What Happens To Your Body When You Use The Treadmill Every Day

Woman viewing effects on body when using the treadmill every day

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By Simon Gould

Treadmills are great for losing weight because they burn so many calories. No other cardio machine can burn calories like them. They do it so well that when you see results it’s very tempting to want more of the same. This may encourage you to go on the treadmill more often. You may even be tempted to go on one every day. But is it ok to?

You will lose weight if you do it every day

There’s no other way to say it, yes, weight loss will definitely happen if you’re getting on a treadmill every day. Whether you’re walking, jogging, or running, you’ll burn more calories the more you do it, and doing it every day means you’ll burn more calories every day. Unless you eat mountains of food to compensate for the calorie burn, weight loss will be yours.

If you have time to do it every day, then it may not be a bad thing. If it doesn’t interfere with your life too much like an addiction, if you enjoy it, then you can do it. A lot of fitness enthusiasts will say take a day off per week, but there are some people who can get away with exercising every day, and you could be one of them.

When you’re ok doing the treadmill every day

If you have a good fitness level already, you’ve been doing exercise for a while and your body is used to it. If you’re under 40 and you only exercise for shorter periods like 30 minutes per day or less. If you take it easy and don’t overdo the exercise. If you don’t feel any pain or too many aches afterward or in the mornings. It’s ok.

Walking every day on a treadmill is fine even if it’s brisk and you’re doing big inclines. Jogging and running are ok if you’re taking it easy and don’t do more than 30 minutes or so. It very much depends on how you’re feeling, you know your own body. It’s an exhilarating thing to do exercise, it makes you feel very good.

If you want to exercise every day, you should vary your workouts. Do some slow runs on your treadmill. Think about having a day of swimming, cycling or an elliptical. These are less stressful on your joints. This makes your workouts more enjoyable and helps you maintain your motivation. Try a gentle workout on a few days of the week.

When you’re probably overdoing it

If you’re exceeding 30 minutes every time. You’re already losing weight by doing it every day, there’s no need to go overboard. If you do some of your runs really hard, like no pain no gain kind of exertion, then you’re overdoing it. If you feel any aches or pains that are getting worse every time you exercise, you’re overdoing it.

If you’re just walking on a treadmill, then over an hour a day is too much. There’s only so much time you need to spend exercising a day. If you’re walking for an hour, try running instead for 30 minutes. I have a couch to 5k treadmill plan that could work for you. It’s a walk-and-run plan that has you running non-stop for 30 minutes in 9 weeks.

If you’re exercising and you don’t increase your food intake at all. Three meals a day is what we all need, but if you’re burning 4/500 calories per day and eating no more. You may start losing too much weight and you’ll get injuries, aches, and pains. It will stop being healthy for you. Your body will start reacting negatively to all the exercise you’re doing.

Signs of overtraining

The most common is fatigue. I don’t mean just tired after a workout, but exhausted and drained for several hours. Exercise should give you energy, not take it away. Another common one with treadmills is shin splints. These are minor aches that can get worse if you don’t let them recover. Don’t let any injuries ruin your progress.

I’ve seen and spoken to people who like to work out hard every day. They’re usually quite thin and don’t seem very happy. Sometimes it can be a sign of an underlying problem and is not healthy. If it takes over your life and you neglect other important things, then take a break. Talk to a therapist or someone you trust if you ever feel this way.

What the government recommends

The government through the CDC has set out guidelines for physical activity for adults and it’s quite a lot. They recommend you do brisk walking or other moderate-intensity activities for 2 hours and 30 minutes per week. This is 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week. So exercising every day on a treadmill may not seem so extreme now.

They recommended running, which they call a vigorous activity, is done for 1 hour and 15 minutes per week, which is 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week. They also recommend you do strength or weight-bearing activities on 1 or 2 days per week. A study in a Sports Medicine Journal recommends athletes take one day off per week. If it’s recommended for athletes, then it’s probably a good idea for us too.

Final thoughts

I’ve tried running for an hour every day to lose weight and you can see my progress there. I had started to develop some pain, particularly in my left knee, so I started taking a day or 2 off during the week. I still continued losing weight and achieved my goal. You should do the same if you experience any pain that doesn’t seem to go away.

We’re all built differently and some of us can exercise every day and cope with it. Maybe you’re one of them and if you are, you can do the treadmill every day and lose weight. Remember once you’re at your desired weight, then you need to start eating the right amount to maintain your weight. As long as you enjoy it and it doesn’t impact your life, get on a treadmill every day if you want to because you’ll lose weight if you do.

Thinking of buying a treadmill? Here’s my favorite, I always recommend it when asked.

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