by Torri Tompson

Walking on a treadmill is by far one of the easiest ways to get in shape. Treadmills are the choice of many beginning exercisers because the machines are so accommodating. The same machine that you use in the beginning when you are just walking can be the same machine that you are running on months down the road.

Many people opt for walking on a treadmill instead of outdoors because it keeps their exercise regimen on course. Being unable to exercise for any reason, such as bad weather, can easily take good exercise intentions and derail them. Having your own personal treadmill that you can use at any time of the night or day takes away virtually all excuses a person may have for not exercising.

If you are new to walking, you may wonder how long you should walk. The answer is not universal. It depends on your overall fitness and health condition. It is generally recommended that you try to walk from 30 to 60 minutes at a pace that will take you to 50-70 percent of your maximum heart rate.

To get your approximate maximum heart rate you simply have to apply the formula of 220 minus your age. Let's say you are 35 years old, then you would take 220 minus 35 and you would get 185. Fifty to seventy percent of that is 93-130. According to the expert guidelines, your goal should be to keep your heart rate between 93-130 beats per minute throughout your workout.

If that sounds too strenuous, you do have options. You can cut those minutes in half and walk twice a day, or cut them into three or four blocks of walking time. Whatever works for you is fine. The most important thing is you are getting up and moving more days of the week than you are not. Also be sure that regardless of how long you workout, you maintain a heart rate between 50-70 percent of your maximum heart rate for optimal results.

It won't take long before you will start to see results from walking on a treadmill. Your routine will start to become easier-and when it does it's time to increase your walking intensity. As your endurance increases, so will your maximum heart rate. To make walking on a treadmill work for you, try to keep your heart rate within 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. This will ensure that your fitness and cardiovascular system continues to increase, too.

No matter how young or old you are, or what health condition you may be in, it is never too late to start walking on a treadmill. It is easy to get healthy and fit with treadmills because they are made to be personalized. Treadmills are much like personal trainers. Their display windows can monitor your walking speed, length, calories burned, your heart rate and more. They are great exercise machines for someone just beginning to exercise and for the more advanced person who jogs or run-which could be you before you know it!

About the Author:
Walking on treadmills is a terrific way to lose weight and get fit. You can learn about the best treadmills for walking here.