To reduce your risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, perform cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis. Physical activity recommendations are based on the duration of your exercise, not the total calories you burn. For example, the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest getting 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking on a treadmill, weekly. However, if weight loss is your goal, keeping track of your calorie expenditure can help you achieve your goal weight.
If you’re overweight or obese, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests losing 1 to 2 pounds per week by creating a daily deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories. If your calorie intake remains constant, aim to burn an additional 500 to 1,000 calories daily on your treadmill. Or, you can combine a reduced-calorie diet with exercise. For example, if you reduce your calories by 250 and burn 250 calories on a treadmill, you’ll create a 500-calorie deficit to lose about 1 pound per week.
The duration of your workout is most important for healthy weight management and disease prevention. A review published in a 2007 edition of “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” recommends getting at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise five days per week to stay healthy. Another review published in a 2009 edition of “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” suggests getting more than 250 minutes of exercise weekly enhances weight loss.
The number of calories you’ll burn on a treadmill is based on your duration and exercise intensity. According to Harvard Health Publications, a 155-pound person will burn about 300 calories walking on a treadmill for one hour at a pace of 3.5 miles per hour. The same 155-pound person will burn about 820 calories in an hour running 6.7 miles per hour.
Healthy Weight Maintenance
Regardless of the number of calories you burn exercising on a treadmill, your total calorie intake determines your body weight. If you eat the same number of calories your body burns throughout the day, you’ll maintain your weight. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 estimate most active women need 2,000 to 2,400 calories daily, while most men require 2,400 to 3,000 calories a day to maintain healthy body weights.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Summary
- Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise: Physical Activity and Public Health: Updated Recommendation for Adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association
- Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise: American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Appropriate Physical Activity Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults
- Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
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