Health Network News

If you are thinking about what you can do to get in shape and lose weight, you should consider walking on treadmills. Many people have walked their way to fitness and weight loss-and away from bad health-using treadmills. Treadmills are great machines for someone who is new to exercise because they are made to accommodate any person’s fitness condition and they grow with you.

One of the main reasons that people opt for walking on a treadmill, instead of going somewhere to walk or walking outside, is having your own treadmill takes away exercise excuses. You can’t blame Mother Nature for not working out, and you can’t say you are too tired to travel to your walking destination, when a treadmill is in your home. Another reason many people purchase their own personal treadmills is they can workout when it’s convenient to them-day or night.

A question that is on the minds of many people who are beginning a walking workout program is how much time they should walk. How long you should walk for will be based on your health and fitness condition and what your goals are. Most health professionals and exercise experts recommend that people try to walk 30 to 60 minutes at a pace that will bring their heart rates up to 50 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate.

A simple way to calculate your maximum heart rate is to take 220 minus your age. If you are 30 years old, then your maximum heart rate would be approximately 190. Fifty to seventy percent of that would be 95-133. According to the recommendation, you should aim to walk 30 to 60 minutes with your heart rate somewhere between 95-133 beats per minute throughout the entire workout.

If that sounds too strenuous, you do have options. You can cut those minutes in half and walk twice a day, or cut them into three or four blocks of walking time. Whatever works for you is fine. The most important thing is you are getting up and moving more days of the week than you are not. Also be sure that regardless of how long you workout, you maintain a heart rate between 50-70 percent of your maximum heart rate for optimal results.

The great news about walking on treadmills is that it doesn’t take long to see results. Before you know it your exercise program will start to become easier and easier. When it does, that’s the sign to step it up a notch because your maximum heart rate has increased. Keeping your heart rate within 60 to 70 percent of your new maximum heart rate will keep your cardiovascular system and fitness level increasing, too.

No matter your fitness condition or your age, it’s always a good time to start getting healthy. Walking on a treadmill is a great way to do it, too. They serve as personal trainers as they keep up with your calories, walking distance and speed, heart rate and more. The great news is as your endurance increases, so can your workout on a treadmill.