4 fat-burning treadmill workouts to suit every ability

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 21 October 2022

For many of us, treadmill workouts can be tedious, boring and quite frankly, uninspiring. You might just hop on the treadmill as you don’t know what else to do at the gym, or you may assume it’s one of the best exercise machines to lose weight, so just run for as long as feasibly possible.

Well, whilst the treadmill is a great tool in your weight loss journey, it needn’t be just another workout to tick off the list. You can make your treadmill workouts fun and exciting.

As a personal trainer and fitness lover, I often incorporate the treadmill into my workout regime, and I have found ways to make it far more enjoyable. But it’s worth noting that treadmill workouts, especially for weight loss, are just one part of the puzzle. Eating well, getting enough sleep and lowering stress levels are all important when it comes to losing weight sustainably.

Ready to hop on the treadmill? Give these workouts for weight loss a try.

Perfect your treadmill workout form

Andy Baddeley, two-time Team GB Olympian and Strava runner, gives his top tips on running right. Remember, it’s a marathon not a sprint, so start off with shorter runs, nailing your form.

Posture

Run tall – a lot of us sink at the hips when we get tired, or run with our shoulders hunched over. Keep your gaze forward too.

Watch your footing

Most of us contact the ground in front of our body as we reach out and over-stride. Instead, use hamstrings and glutes to actively pull your legs back under your body – ideally your foot should hit the ground directly underneath your hips.

Keep knees over toes

Make sure your knees don’t buckle inwards on landing, and that they stay aligned over toes.

Don’t neglect your arms

Your arms should move forwards and backwards to help propel you forwards, rather than across your body.

Treadmill workout: Top tips

Before working out, be sure to warm up. Spend a few minutes walking or lightly jogging on the treadmill to prep your body and get your heart, joints and muscles working.

Each of the below workouts comes with various speed options; beginner, intermediate and advanced. Choose what feels comfortable for you, and as you get fitter over time, aim to increase the speed.

Treadmill HIIT workout

High intensity interval training is a handy way to workout when you’re short on time. Stay on 0 incline for this workout.

1 minute: Run at 9/10/11km/h

30 seconds: Increase the speed and run at 12/13/14km/h

Repeat this 5 more times.

1 minute: Run at 8/9/10km/h

30 seconds: Increase the speed to 13/14/15km/h

Repeat this 5 more times.

Treadmill weight loss workout: Woman running on treadmill

Treadmill incline workout

Here, we’ll be increasing and decreasing the incline on the treadmill, making the legs, heart and lungs work a little bit harder! Inclines add another level of resistance to workouts, in turn increasing the calorie burn.

Start on incline 2

2 minutes: Run at 8/9/10km/h

1 minute: Run at 10/11/12 km/h

30 seconds: Run at 11/1/2/13km/g

Increase to incline 4

2 minutes: Run at 8/9/10km/h

1 minute: Run at 10/11/12 km/h

30 seconds: Run at 11/1/2/13km/g

Increase to incline 6

2 minutes: Run at 8/9/10km/h

1 minute: Run at 10/11/12 km/h

30 seconds: Run at 11/1/2/13km/g

Increase to incline 8

2 minutes: Run at 8/9/10km/h

1 minute: Run at 10/11/12 km/h

30 seconds: Run at 11/1/2/13km/g

Repeat the workout, but drop down by 2 on the incline for each round, until you are back at incline 2.

Treadmill beginner workout

For anyone who is new to the treadmill, this workout for weight loss could be ideal as a way to get to grips with various speeds and inclines.

Start on a flat incline

3 minutes: Run at 7/8/9km/h

2 minutes Run at 9/10/11km/hh

1 minute: un at 9/10/11km/h

Increase the incline to 2

3 minutes: Run at 6/7/8km/h

2 minutes: Run at 7/8/9km/h

1 minute: Run at 8/9/10km/h

Increase the incline to 4

3 minutes: Run at 5/6/7km/h

2 minutes: Run at 6/7/8km/h

1 minute: Run at 7/8/9km/h

Decrease the incline back to flat

2 minutes: Run at 8/9/10km/h

1 minute: Run at 10/11/12km/h

Repeat this set 5 times

Advanced treadmill workout

If you're an avid runner and feel comfortable cranking up the speed, then this is for you.

Incline 0.

2 minutes: Run at 13/14/15km/h

45 seconds: Run at 13/14/15km/h

1 minute: Run at 11/12/13km/h

30 seconds: Run at 14/15/16km/h

Repeat above once more

Incline 4

2 minutes: Run at 9/10/11km/h

45 seconds: Run at 13/14/15km/h

1 minute: Run at 11/12/13km/h

30 seconds: Run at 14/15/16km/h

Repeat above once more

Incline 8

2 minutes: Run at 9/10/11km/h

45 seconds: Run at 13/14/15km/h

1 minute: Run at 11/12/13km/h

30 seconds: Run at 14/15/16km/h

Repeat above once more

MORE: Want a workout without the impact? Try one of the best elliptical machines

Lucy is a freelance journalist specializing in health, fitness and lifestyle. She was previously the Health and Fitness Editor across various women's magazines, including Woman&Home, Woman and Woman’s Own as well as Editor of Feel Good You. She has also previously written for titles including Now, Look, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Red and The Sun.

She lives and breathes all things fitness; working out every morning with a mix of running, weights, boxing and long walks. Lucy is a Level 3 personal trainer and teaches classes at various London studios. Plus, she's pre- and post-natal trained and helps new mums get back into fitness after the birth of their baby. Lucy claims that good sleep, plenty of food and a healthy gut (seriously, it's an obsession) are the key to maintaining energy and exercising efficiently. Saying this, she's partial to many classes of champagne and tequila on the rocks whilst out with her friends.