5 Things Nobody Told You About How Long Should You Run On A Treadmill?

How Long Should You Run on a Treadmill? When you’re using a treadmill, running on the treadmill for an appropriate amount of time is essential. After all, you won’t burn the correct amount of calories otherwise.

You’ll get many different answers regarding the appropriate amount of time to spend on the treadmill throughout the internet. In the end, it depends mainly on your abilities. Those that are fit will be able to run longer than those who are not. 

With that said, you should aim to spend at least 30 minutes a day on a treadmill. For many people, this is the optimal amount of time you should spend running. If you go over 45 minutes, you likely won’t end up losing much more weight. There is a maximum effectiveness level to running on a treadmill. You can read our guide about best treadmills for heavy people.

After running for 45 minutes, you likely won’t burn too many extra calories for the effort. 

With that said, a lot goes into exactly how long you should spend on a treadmill. Keep reading to figure out how to maximize the effectiveness of your treadmill workouts. 

How Long Should You Run on a Treadmill for Beginners?

If you’re entirely new to treadmill running, then you’ll want to start slow. Generally, aim to run at a comfortable pace for 15 minutes, three times a week. For some people, this pace will be more of a fast walk than a jog.

That’s okay! The key is to start slow and gradually work up to a run. Do whatever pace you can do comfortably for 15 minutes. In some cases, you may even need to walk a minute and then run a minute.

If you can run more days, go ahead! However, it’s essential to listen to your body and not overwork yourself, as this will lead to injuries – not extra weight loss. 

Slowly increase your running time to 30 minutes, four times a week. In many cases, this will be plenty for weight loss purposes. 

How Long Do You Need to Run on a Treadmill to Improve Your Fitness?

If you’re looking to improve your overall fitness, you should look at the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. As the name suggests, these guidelines layout exactly how long and often you should exercise for maximum health. 

To improve your overall fitness, you’ll want to exercise at a moderate to vigorous activity level. Not only does the length matter, but the intensity matters as well. 

Based on these guidelines, you should run for 150 minutes each week at a moderate intensity level or 75 minutes a week at a vigorous intensity level. The best way to ensure that you’re reaching your activity level is to use a heart-rate monitor while exercising. 

For beginners, you can start at a moderate intensity level. As your fitness improves, start making your workouts more intense. 

Can You Run on a Treadmill Too Much?

Yes, you can run on a treadmill too much. Preferably, you should run for more than 150 minutes a week. Otherwise, you may experience some of the downsides of overexercising. 

It is possible to exercise too much. Any time you use your muscles, lactic acid is created. This acid is the reason that your muscles feel sore after exercising. If you exercise too much, you may become too sore to exercise further – prompting the need for a few break days. 

However, if you had exercised less and skipped those break days, you may have ended up losing more weight. Plus, there is a possibility that you might not get back on the treadmill after a few days off. 

Furthermore, you’re much more likely to become injured if you over exercise, especially if you’re doing the same action over and over again (like you do when running or walking). 

Therefore, you should limit the amount of time you spend doing any one exercise. You’ll be much better off if you diversify your exercise routine and spend a limited amount of time on the treadmill. 

In extreme cases, spending too much time on the treadmill can lead to over-training syndrome, making it harder for the body to bounce back after an exercise. Often, people with this syndrome experience a decline in performance for no apparent reason. 

FAQs Of How Long Should You Run on a Treadmill

Is 20-minutes of Treadmill Enough?

Yes, 20-minutes may be too much for some, actually. If you’re just starting, you may want to aim for 15 or even 10 minutes, four times a week. 

Your goal should be a steady improvement, not suddenly exercising for 20-minutes a day. Too much, too fast can lead to injuries and fatigue, which may cut your weight loss journey short. 

With that said, the average adult should exercise at a moderate intensity for 150 minutes a week – which comes down to about 20 minutes every day, or 35 minutes, four days a week. If you reach this goal, you’ll be maximizing your health and overall fitness. 

Therefore, 20-minutes a day is plenty for most people. Unless you’re aiming to run in a race, you probably don’t need to run any more than 20-minutes. 

How Long Should I Run on the Treadmill to Get Abs?

Running on a treadmill will not get you abs – at least not efficiently and reliably. To get abs, you need to exercise your abdominal muscles. Otherwise, they aren’t going to be strong enough to show through. 

Running does use your abdominals a little bit. However, it only uses them in one way and not to the extent that other exercises do. Therefore, if you want abs, you’ll need to perform some core workouts – not just run on a treadmill. 

With that said, a treadmill can be helpful to an extent. For instance, you’ll need to have a low body fat percentage for your abdominal muscles to be visible. Running on a treadmill can help with this since it does burn calories. 

Plus, diet matters substantially as well. If you’re eating extra calories or a diet high in carbohydrates, you probably won’t see abs very quickly. However, eating a healthy diet will improve your muscle tone and reduce your body fat. 

When it comes to the time you should spend on the treadmill, you should go off of our previous guidelines. Beginners should start slow and steady. Eventually, you want to work up to 150 minutes of moderate intensity. 

Is it Okay to Run on a Treadmill Every Day?

It depends on the intensity you’re running at, as well as the length of time you’re spending on the treadmill. If you’re only spending 20 minutes or so, and you aren’t a beginner at running, then you’ll likely be fine running on a treadmill every day. 

However, if you’re a beginner, then you should take things slower. Aim to only run on a treadmill about four days a week and use the other three days to work out your upper body. Strength training, in general, is also a good idea, as it will work out your body differently than a treadmill. 

If you run on a treadmill too much in the beginning, then you may end up overexercising those muscles. Generally, this can lead to severe problems, such as fatigue and even over-training syndrome. 

Your goal should be to improve your workout lengths while maintaining the same intensity slowly. Be careful not to push yourself too hard in the beginning. Many beginners overestimate themselves and end up with exercise-related injuries. 

Generally, just remember to listen to your body. If your workout leaves you seriously exhausted, you should likely consider slowing things down. 

Conclusion On How Long Should You Run on a Treadmill

It is straightforward to overdo it on a treadmill. Many people seem to think that you need hours and hours to lose weight or build your fitness. However, this is not true in the least. Instead, you only need to run on a treadmill for 20-minutes a day, every day or 35 minutes a day, four times a week. 

These time frames are the maximum you should be spending on a treadmill – unless you’re planning to compete in a race or finish a marathon. 

For beginners, you may want to spend even less time. For instance, some beginners may only run at a moderate intensity for about ten minutes. If that describes you, that’s fine! Just aim to slowly increase the amount of time while keeping the intensity the same. 

Of course, the intensity you’re exercising at does matter. If you exercise at a moderate level, you’ll need to run for about 150 minutes a week. If you exercise at an intense level, then you’ll only need to spend 75 minutes a week on a treadmill. Keep this in mind when you’re scheduling your sessions.