race as this would make the event seem simpler as you’ve already covered more than the distance required practically.
When you must train for a race on a treadmill my first suggestion for you would be to run outside at least once every week (if that’s where the race is happening).
I must tell you that training for a race primarily depends on how far the race is and how long it would take you to finish it.
Train using speed workout options available while training for runs as these help you train harder and run faster. You could even replicate your path, hilly or plain, using the incline options available in the treadmills.
How Long Should I Walk on a Treadmill to See Results?
Walking is a good exercise that promises great results only when you perform brisk walking.
You could have started with 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill but in a couple of weeks take it up to 45-60 minutes for at least one session every week.
Once you routinely start using the treadmill for walking, I recommend you to walk briskly on the machine daily for 30-60 minutes most days of the week for at least 150-300 minutes per week to see health benefits and become fitter.
How Fast Should You Run on a Treadmill?
Don’t try to run as though you are running for a race every time you hop onto the machine. This would only land you with injuries. Still, if you can run faster than jogging and is also comfortable doing it I see that you have a strong fitness base.
On a treadmill, your running speed should be above the jogging speed (7.2 km/h8.5 km/h) which is anywhere above 7.5 km/h (5.3 mph) and higher. But if you are a beginner, how fast you go entirely depends on how you feel while running.
You must be able to speak a sentence comfortably while running. If so, that’s your pace else, you need to reduce it a bit lower.
Also, if you are easily exhausted after running for 10-20 minutes then you need to reduce your pace again as early exhaustion is an indication of too much speed.
Read also:
- What Is a Good Treadmill Speed?
- Top 8 Best Treadmills for Sprinting & Serious Runners
- Top 11 Best Incline Treadmills for Walking and Running
Final Words
A treadmill is a perfect platform for beginners to start running as it helps build their stamina and endurance. Decide upon your goal and set your daily exercise duration to maximize your benefits.
Always start with walking, gradually move on to jogging, and finally hit the running pace doing it at least for 75 minutes/week to be healthy.
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