Reviewed by최연승대표원장
What's the best way to lose weight using a treadmill?
Don't overdo it at first. For the first 1–2 weeks, adapt with brisk walking (heart rate around 120 bpm). In weeks 3–4, alternate 30 minutes of walking with light jogging. After about a month, you'll start feeling lighter. Then increase to 3–4 times per week, 40–60 minutes per session.
I remember myself standing in front of the treadmill saying 'this time for real' only to quit two days later. From a Traditional Korean Medicine perspective, sudden intense exercise can actually weaken the Spleen (脾虛, Pi Xu), impairing digestive function and leaving you fatigued without much weight loss. So treat the first 1–2 weeks as an 'adaptation period.' Just do 20 minutes of brisk walking at a pace where you're slightly out of breath (heart rate around 120 bpm). As you sweat, phlegm-fluid (痰飮, Dam-eum) begins to be discharged, and blood stasis (瘀血, Eohyeol) resolves, making your body feel lighter. In weeks 3–4, mix 30 minutes of walking with 5–10 minutes of light jogging. After this phase, the Spleen (脾臟, Bijang) function gradually recovers, appetite stabilizes, and post-exercise recovery speeds up. About a month in, you'll feel 'Ah, this is right.' For the next 1–3 months, aim for 3–4 sessions per week of 40–60 minutes, but include one lower-intensity recovery day each week. What matters most is consistency—not speed or duration. I've learned through trial and error that '20 minutes every day' ultimately lasts the longest.