When people engage in low-intensity exercise, fat is the primary source of energy. Therefore, fat-burning weight loss programs on treadmills encourage prolonged low-intensity workouts. For instance, during brisk walking on a treadmill, approximately 50% of calorie expenditure comes from fat burning; whereas during running, only 35% of calorie expenditure originates from fat burning.
At first glance, brisk walking seems superior to jogging. Consequently, most people assume that sweating it out on the treadmill for two hours equates to "weight loss." In reality, this approach is unscientific because while it burns fat, it doesn't effectively reduce body weight.
Conversely, during high-intensity exercise, although fat burning is lower, weight loss occurs more rapidly.For example, a half-hour of brisk running burns about 330 calories, while the same duration of brisk walking burns only about 200 calories. In this case, brisk running is more effective than brisk walking. However, during this time, the body primarily consumes carbohydrates rather than excessively burning fat. Therefore, to lose weight on a treadmill, one should combine high- and low-intensity exercise—brisk running followed by a period of brisk walking.
Additionally, many fitness trainers recommend hill walking as an excellent alternative if you wish to avoid spending excessive time solely on running or walking. Its intensity falls between walking and running, allowing for greater calorie expenditure in the same time frame. This approach promotes both fat loss and weight reduction. Moreover, hill walking can be an engaging activity, offering more variety than purely running or walking.