If you’re like me, you’ve probably had a little too much to eat over the summer, with all the 4th of July barbecues and summer birthday parties (are all my friends born in June and July??). It’s time to get back in shape so that we can enjoy the rest of the summer, and be able to go to the beach without looking like a roly-poly.
One great way to get back into shape is with a Proform treadmill. I’ve talked about some of the different types of Proform treadmills before, so today I want to talk a little about how to best use your treadmill to kick those pounds.
Treadmills are a good way to exercise because they can be used to get a good cardiovascular workout, and when it comes to burning away the fat, cardio is one of the best forms of exercise to get. Doing short intensity workouts like sprints or weight lifting tend to burn a lot of sugar and carbs, but doesn’t really get to the fat that’s been stored away.
The best way to burn fat is to do a long, sustained cardiovascular workout at an ideal heart rate. Your ideal heart rate for working out is roughly 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Talk to your physician or consider getting a heart rate monitor if you don’t know what your ideal heart rate is, and want to find out. Some Proform treadmills even come with heart monitors, so consider getting one if you’re serious about working out.
One tip to see good fat burning results, is to work out on your Proform treadmill for 30 minutes first thing in the morning. Usually, the first thing that the body burns when you workout is sugar and carbs. However, when you wake up in the morning, all the sugar and carbs you’ve taken in have been used up or stored away, so you’ll quickly begin to burn fat. This is the principle behind the Atkins diet, and is a quick tip to use your workout time more effectively.
If you have bad knees or ankles, working on a Proform treadmill may not be the best solution, since the repeated pounding of running can wear down on your joints and cartilage. In that case, a better choice for you might be to get an elliptical machine instead. With an elliptical machine, you can get the same great cardio exercise as a treadmill, without the strain on your joints.
Finally, try to balance your cardio workout with some weight lifting, regardless if you are a guy or a girl. It’s true that lifting weights doesn’t burn as many calories as a cardio workout on a treadmill, but if you can increase your muscle mass, you can increase the rate at which your body burns calories. That means that if you have more muscle, you burn more calories doing nothing than if you had less muscle mass, so adding some weight lifting to your workout regimen is the smart way to get into shape.
If you use your Proform treadmill first thing in the morning, stay within your ideal heart rate, and add some weight lifting training into the mix, you should start to see the results within a few weeks. It’s always easier to pack on weight than it is to take it off, so you’ll need a little bit of patience, but if you can stick to the program for a few months, you’ll be looking better than ever.
-Takeshi, shopping blogger and post-barbecue workouter
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Good article, I’ve been looking for this kind of article for a long time since I bought a treadmill form lifespanfitness.com.au online shop. I never tried to exercise in morning, what I usually do is taking half an hour jogging before I go to sleep. I’d like to try your way to see the affect. Thank you very much!