Reviewed by최연승대표원장
Is there a specific way to lose weight using a treadmill? Should I just run as hard as I can?
✓ Monitor your heart rate – the most effective intensity is one where you can still hold a conversation. If you're too out of breath, you burn carbohydrates instead of fat and actually deplete your qi.
✓ Consistency matters more than duration – 30 minutes of slow, daily running is better than one hour of explosive running at a time.
✓ Exercise alone isn't enough – people with spleen qi deficiency (biheo) may experience a surge in appetite after exercise, leading to weight gain. Combine exercise with dietary control.
✓ Check your body condition – if you feel extreme fatigue or dizziness after exercise, you may be in a state of qi deficiency (giheo). Don't overdo it; consider a constitutional consultation at a Korean medicine clinic.
A treadmill is a great tool. But starting with the mindset of 'just run and the weight will come off' can lead to wasted effort — I've been there myself. In Traditional Korean Medicine, obesity is not simply viewed as a 'calorie problem.' It is often caused by accumulated pathological products in the body, such as phlegm-fluid (dameum, 痰飮) and blood stasis (eohyeol, 瘀血). In particular, many office-worker patients present with spleen qi deficiency (biheo, 脾虛) — a condition where the spleen's function is weakened, so it fails to properly transform food into energy and instead stores it as metabolic waste. When spleen qi deficiency is present, fat burning is inefficient even with exercise, and the body tends to lose more qi, making you easily fatigued.
The key to treadmill exercise is intensity control. Running too fast burns only carbohydrates, which are short-term energy sources, and very little fat. In severe cases, it can even harden the phlegm-fluid. Therefore, as the first checklist item suggests, maintaining a heart rate at which you can still talk comfortably — usually around 120–130 beats per minute — is ideal.
Second, consistency is best. Doing 30 minutes of walking or slow jogging every day is more beneficial for replenishing spleen qi and burning fat than doing one hour of intense running on weekends.
Third, exercise alone has limits. People with spleen qi deficiency often experience a sharp increase in appetite after exercise, leading to overeating and yo-yo effects. That’s why supporting the spleen function with herbal medicine while controlling appetite can help. For example, prescriptions like Bojungikgi-tang (補中益氣湯) can supplement qi deficiency and enhance the effects of exercise.
Finally, always check your condition after exercise. If you feel dizzy or extremely tired, your qi is already depleted. In that case, reduce exercise and focus on rest and herbal medicine to restore energy. I've personally made the mistake of pushing through and ruining my condition.
A treadmill is a wonderful tool, but it must be used according to your body's condition. Rather than vaguely thinking 'exercise will make me lose weight,' I recommend receiving a Korean Medicine diagnosis to understand why you aren't losing weight easily. I'm not forcing you, but even a consultation can dramatically improve your exercise efficiency.