How to Get Toned Legs Using a Treadmill

Summer is around the corner, and all of us are ready for short summer dresses that show off our toned legs. However, our insecurity creeps in as summer arrives because we all have been stuffing ourselves to beat the cold. Are you someone who gains the most weight on their thighs? Losing extra pounds before summer seems like a big task if you are lazy. Eating healthy will make you shed weight, but your legs won’t get toned until you move your body. Weight training, functional, and strength training is not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can use a treadmill to shed stubborn weight. How to get toned legs using a treadmill?

If you have the same question, we will help you with it. Walking or running, especially on a treadmill, is great to have those perfect legs. Some people think that the treadmill does nothing to help with shaping the body. Well, it is not as effective as weight training, but it does work on your glutes, butt, thighs, and calf. If you use a treadmill in the right way, you can have a summer-ready body in less time than you think. Let’s jump right in!

Ways to use a treadmill to burn leg fat

If you are going to walk on the treadmill in your comfort zone, you will not end up burning as many calories as you think. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing things out of the box, you can use the treadmill in many different ways to burn more fat and lose thigh fat. In this section, we are going to discuss ways to burn leg fat through the treadmill:

1. Run Faster

Walking faster will get you to lose weight, but running will amplify the effect. One of the things that most people avoid on a treadmill. They merely use it to stroll lazily, which will not get you anywhere. If you have made the goal to have toned legs by summer, you need to improve your heart rate. To get your heart pumping, it is essential to increase the speed. If you have been walking at a 2MPH speed, increase it to 4. gradually try to step out of your comfort zone by jogging if you walk and running if you jog. The added pressure on your legs will act as a catalyst for faster weight loss.

2. High-Intensity Interval Training

One of the best methods to burn calories faster than chugging down a glass of water is High-Intensity Interval Training. You probably must have figured out what HIIT is by its name. You have to increase your treadmill speed for a minute and decrease it for the next minute. You constantly have to shock your body by running and walking fast. You can set an interval according to your comfort level. Some people keep a three-minute window for walking and jogging to steady their heart rate and spike it up. We suggest starting with one minute to ensure you are not tired quickly.

3. Squat Jump On A Treadmill

If you are going to try the squat jump tip, you have to make sure you are confident on a treadmill. If you are a beginner, you must not try this at all. A squat jump on a treadmill is when you jump, squat, and stand back again. It is an excellent exercise if you look to work on your glutes, thighs, and butt area. The results are phenomenal, and you end up burning more calories than usual. Set the treadmill speed on 2MPH or a maximum of 4 MPH if you will try it for the first time.

4. Mix Cardio And Functional

Mixing up your exercises not only delivers outstanding results but also keeps you engaged. You can use the treadmill as a part of your daily workout in innovative ways. You may have heard about functional and strength training. If you merge different workouts in a single session, results are commendable. You can warm up on the treadmill and run faster at six or eight MPH for 3 minutes. After running for a few minutes, stop the treadmill and do weighted body exercises such as squats, push-ups, or plank for a minute. Alternate between running on a treadmill and body-weighted exercise for about an hour. You will be surprised to see how fast your legs start to tone up.

5. Use Incline

The incline is one of the neglected settings you may not use as often. However, it is commendable and helps shape your legs faster than you think. The incline is basically like climbing uphill; it creates resistance. You have to make more effort to keep walking or jogging on a treadmill when using an incline setting. We suggest using a 2% to 4% incline to get better results. Your lower portion will end up being so toned if you do it for 60 days.

6. Walking Backward

To strengthen your calves and hamstrings, you can walk backward. It is a kind of experiment that works for most people who want to work on every part of their leg. Backward walking creates a downhill effect which is relatively more manageable but works phenomenally. We suggest that you do this under supervision or practice it before increasing the speed. Along with the treadmill, you can try out the stepping machine as it gets your inner thighs on fire. Different combinations of exercises and experimenting help.

7. Starting And Ending Right

It is very easy to get injured or pull a muscle when exercising. Health experts continuously emphasize that one needs to warm up and cool down for better results. If you are using a treadmill, make sure you start slowly and gradually build up. If you start running directly, you will get sore muscles and injure yourself. Similarly, a person needs to cool down after a workout to soothe their muscles. You can also do some stretches to open up your body. Warm-up and cool-down also help in a faster weight loss.

Additional ways to tone your body faster

Weight loss and toning your body is a gradual process that will take time. It is essential to be patient and work consistently to see results. Your body can often stop responding to specific exercises if it gets used to them. So, you need to shock your body constantly to lose weight. Here are some additional tips to lose weight:

Switch Your Exercise

Walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day may help you tone your leg for a certain period. However, you may not notice steady progress with 30 minutes walks after a month. To see consistent results, you have to build your intensity slowly. Gradually increase the intensity by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Shift to 6mph speed from 4mph speed after some time to shock your system; you will see results faster.

Add Weights

If you are a fitness enthusiast, you must have heard of weight training. Weight training has a significant impact on your body, and you can see faster results. Along with shedding weight, you need something to tone your body. A treadmill helps you shape up your legs, but you can tone them further by adding weight to your ankle. People run with weight on their ankles for better results. You can also do leg-press with weights you are comfortable with. You will feel your muscles burn, which means it’s genuinely working.

Eat Healthy Food

Exercise is one of the main components for achieving your dream body. However, the transformation starts from your kitchen and mind. You may work out all you want, but you cannot lose weight unless you eat healthily. Add a lot of greens to your diet and eat lean meat to build muscles. If you are going to indulge in intense weight training, it is essential to have protein. Protein is one of the critical components to maintaining muscle mass. Your gains will show much better if you take care of what you put inside your body.

Conclusion

A treadmill is one of the best and most-used exercise machines in the gym. Walking, jogging, and running come to us naturally; we can use them as weapons to get our dream body. If you want luscious and toned legs, you can get them through the treadmill only. We decoded it for you if you are wondering how to get toned legs using a treadmill. One of the things you must remember always is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Also, it is essential to eat healthily and exercise to hit your goals. On the other hand, consistency will undoubtedly make you meet your goals faster.