What Parts of Your Body Will Improve by Walking on a Treadmill?

 

Treadmills offer a versatile way to exercise regardless of whether or not the weather chooses to cooperate with your fitness plans. Walking on a treadmill works the same muscles that walking on a track or outdoors does. The main difference is that you can easily change speed and incline. Walking on a treadmill can improve cardiovascular health and burn calories leading to weight loss.

Main Muscle Mania

In general, walking, whether on a treadmill or a track, works your lower body. This includes the quadriceps and hamstrings in your thighs, the gastrocnemius and soleus in your calves, your hip flexors and your gluteal muscles. Bringing your abdominal muscles into the mix by contracting them helps support your lower back as you walk. Walking on a treadmill allows you to set higher resistance and speed to build stronger, more defined muscles in these groups..

Bringing in Upper Body

Some treadmills have built-in handles to help you add your upper body to your treadmill workout. Pull these back toward your shoulders, alternating sides with your steps — but only after you feel comfortable with the movement of the treadmill so you won’t lose your footing. Another option is to use light dumbbells, around 2 to 5 pounds, to perform biceps curls or overhead presses as you walk.

Feel the Burn

Building muscle isn’t the only benefit of walking on a treadmill — it also burns calories to help you lose fat throughout your body. Walking at 3.5 mph can burn up to 314 calories per hour for a 160-pound person, according to MayoClinic.com. You can’t spot reduce — in other words, walking on a treadmill won’t necessarily help you lose fat in your thighs first. Bodies lose fat in different sequences. Continuing with regular walking workouts, though, helps burn fat in all areas of one’s body.

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