Nowadays, many young people are concerned about their appearance and body shape. Having a slim figure not only enhances our beauty but also reduces the risk of various diseases. Running is a well-known and effective way to burn calories. However, if you are too busy or want to avoid bad weather, running on a treadmill at home is a great alternative. Treadmill workouts provide numerous health benefits and are one of the most effective tools for weight loss. Many people use treadmills to burn calories, support their weight loss goals, and maintain cardiovascular fitness. In fact, if you know the right techniques, you can burn even more calories on a treadmill than you might expect. This article will explore the factors that affect calorie burning and provide tips on how to maximize your calorie burn on a treadmill.

Factors That Affect Calorie Burning

While treadmill workouts can effectively help you burn calories, several factors can influence the number of calories burned, as each person is different. Let’s take a closer look at these factors:

1. Efficiency The smoother your movements, the more exercise you get, and the more calories you burn over a given distance on the treadmill. At higher speeds, running is more efficient than fast walking or racewalking.

2. Exercise Intensity Exercise intensity is arguably the most critical factor affecting the number of calories you burn on the treadmill. The greater your exercise intensity, the harder your heart and lungs work, and the more calories you burn. Exercise intensity can be measured by your heart rate or pulse. Remember to choose an intensity level that suits your fitness level.

3. Holding Onto the Handrails You will likely burn fewer calories if you hold onto the handrails while walking or running on the treadmill. Treadmill calorie counters don’t account for holding the handrails, so the total you see might be higher than the actual calories burned.

4. Bodyweight Your muscles use calories to move your body weight over a mile or kilometer. Bodyweight is a significant factor affecting calorie burning on the treadmill. The more you weigh, the more calories you burn per mile or kilometer.

5. Age As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down, meaning the younger you are, the more calories you burn throughout the day, both during exercise and rest. Age is a crucial factor in calculating calories burned on a treadmill, as younger individuals are more likely to burn more calories.

How to Burn More Calories on a Treadmill

As mentioned earlier, several factors influence the number of calories you burn on a treadmill. However, there are ways to increase your overall workout energy expenditure, allowing you to burn more calories. Here are some highly effective methods:

1. Do Interval Training Interval training involves alternating high-intensity activity with low-intensity recovery periods, helping you raise your heart rate and burn more calories on the treadmill. Running at a steady pace is excellent for longer workouts, but you can increase intensity during shorter sessions by adding speed intervals. Alternate between running at a moderate pace for a few minutes and running at a faster pace. This approach will burn more calories and build endurance, making you a faster and stronger runner. While this type of workout may push you out of your comfort zone, sufficient recovery time between sprints will help you regain control of your breathing.

2. Increase the Incline Increasing the incline when running or walking on the treadmill is an excellent exercise for beginners. Inclines can activate your gluteus and hamstring muscles more effectively than running on a flat surface. Adding an extra incline forces your legs to push your body upward harder, making vertical movement more challenging for your heart and lungs and strengthening your cardiovascular system. It also helps improve leg definition, burn more calories, and enhance endurance. To match the intensity of outdoor running, set the incline to at least 1%.

3. Increase Running Duration If you want to burn more calories, the obvious choice is to run for a longer duration. For example, running at a pace of 6 mph will burn approximately 330 calories for a person weighing 150 pounds. The more you weigh, the more calories you burn. Adding just 15 minutes to your running session can burn an additional 165 calories, totaling 495 calories (using the 150-pound weight example).

4. Increase Your Speed Naturally, the faster you run, the more calories you burn. Not everyone can sustain a 6 mph pace for long, but you can start at a lower speed and gradually increase it. Begin your treadmill run at a comfortable speed and increase it slightly every minute. If you can comfortably run at 4 mph, try increasing it to 4.5 or 5.0 mph and maintain that speed for as long as possible. When you feel you can no longer keep up, gradually reduce the speed, but try not to drop below 4 mph. It's all about intensity. Increasing your running speed, even slightly, will help you burn more calories.

5. Eat Right Burning more calories requires combining exercise with a balanced diet. This doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself. For example, running in the morning on an empty stomach is not advisable. Instead, it’s recommended to eat carbohydrates and high-energy foods to fuel your workout. Staying hydrated during your workout is also crucial, so always keep a water bottle within reach.

By following the methods outlined in this article, you can burn more calories on your treadmill. I hope you achieve your weight loss goals soon!