A 20 Minute Treadmill Workout: Your Plan to Fitness

Struggling to fit in a workout into your daily routine? If you're pressed for time, but still want to fit in exercise and fitness, you need to make the most of the little time you have available.

In as little as 20 minutes, you can still get in a solid workout that will give you an energy boost, help you stay slim and increase your stamina. You just have to know how to work out smart! 

With this fabulous 20 minute treadmill workout, you can achieve your workout goals and make strides in your fitness. So, how does it work?

Your 20 Minute Treadmill Workout Plan

You can't just hop on the treadmill and start walking or jogging, set the timer for 20 minutes and call it quits when you're done. No, to pack in the greatest benefit into those 20 minutes, you have to follow a workout plan that helps you work smarter. 

So, what's your plan for a great 20 minute treadmill workout? Here are the details:

Warmup: Walk or jog at a comfortable pace for about 5 minutes. The goal here is to warm up your muscles and get comfortable. 

Workout: The meat of your workout will be in a HIIT style. HIIT stands for high intensity interval workout. Basically, it means that you go as hard and as fast as you can for a short burst and then take a break. The goal should be to do high intensity for 1 minute and then rest for 30 seconds at a more moderate pace. The specifics of your treadmill workout will really depend on your current fitness level. However, to give you an idea, you might try something like this:

• 1 minute at speed 8
• 30 seconds at speed 3
• 1 minute at speed 8 and incline 4 
• 30 seconds at speed 3, incline 0
• Repeat the cycle 4 times.

Adjust the speeds and inclines to your treadmill settings and your abilities. Then, as you get better and stronger, increase your speeds and inclines to make sure you're always challenging yourself during the high intensity portion of your workout.

Cool down: End your workout with 3 minutes of slow jogging or walking. Once you're done with the treadmill portion, you can even stretch a bit to help with your recovery. 

Congratulations! You're done! In just 20 minutes, you've completed a great workout that will help you on your fitness journey. 

Many treadmills allow you to program your workouts or use pre-set workouts. You can take advantage of this so that you can press as few buttons as possible while working out, making sure you can concentrate on your running form and making it all the way through the workout. 

Benefits of HIIT and Cardio Workouts

Wondering why you should choose a HIIT workout over another style? There are other types of treadmill workouts that simulate going up and down a large hill or that don’t force you to reach a sprint pace. So, why choose the HIIT style?

There are many benefits and advantages to HIIT workouts. Here are a few:

Superior 

HIIT workouts may be superior to more moderate exercise. You can gain the same or better health outcomes in a shorter amount of time by doing HIIT workouts. For example, one study observes that doing 20 minute HIIT workouts 3 days a week achieved similar outcomes to doing 30 minutes of endurance exercise 4 days a week. So, you workout smarter by doing HIIT workouts.

Burn More Calories

HIIT workouts mean you can burn calories faster. Who doesn't want that? If you want to lose weight, or are even hoping to maintain your body weight, HIIT workouts are the way to go. You can spend less time exercising, but maximize your calorie burns so that you can make progress towards your weight loss goals. 

Boost Metabolic Rate

Your metabolism is important for weight loss. By giving your metabolism a boost, you burn more calories even while you're resting. After doing a HIIT workout, your metabolic rate increases for hours, even after you're done exercising. Exercise in general can boost your metabolic rate, but research shows that HIIT does a better job of this. 

Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

Do you have high blood pressure? If you are struggling with blood pressure, exercise is one of the best ways to combat this condition. HIIT workouts appear to be very effective at helping control blood pressure and heart rate, research has found. 

Fitting in Your Daily Workout

Do you still struggle to find time to fit in even a quick 20 minute treadmill workout? It's understandable. Between your professional responsibilities, managing family life and personal obligations, preparing healthy meals and everything else, it can be hard to prioritize exercise. However, if you make it part of your daily routine, you can make sure you have time for that 20 minute treadmill workout. 

One way to make exercising a habit is to do it at the same time every day. Try doing your HIIT workout everyday when you get up, or as soon as you arrive home after work. Some people even fit it in on their lunch break. 

Another tip is to purchase your own treadmill to use at home. This way, you won't waste time going to the gym, finding parking and waiting for a machine to open up. 

Finally, make it fun! Turn on some music to motivate you as you exercise or watch your favorite show. There's no reason you can't watch reruns or enjoy part of a movie while running on the treadmill.

With a quick 20 minute treadmill workout, you'll find that you start to feel healthier and soon, you'll look healthier, too! No matter whether your goal is to slim down, gain some muscle in your legs or improve your heart health, starting with 20 minutes a day is a great beginning. 

Do you have a favorite 20 minute workout that you do regularly? Tell us about your favorite workout routines in the comments below. 

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