How Do Treadmills Tone Your Stomach? 6 Facts You Should Know

When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

Have you ever wondered: does a treadmill tone your stomach? The short answer is yes. There is no more complete exercise than running on a treadmill to get rid of unwanted abdominal fat and tone muscles in that area.

Looking for more information? And you will learn everything in our informative guide so that you know what a treadmill can do for your body.

Table of Contents

How Does a Treadmill Tone Your Stomach?

To tone the abdomen, it is necessary to burn the fat located under the skin and then start building muscle mass.

So how does a treadmill tone your stomach? Running on an incline treadmill instead of running on a flat (0%) surface contributes to an increase in the total calorie burn of up to 50 percent. This is because a double resistance is needed to complete the training as you will be running against gravity.

We should add the consumption of a healthy diet low in carbohydrates and higher in protein to help nourish and develop lean muscle mass.

It is true that for a runner, his legs are the source of his power. However, the core muscles are the fundamental basis from which absolutely all movements.

Even if you have the strongest legs in the universe, you will not harness the strength of your legs efficiently without a strong core. In addition to the extra strength and stability that a hardened core gives you, it will also protect your spine and lower back from the impacts of running.

How Long Should I Run on a Treadmill To Lose Belly Fat?

Running 30 to 45 minutes on the treadmill every day will help you lose weight. Even if you only work out three times a week, it’s a good bet, and it can do wonders for your metabolism.

And you should consider burning more calories than you consume to lose weight. If you burn 250 calories running but eat potato chips, your training will not have made sense.

Brisk walking (in case you’re a beginner) helps you lose weight and tone your muscles, including belly fat that hides your abdominal muscles. You work the oblique and back muscles perfectly as well. However, to achieve results, you should not fall into excess.

According to the American Heart Association experts, you should increase your heart rate little by little to strengthen your cardiovascular health to increase muscle mass. It is advised to reach a heart rate of 65 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate to aid metabolism.

The treadmill’s specialized heartbeat sensors let you find out if you’re exercising the fat-burning zone or the cardiovascular zone during your exercises. The faster you walk/run, the more calories will be burned.

That is why the treadmill is a good ally to increase the heart rate and have a development and muscle tone of the whole body.

Is It Bad to Run on a Treadmill Every Day?

It cannot be said that running on the treadmill every day is bad, and it all depends on its use and the conditions in which it is carried out. It can be a good addition to your other workouts, even if you only want to use it three times a week.

But running on the treadmill every day for no more than 45 minutes will be more than enough to strengthen the cardio system, increase metabolism, build muscle mass and, of course, lose weight. This option would be valid for those who want to enjoy the benefits of running.

In the case of an injury, it is advisable to restart sports on a treadmill to control better the speed and intensity of training with a less impact surface that these machines offer.

What Muscles Does Running on a Treadmill Work?

When acting for running, various muscle groups are involved. They are what we know as motor muscles and are located mainly in the legs and hips.

Although there are many muscles involved when running, we will focus mainly on the muscles of the lower body and the core.

Quadriceps: They are located in the front of the thigh, and it is the most powerful muscle in the human body.
Hamstrings: These are the muscles that are in the back of the thigh. Working them is essential to prevent thigh and knee injuries.
Calf and Soleus: Just on the other side, we find what we know as calves in the posterior region of the leg. These are made up of the external calf and the soleus or internal calf.
Buttocks: The buttocks are made up of three muscle groups: the gluteus maximus, the middle, and the minor.
Abdominals, Lumbar, and Erector Muscles: We find the central muscles in the central area of the body or core. This area is made up, on the one hand, of the muscles of the abdomen and on the other hand, the muscles of the lower back (lumbar area, lower back, multifidus muscle, erector spine muscle, and the latissimus dorsi muscle).

On the other hand, although the arms accompany the movement of the body, the muscles in this area do not exercise in the same way and get the same benefits. So many people choose to add weighted bracelets to increase muscle mass in the arms when running on the treadmill.

Source: Treadmill Workout: Muscle Involved

What’s The Best Speed To Run on a Treadmill for Toning?

According to the American Heart Association, you should increase your training speed until you get a heart rate between 60 and 80% of your maximum heart rate.

To know this data, you can base it on the number 220 and then subtract your age, for example, 35. This way, you would have a maximum heart rate of 185 beats per minute. You need to multiply 185 x 60% and 80% to get between 93 and 157 beats per minute for your target heart rate.

In this way, the heart will work enough depending on your age to burn calories and speed up your metabolism.

On the other hand, you can do interval training, which basically consists of alternating low-intensity work intervals with high-intensity work intervals, i. e., the runner makes periodic increases in intense effort followed by periods of less intense effort to recover. Always on a timed basis.

Interval training is a type of work designed to improve recovery capacity by making our metabolism work faster.

A Treadmill with Incline Is the Best

To increase our heart rate, it is also good to train on adjustable incline treadmills. To mirror walking outside, 0.1% and .2% are the best.

This will make training more difficult, but in turn, the muscles in the calf and thighs work much better, thus allowing the development of muscle mass and an increase in calorie burning.

A good way to take advantage of an incline treadmill is to alternate an intensive 30-second workout with 30-second low-intensity intervals for 10 minutes.

If you are a beginner, start slowly and allow your body and organs to adapt to training. You can start walking, don’t worry, you will still burn calories.

Also, keep in mind that before starting any physical activity, it is necessary to warm up the muscles for at least five minutes to avoid injury and, if you can, have a medical check-up to assess your physical condition.

What Else Does a Treadmill Do For Your Body?

Walking or running brings a dose of energy, self-esteem, and, above all, good health to your day. These are considered complete exercises whose regular practice strengthens all the organs and muscles of the body. Running on a treadmill offers you the same benefits but also provides you many other advantages:

Exercise comfortably: You can run from the comfort of your home with music or watching TV, even with a fan on those hot days. So the weather will no longer be an excuse for not training.
Keep track of your heart rate: It’s good to know that treadmills have a sensor that measures your heart rate. In this way, you will have more control.
Prevent injury: Running on concrete is not the same as running on a treadmill. When running on concrete, the joints receive more impact. Instead, the treadmills have a soft and padded surface that protects us.
Customize your workouts: Many treadmills come with different workout schedules where you can customize them. With this feature, you can maintain a stable heart rate and successfully reach your goal.

Source: 7 BENEFITS OF RUNNING ON A TREADMILL

Read Also:

Top 8 Best Budget-Friendly Treadmills for Home Use
Benefits of Running Barefoot on a Treadmill
Top 7 Best Durable Treadmills for Big and Heavy Persons (300 lbs+ High Weight Capacity)
Top 7 Best Treadmills for Tall Runners – Read Before You Buy