3 Responses to “How long and how fast should i run on my treadmill?”

1. Dee on March 28th, 2009 10:48 am

   That’s really good if you’re just starting out, 27 min. You want to try for at least 30 min, initially, so slow it down a little and get in 3 extra minutes, or slow it down at the 27 min mark, and cool down for 3 minutes.

2. bleeblahhbloo on March 29th, 2009 11:28 am

   I also have a treadmill, and when I purchased it came with a booklet. You should have one too, in my Healthstream Owner’s Manual it is on page two.

   It says:

   HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU EXERCISE:
   You should exercise three to four times a week to improve your cardiovascular and muscle fitness

   HOW HARD SHOULD YOU EXERCISE:
   Intensity of exercise is reflected in your heart rate. Exercise must be sufficiently rigorous to strengthen your heart muscle and condition of your cardiovascular system. Only your doctor can subscribe your target training heart range for you before starting any exercise program consult your physician.

   HOW LONG SHOULD YOU EXERCISE:
   Sustained exercise conditions your heart, lungs, muscles. The longer you are able to sustain exercise within your target heart range, the greater the aerobic benefits. To begin maintain 2-3 minutes of steady, rhythmic exercise, then check your heart rate.

   NOTE: My treadmill came with a chest strap transmitter to check your heart rate and a hand pulse on the treadmill.

   Good luck!

3. Nancy Jayne on March 31st, 2009 4:04 am

   it depends on your fitness level. And what you are trying to accomplish. For a cardio workout (to strengthen your heart, which is the best thing you can do for your body and longevity of life) you should workout anywhere from 30-60 minutes 3-6 times a week. Anything more than that is crossing the line of healthy to obsessive. The body needs time to rest.
   Then find your max heart rate by taking your age and subtract it from 220 and that is how many beats per minute you should be at. 55%-65% of that is your optimum fat burning zone, take your max heartrate and multiply it by the percentage you want to work out at. Lower is for out of shape people and higher is for more in shape people. Then divide that number by 6 (there are 6 sets of 10 seconds in a minute). and every 5 minutes step off the belt and check your pulse for 10 seconds it should be somewhere between 15-20 beats per every ten seconds depending on the % you picked.

   SO, if I am 26 years old, I would take 220-26 and I would want to have no more than 194 beats per minute (maximum per 60 seconds) But because I am like 100lbs overweight I would want to work out at like 60% of that so I would divide 194 by 60 and get 116 per minute, divide that by 6 and I get 19.4 beats per every 10 seconds. If I work out any harder than that I would be burning muscle which would be counter productive.

   check your pulse rate every 5 minutes and adjust your speed accordingly if you are over your target slow down, not enough beats speed up. The better shape you are in the faster you will have to move to make your heart work harder. Your heart is in its best shape when it doesnt have to work as hard to pump blood through your body.

   moving the incline will also help you reach your heartrate at a slower pace, but dont use this feature if you are trying to slim down because it will cause you to build too much muscle in your legs, unbalancing the look of your body.