Reviewed by최연승대표원장
How should I use a treadmill for weight loss?
Treadmill weight loss isn't just about running. High-intensity intervals can work for those with strong stamina and a tendency to sweat, but if you often swell or tire easily, longer low-speed walking is safer. In Traditional Korean Medicine, running excessively with a spleen deficiency (biheo) can drain energy without burning fat.
It's important to assess your constitution and condition before pushing yourself. Here are two scenarios:
**1. Relatively strong constitution with internal heat:**
Interval training (e.g., 1-minute fast, 2-minute slow) can help release damp-heat (siyeol) through sweat and promote qi-blood circulation. Limit to 3–4 times per week, ~20 minutes per session to protect joints.
**2. Prone to swelling, fatigue, and weak digestion:**
This often indicates spleen deficiency (biheo) or phlegm-fluid (dameum). Weak spleen function impairs water metabolism and accumulates fatigue toxins. Hard running may worsen energy depletion and trigger appetite surges. Instead, set treadmill incline to 5–10% and walk briskly at 4–5 km/h for 30–40 minutes to boost fat burning and lower-body circulation.
From a TKM perspective, combining constitution-specific herbs like Astragalus (hwanggi), Atractylodes (changchul), or Atractylodes alba (baekchul) to supplement the spleen (bobi) or expel phlegm (geodam) can enhance results. The treadmill itself isn't the problem—I recommend getting a diagnosis of your current body state. I once ran blindly and wasted effort myself.