Can a Treadmill Help You Lose Weight Around Your Arms?

Weight loss achieved with treadmill workouts will help you get slimmer arms.

A treadmill is an excellent piece of cardio equipment to help you lose excess weight. Working out on a treadmill can help you lose weight in your arms by helping you lose weight all over. There's no such thing as spot-reduction, finds the American Council on Exercise, but consistent cardio exercise will result in overall weight loss, leading to slimmer arms. Combine this with arm strength-training exercises, and you'll have arms you're proud to show off.

Lose Weight with Treadmill Workouts

A range of 150 to 300 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to achieve weight-loss goals, and then maintain your goal weight once you get there. You can burn approximately 250 to 500 calories on a treadmill by working out for 30 or 60 minutes, respectively. To boost overall weight loss, including on your arms, incorporate intervals of walking and jogging into your treadmill workout. Alternating between two to four minutes each of walking, jogging or sprinting blasts fat to help you achieve your weight-loss goal.

Arm-Toning Exercises

Regular strength training helps you build muscle mass, while developing a leaner-looking body. The increased muscle mass facilitates more efficient calorie burn so you can burn more calories even when resting. When arm-toning exercises are combined with your treadmill cardio workouts, you'll reap the benefits of weight loss and slender, toned arms. Strength-training exercises such as pushups, chest and shoulder presses, and biceps curls will help you develop toned, slimmer-looking arms. Perform weight-bearing exercises three times per week, for about 20 minutes per session. If you're using weights, use weight that's heavy enough to tire your muscles by the 12th repetition.

Treadmill Workout Tips

A few tips can help you maximize the weight-loss benefits you get from working out on a treadmill as you work toward overall weight loss and thinner arms. The more vigorous your treadmill workout is, the more calories you burn. In addition to doing interval workings that involve alternating walking and jogging, you can also walk or jog steadily at a brisker pace. To determine whether you're moving quickly enough, use what's referred to as "the talk test." If you can utter a short phrase or sentence in between breaths, you're doing well. But if you can sing a song without any problems, you're moving too slowly. Likewise, increasing the incline a little bit can also help you burn more calories. Only increase it to the point where you can continue to walk briskly without having to hold onto the handles. If you have to hold on to maintain your pace, lower the incline until you can securely walk and pump your arms at the same time.

Keep in Mind

It's vital to see your doctor before you begin a new weight-loss program involving treadmill exercises. Once you get the green light, if you've never worked out on a treadmill, your next step should be to consult help at your local gym. A personal trainer can show you how to properly use a treadmill and assist you in developing a treadmill workout that will help you reach your weight-loss goals, while getting thinner arms.

A calorie-reduced diet, when combined with your treadmill workout and weight training, can boost weight-loss results and energy. Cut 250 to 500 calories per day, without dipping below 1,200 calories daily if you're a woman and 1,400 calories daily if you're a man. Eat five to six small meals per day that consist of colorful, fresh produce, lean sources of protein, whole grain products and low- to non-fat milk.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity
• American Council on Exercise: Why is the Concept of Spot-Reduction Considered a Myth?
• American Council on Exercise: What is the Best Piece of Cardio Equipment to Use?
• MayoClinic.com: Strength Training -- Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier
• Georgia State University: Upper Body Strength Training Exercises
• The Seattle Times: 5 Tips to Improve Treadmill Workouts
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss