One of the most popular methods of losing belly fat weight is by committing to cardiovascular exercise. Treadmills are a great way to lose belly fat as you can walk or run, and simulate hills for a more engaging experience.
But what’s the best way to utilize the tools you have, to maximize your results in an efficient manner?
But before that, a little primer on what you should be focusing on in order to lose belly fat.
Hierarchy Of Importance For Weight Loss
The key to getting into shape fast and healthy is to focus on your consistency and adherence to your plan.
If you are following a crash diet and exercise program, that is a difficult and unsustainable approach for long-term success.
It is important to understand that if you want to achieve sustainable results, you need to be consistent with your eating habits and exercise routine.
After this, your diet should be one of your top priorities. If you are not eating right, then nothing else will matter.
You can exercise until you are blue in the face, but if you do not take care of yourself from a dietary perspective, it won’t make any difference.
It’s also vital to mention that sleep and stress and some of the most common reasons people fail to lose belly fat. So make sure that you get enough rest, eat well, and don’t overstress yourself.
Cardiovascular Exercise And Weight Loss
If you are looking to burn calories and lose weight, then cardio is an effective tool to achieve this. Cardio exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc. all help increase metabolism and burn more calories than other types of exercise.
However, when it comes to cardio, there is no “one size fits all” solution. While everyone has their own personal preferences, it is important to note that different individuals require different amounts of time to complete each workout.
Why Are Treadmills A Popular Method For Weight Loss
When it comes to choosing a treadmill, there are several factors to consider. These include cost, ease of use, features, and safety.
Treadmill workouts are great because they allow you to work out at home without having to leave your house.
This means that you can keep up with your fitness goals while still being able to spend quality time with your family.
How To Lose Weight Using A Treadmill
Losing weight on a treadmill will depend on where you are on your fitness journey, as not all programs are created equal.
Whilst a fit triathlete might be able to handle high-intensity interval training workouts, an obese person should probably not even attempt this and should likely stick to walking to reduce the chances of injury. So it would be prudent to break down a general workout principle for each level of fitness.
Beginners
For beginners, we can assume that you are either just getting started with exercise, or consider yourself unfit with a lot of weight to lose, relative to your age and gender.
The main thing here is to start slow and gradually build up your speed and intensity. As you become more comfortable with the machine, you can begin increasing the incline and duration of your workouts.
An example of a treadmill session could be a brisk incline walk for 15 minutes 2x per week. Or perhaps an interval training session that rotates between walking and jogging on and off for 20 minutes.
Intermediate
This is usually the stage where many people find themselves after completing a beginner’s program, and most people will be able to lose weight and maintain a healthy level of fitness at this stage.
You can push yourself to a higher intensity at this level, so don’t be afraid to try something that is going to push you beyond your comfort zone.
You could try increasing the duration of your run, or perhaps try increasing the speed at which you run.
It’s also not uncommon for many intermediates to try out high-intensity interval training, with a 10-second all-out sprint, followed by a 50-second recovery walk repeated for a total of 10 rounds.
Advanced
At this point, you should have reached a level of fitness where you feel confident about pushing yourself further, and this option is likely dedicated to those that compete in endurance events such as an ironman or marathon, or even CrossFit competition.
Not many people will make it to this level, and to be honest, not many people need to.
If your goal is to simply lose some belly fat and look good in the mirror, whilst feeling healthy and full of vitality, you won’t need to be doing anything too extreme.
Modalities Of Cardiovascular Exercise
If you want to mix up your cardio, then take a look at some of these different types of modalities and see which may suit your preferences and fitness levels.
Steady-State Cardio
Steady-state cardio involves exercising at a constant pace, typically at 60% – 70% of maximum heart rate (MHR). The MHR is calculated using the formula: 220 – Age x 0.7.
As an example, if you’re 45 years old, your MHR would be around 150 beats per minute.
You can calculate your target heart rate by multiplying your current pulse by 0.7. For instance, if you currently have a resting heart rate of 80 bpm, then your target heart rate would be 140 bpm.
Interval Training
Interval training is when you alternate periods of exercise with short rest intervals, but is not to be confused with high-intensity interval training. During these rest intervals, you’ll perform light exercises, such as walking or cycling at low intensities.
High-Intensity Interval Training
This form of cardio is similar to interval training, except that when you complete your interval, you will put in 100% maximum effort.
This is why many people think they are doing high-intensity interval training, when in reality they are actually only doing interval training because they are unable to reach the intensity required for HIIT.
Fartlek Training
Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning “speed play” and it is used to describe a type of cross-training workout that combines running and other forms of cardiovascular exercise into one session.
The idea behind fartlek workouts is to keep the body guessing as to what kind of activity you’ll do next.
Fartlek workouts usually involve alternating between two or three different speeds, and an easy way to complete this is to alternate between, running, jogging, and walking.
Incline Walking Or Running
Walking on an incline has been shown to burn more calories than flat ground walking, so if you find it difficult to get motivated to go for long walks, consider trying it out.
Running uphill is another great way to increase calorie burning during your cardio sessions.
Just be wary of your limits, and don’t be afraid to drop the insanity should you find yourself running out of energy.
Final Thoughts
Cardio is a great tool for any weight loss plan, and if you want to lose belly fat, then you may wish to include it as part of your routine.
There’s no question that cardio helps burn off excess calories from your diet, but there’s also little doubt that it can help reduce abdominal fat.
It’s important to remember that the best results come from combining a balanced diet with regular cardio, and a healthy lifestyle.
