Q. I use the treadmill diligently every day, but why am I not losing weight? I'd like to know the most effective way to exercise.
Rather than simply increasing the amount of walking, you must first restore a body state with diminished metabolic efficiency to trigger effective fat burning.
📝 Detailed Answer
If there is no change despite increasing your exercise volume, it is likely that your internal 'engine' (metabolism) has cooled down. I understand how frustrating this is, as I once experienced knee pain without any weight loss from simply running blindly.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this state is often viewed as Spleen Deficiency (脾虛, Bi-heo). When the function of the Spleen is weakened, the body cannot properly absorb nutrients or convert them into energy; consequently, exercise fails to burn fat and instead leads to accumulated fatigue.
- Decreased Vital Energy (Qi) $\rightarrow$ Lower basal metabolic rate $\rightarrow$ Reduced exercise efficiency
- Phlegm Accumulation (痰積, Dam-jeok) $\rightarrow$ Stagnation of blood circulation due to waste buildup $\rightarrow$ Increased edema and inflammation
- Blood Stasis (瘀血, Eo-hyeol) $\rightarrow$ Insufficient oxygen supply to muscles $\rightarrow$ Inhibition of fat combustion
Therefore, instead of blindly increasing your time on the treadmill, you need a process to first flip your body's 'metabolic switch.' Combining herbal prescriptions that reduce inflammation and boost vital energy can significantly change the efficiency of your workouts, even if the duration remains the same.
💡 Points to Increase Exercise Efficiency
Rather than simple aerobic exercise, combine it with strength training to raise your basal metabolic rate. It is most effective to first clear out internal metabolic waste through herbal medicine.
Expert Verified
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director
Last reviewed 2026.04.24