Using a treadmill require that you understand the speeds at which treadmills can operate. The speed at which you run on a treadmill will determine your effort level on a treadmill. Many people that use treadmills dont understand the speed at which they should be setting there treadmills, leading to either improper training or exhaustion after training on a treadmill.
You can avoid these issue by using a reference for the speeds at which you should be running on the treadmill. Such a reference can include zones for treadmill speed, such as those required for walking, jogging, running, and sprinting. Walking is the most basic form of movement that can be performed on a treadmill.
Treadmill Speeds and What They Mean
Walking speeds under four miles per hour are typically used for walking. Two miles per hour are a slow walking speed and is often used to recover from strenuous activity. Two miles per hour is also a speed at which a person is able to have a conversation while walking.
Three miles per hour is a standard walking speed and is considered an efficient means of movement for those walking. An incline can be added to the treadmill to mimic walking on a hill outdoors. Incline speed on the treadmill will activate the glute and calf muscle of the user.
Brisk walking speeds fall between four and five miles per hour. Brisk walking, also known as power walking, can help an individual to enter zone two on the treadmill. Zone two burn fat but does not lead to exhaustion.
Power walking intervals can be created that alternate between power walking and jogging. Jogging speeds occur between five and seven miles per hour. Jogging require a higher cadence with shorter strides than walking.
At seven miles per hour, an individual is performing steady running. Running speeds range between seven and ten miles per hour on the treadmill. At these speeds, an individual will enter threshold zone for the heart rate of the individual.
The heart rate begins to increase at these speeds because the lungs must work harder to provide oxygen to the body. Proper form is require when running. Proper form involves keeping the shoulders down and the gaze focus ahead.
Sprints are intervals at speeds that are more above ten miles per hour. Sprints are forms of high intensity exercise that require significant effort from the individual. An individual’s heart rate is a metric that can be used to determine if the individual is using the treadmill at an appropriate rate for the goals of that individual.
An individual’s maximum heart rate can be calculated by subtracting the age of an individual from 220. The calculated figure is used to determine target heart rate zone. For instance, an individual that is 40 year of age has a maximum heart rate of 180 beat per minute.
An individual that is 40 year of age should of have a target heart rate of between 100 and 120 beat per minute for easy effort. If an individual does not monitor their heart rate while using a treadmill, they could either be experiencing an effort that is too light or too hard. Different level of fitness require different types of programs on the treadmill.
Programs for beginner may include warming up at two and a half miles per hour, walking at three and a half miles per hour, and jogging for short burst. Intermediate individuals may use a treadmill program that run at a steady six and a half miles per hour, with spike to seven and a half miles per hour. Programs for advanced individuals may incorporate tempo training at eight and a half miles per hour, or interval of running hard for thirty seconds and resting for sixty seconds.
An individual can use the incline function of the treadmill to increase the difficulty of the users exercise. An incline of zero to one percent is used for flat running distance. An incline of three to five percent is used for walking on hill.
Higher inclines will burn more calories but are more difficult to maintain. An individual should always utilize safety measure on the treadmill to prevent injury. These include the use of the safety clip, proper shoe, and a gradual increase of inclines.
An individual will burn calories on the treadmill based off the speed of the treadmill, the weight of the individual, and the incline of the treadmill. The higher the speed and incline, the individual using the treadmill will burn more calories. These figure can be tracked on the treadmill.
An individual’s speed, grade, time and distance can be tracked by the treadmill display or by the use of a wrist monitor that tracks the heart rate of that individual. By using the feature of the treadmill and incorporating a program that the individual desire, an individual can ensure that their treadmill use is purposeful and consistant.
