For a 20-minute treadmill run, your speed depends on your fitness level: beginners can start with brisk walking (3-4 mph/5-6 km/h), while intermediate runners might jog at 6-8 mph (9-12 km/h), and advanced users could do intervals at 8-12+ mph (12-19+ km/h), always including warm-up/cool-down walks and adjusting for intensity, aiming for 70-85% of your max heart rate during harder efforts.
A daily 20-minute treadmill run is an effective, time-efficient way to build and maintain cardiovascular fitness for most people--especially beginners--if performed with sufficient intensity and combined with progression, strength work, and sensible recovery.
The "12-3-30 rule" on a treadmill is a popular workout created by Lauren Giraldo that involves setting the treadmill to a 12% incline, walking at a speed of 3 miles per hour (mph), and doing this for 30 minutes, as detailed on sites like LSG Fitness and Myprotein AU. This low-impact routine, which involves no running, is praised for building strength, improving cardiovascular health, and aiding in weight loss by mimicking hiking.
Those who are already relatively fit may want to try a pace between 4 and 6 mph, while beginners should start around 3 mph with an incline of 1 to 2 percent for best results - remember those machines weren't created for entertainment purposes!
The 80/20 rule in running is a training principle suggesting you should spend 80% of your training time at an easy, conversational pace (low intensity) and only 20% at a harder, more intense effort (high intensity), like tempo runs or intervals, to build aerobic fitness, improve performance, and prevent burnout. Developed by exercise physiologist Stephen Seiler, it combats the common mistake of running too many days in a moderate "gray zone," which hinders adaptation, and helps runners build a stronger aerobic base to support faster speeds.
For most people, 3–4 mph is the ideal pace for weight loss. At this speed, a 155-pound person can burn approximately 133–175 calories in 30 minutes. Walking at a moderate pace increases your heart rate into the fat-burning zone while being sustainable for longer sessions.
Key Takeaways
Walking 10,000 steps on a treadmill typically requires 90 to 120 minutes at moderate pace (3–4 mph), making it an achievable daily fitness goal for most individuals regardless of weather conditions or time constraints.
You can't go downhill - There's no downhill feature on most treadmills. That reduces the benefits for your anterior tibialis muscles at the front of your legs. It can be boring - They're fine for shorter training sessions but treadmills can become monotonous on longer runs.
Weight-loss benefits – Think short runs won't boost weight loss? Think again. If you run for 20 minutes each day, you'll burn approximately 200 calories. To lose 1lb of body fat per week, you'd need to reduce your total calorie intake in one week by 3500 calories.
The heavier you are, the more your body burns calories. For instance, a person weighing 185 pounds can burn 237 calories in 20 minutes running at 5mph while another one weighing 155 pounds will burn 160calories at the same rate.
"You will see improved cardiovascular and respiratory function, strengthening of all your leg muscles, as well as your core, back and arms, and greater bone density. It is also one of the best calorie-burning cardio workouts you can do."
Treadmill Speed for Running
So, make sure to leave that chatty hormone at home when you plan to run on a treadmill. The typical speed for running on a treadmill is between 6 and 10 miles per hour.
Definition. Jogging is running at a gentle pace; its definition, as compared with running, is not standard. In general, jogging speed is between 4 and 6 miles per hour (6.4 and 9.7 km/h).
The Pace Required
A 5K race is about 3.1 miles. So logging all these miles in 25 minutes (or faster) will mean running at a pace of roughly eight minutes per mile, or five minutes per kilometer (for those of you who use the metric system).
As fitness trainer Rachel Cosgrove explains, “Incline training activates the glutes, hamstrings, and calves more intensely, turning a simple walk into a full-body workout.” Increasing the incline on your treadmill not only intensifies your workout but also boosts your heart rate, contributing to more fat burning.
Stop Holding On
Holding onto the side rails or the front rails means you prevent from achieving the full benefit of your workout. Since your arms aren't moving, you're not engaging your arm muscles or core, and holding on may be shortening your range of motion with your legs.
To lose weight, you don't need to run on the treadmill every day; in fact, one or two rest days per week are highly recommended. However, at least 3 weekly training sessions are required to see results, while 4 or 5 could accelerate the weight loss process.
Eat after you exercise
Eat a meal that has both carbohydrates and protein in it within two hours of your workout if possible. Eating after you work out can help muscles recover and replace their glycogen stores. Think about having a snack if your meal is more than two hours away.
In any case, fast walking is recommended to tone the legs and strengthen the muscles, while running is better suited for weight loss. With one hour on the treadmill, you can burn many calories and enjoy many health benefits. However, always remember not to overdo it and to reach your goals gradually.
Regular treadmill workouts also tone the legs, glutes, and calves while reducing cellulite. Additionally, aerobic exercise promotes better circulation, heart health, and joint well-being, helping to build endurance and making you feel more active throughout the day.
The bottom line is: the harder you work, the more calories you'll burn. And the more calories you burn, the easier it will be for you to achieve a calorie deficit and lose weight. Running and jogging burn more calories per minute than walking, so you can speed up your weight loss efforts by learning to love running.
Interval Training – Sprint, Jog, Repeat
To burn 500 calories, aim for a workout routine of 30 minutes in total. Start with a 5-minute warm-up jog, followed by a 30-second sprint at your maximum effort. Then, slow down to a comfortable jogging pace for 90 seconds to recover.
In general, incline is great for toning your legs and building endurance, while speed is great for cardiovascular health and burning calories.