How To Burn More Fat While On The Treadmill

If the treadmill is your favorite form of exercise and you're wanting to get the most fat-burning benefits from it, the good news is that it is a great place to start. In order to get the most out of a treadmill workout, you need to pay attention to your heart rate. 

According to MedicineNet, there is a fat-burning zone for your heart rate, and it is based on your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Your fat-burning heart rate should fall between 55% to 75% of that number. In this heart rate zone, your body begins to use stored fat for energy as opposed to carbs, which gives you more opportunity to burn fat. The source recommends spending at least 30 minutes in this heart rate zone for maximum effect, but the important thing is to get into the fat-burning zone in the first place. Here are a few ways to achieve that on the treadmill.

To see any fat loss, you'll probably need to work out at least five days a week, per the Houston Chronicle. If you've reached a plateau, one of the easiest ways to shake things up and increase fat burn is to exercise for longer periods of time at a steady pace. That said, more time may not be practical every day. If you walk most of the time, you could try running, which burns over twice as many calories as walking per minute, according to WebMD.  

Another option is increasing the treadmill incline. Keeping your fat-burning heart rate zone in mind, increase the incline anywhere between 1% and 12% and aim to walk between 3.5 and 4 mph, per Houston Chronicle. One of the benefits of increasing the incline is that you can continue to walk instead of run, which might be better if you have joint pain or injuries (via WebMD). 

High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is another way to boost fat loss on the treadmill. Jessica Mazzucco, certified fitness trainer and founder of New York City-based The Glute Recruit, tells U.S. News & World Report that HIIT is one of the best ways to burn fat. HIIT is a combination of highly intense periods of exercise in between periods of low-intensity exercises. Today has a great suggestion for a 20-minute interval training workout on the treadmill. After warming up with a 2 to 3 mph walk for three minutes on the treadmill, run at 5 mph for 30 seconds, followed by walking at 3 mph for one minute. They key is to push yourself for those 30 seconds. For the next two minutes, up the incline by 5% and walk at 3 mph. Repeat this routine twice before cooling down.

HIIT is a good way to burn fat, but it's not something you should do every day. In fact, too much of it can lead to spikes in cortisol, drops in glycogen, and disruptions in sleep and your metabolism, CNET reports. And it's not for everyone. Harvard Health Publishing reports that it's not ideal for older people who have heart disease, noting that if you fall in that category, you should speak with your doctor before attempting it.