Can You Lose Weight With a 40-Minute Treadmill Workout?

While you won't lose an evident amount of weight after just 40 minutes of walking or running on a treadmill, doing this workout several times throughout the week -- along with cutting your calorie intake -- can help you build a slimmer body. By training on a treadmill, you can even pass the time by catching up on your favorite television program.

A woman is jogging on a treadmill. (Image: steven mayatt/iStock/Getty Images)

Increase Your Pace for a Quicker Burn

A 40-minute treadmill workout, regardless of your pace, is likely to help you burn hundreds of calories. The faster you move, the greater calorie burn you'll experience. A 160-pound person, notes HealthStatus, burns 211 calories during a 40-minute walk at 3 mph and 250 calories during a 40-minute walk at 4 mph. Running burns more calories. During 40-minute runs at 6 and 7 mph, the same person burns 486 and 557 calories, respectively.

Watch Your Calories

To lose weight, it's imperative to burn more calories than you consume. Thus, if you consume an unhealthy, high-calorie diet, your treadmill workout won't lead to weight loss. If you exercise regularly and watch what you eat, it's possible to successfully lose weight over the long term. A reasonable weight-loss goal is a pound a week, which means you have to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume.

Make Enough Time for Results

The intensity at which you prefer to run or walk on the treadmill influences how much time per week you should exercise to promote weight loss. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 300 minutes of moderate exercise or 150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week if you wish to lose weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that walking is a moderate activity while running is a vigorous activity.

Create Your Ideal Workout

Though you might enjoy exercising outdoors, you'll find there are several perks to working out on a treadmill. Not only can you avoid inclement weather, you get the chance to completely customize your workout by adjusting the treadmill settings accordingly. For a faster calorie burn, crank up your pace or raise the machine's incline. For a varied workout, incorporate intervals of running and walking. Some treadmills can track your heart rate, which is helpful for those who wish to exercise at certain percentages of their maximum heart rate.