No products in the cart.
What Speed Should I Walk or Run at on the Treadmill?
Cardio | May 20, 2022
When it comes to starting a treadmill workout you may wonder what speed to walk or run at. You don’t want to set the speed too high and overdo it, but you also don’t want to move too slow and miss making the most out of your session. The ‘ideal’ speed to set your treadmill at is relative to each individual and their current fitness level. To know what level you are at, monitor your heart rate and breathing rate while on the treadmill. Your heart rate while exercising should be between 60-80% of your maximum heart rate.
To reap the benefits of treadmill training, your workout should feel challenging but not so hard that you feel exhausted after 5 minutes. Your ideal pace should accelerate your heart rate and breathing as well as create a sweat. Adjust your speed up or down according to how you feel. Adjusting your speed throughout your workout is necessary to avoid getting burnt out, if you are going for a longer workout, a slower pace and more breaks will be required. As your fitness levels improve you will be able to run faster and for longer.
Find out more on our blog: How long should I run for?
Optimal Treadmill Speeds for Beginners
The great thing about treadmills is they allow you to easily adjust your pace from a walk, to a jog, run or sprint. Speed buttons on your console or handles make it easy to adjust your pace mid run through single increments or pre-set levels. You may wonder 'what speed should I run on treadmill'. The answer will depend the type of treadmill workout you are undertaking.
Walking:
For beginners a good starting pace for walking should be less than 5km/h. Every treadmill workout should start and end with a walk to allow the body to warm up or cool down. Going straight into a sprint before warming up can cause injury and unnecessary stress on your muscles.
Jogging:
Increasing your speed and taking your walk to a jog should be the next step if you are a walking pro. Jogging speed should be set between 5.5 - 7km/h. Jogging provides a medium intensity cardio workout that is effective in keeping you fit and shedding extra calories.
Running:
Running can be difficult to get good at or accustomed to if you are starting off. However, the effort and perseverance pay off with incredible weight loss benefits. Running too fast is going to leave you feeling exhausted and burnt out very quickly. Good treadmill training is pacing yourself and gradually increasing your speed. You may ask how fast is speed 9 on the treadmill? Level 9 is a good high intensity running speed, most users' running speed will range between 8km-12km.
Sprinting:
Sprinting is a great way to push yourself and break a sweat. Sprints should be high intensity, short burst efforts, keeping sprints to 30 seconds is suggested. Sprinting speed ranges from 20km/h to 24km/h. However, not all treadmills reach this speed, an advanced treadmill will be needed to increase your speed to this range. Running at a high pace can be dangerous if you go straight into sprinting without any jogging or running prep. Since sprinting is a high impact exercise, it is important to increase your pace gradually to avoid fatigue, injury or joint pain.
Treadmill Training Benefits
You may wonder what does running on a treadmill do to your body? A treadmill workout comes with heaps of fitness benefits that can be conveniently achieved in your home. Treadmills offer great versatility allowing you to walk, jog, run and complete uphill climbs all on one machine.
Weight Loss:
One of the biggest appeals of a treadmill is its ability to burn fat. The high impact machine helps you burn calories quicker than other forms of aerobic exercise. Interval training, whereby you alternate between running and walking is one of the most effective ways to quickly and safely reduce body fat. Low intensity workouts will deliver the same results over a longer period of time.
Build Muscle:
In addition to burning calories, treadmills are also great machines for building muscle and strengthening your lower body. Leg muscles including your quads, calves and glutes are activated during a walk or run, increasing the treadmills incline and speed will further engage these muscle groups. Pairing a treadmill workout with free weights such as a pair of dumbbells will create a greater resistance for your legs.
Heart Health:
Treadmills are a popular form of cardiovascular exercise that can improve your heart health. Walking or running on the treadmill is shown to be effective in increasing your heart rate to a healthy level, enabling you to easily perform other exercises including weight and functional training. It is suggested that as your heart rate accelerates it helps boost blood circulation which in turn reduces your blood pressure, thereby keeping your risk of heart disease lower.
Does treadmill speed translate to real world running?
Although running outdoors and on a treadmill may feel like the same thing, there are a few variables that come into play affecting your ability to replicate your treadmill speed in outdoor running and vice versa. Running outdoors is typically more difficult than running indoors, this is mainly due to wind resistance. As you’re running outdoors, the wind and air create a resistance making you work harder to pick up speed. On the treadmill this resistance doesn’t exist. Stimulating the resistance of running outdoors can be done on the treadmill by increasing the incline 1% to mimic the oxygen cost of running outdoors. The weather and running surface will also impact your outdoor run, for example it would be difficult to maintain your treadmill running speed when running on the beach on a blistering hot day.
Maintaining a consistent running speed is easier on a treadmill as you have the moving running belt forcing you to keep up with your set pace. There is also no room to unintentionally slow down without changing your speed. This makes it easier to work towards your running goals and prepare for long duration runs.
Find out more in our blog: Is treadmill speed the same as real speed?
Conclusion
Treadmill running doesn’t come naturally to all, it will take time and practice to gradually work up your running speed. Building up your speed will start from first nailing lower speeds. It is important to not push yourself too hard and know your limits. Above is a guideline for average speeds when walking, jogging, running and sprinting. However, what will feel comfortable and within your fitness capabilities will be different for everyone. The first step is getting started, then you can experience all the health and fitness benefits a treadmill workout has to offer.
Latest Posts
Cardio | June 22, 2026
EOFY Home Gym Upgrade Guide: Where to Invest in Treadmills, Bikes & Strength EquipmentThe end of financial year is coming up, which we believe is one of the best times to evaluate your long-term fitness...
Read more
Cardio | June 09, 2026
Low-Impact Cardio Machines for Home: Best Options for Joint-Friendly WorkoutsAre you someone who's avoided running because you're worried about your knees? Maybe you've taken a break from cardi...
Read more
gift | May 05, 2026
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas 2026This year, get your Mum a gift that's functional and life-enhancing. If you've got a Mum who likes early morning jog...
Read more
Training | May 01, 2026
Lifespan Fitness Customer Transformations: Bec ChristensenFor most people, a fitness journey starts with a simple goal. For Bec Christensen, her initial drive to get her fitn...
Read more
Exercise | April 24, 2026
How to Stay Consistent with Home Workouts Over Long Weekends & HolidaysMost people will say that they lose motivation over long weekends, but that's rarely the real issue. What actually d...
Read more
Cardio | April 15, 2026
Treadmill vs Exercise Bike vs Cross Trainer: Which Is Best for Your Home?Treadmills. Exercise Bikes. Cross Trainers. These are the big 3 when it comes to home cardio equipment. While most o...
Read more
Treadmill | April 02, 2026
Scott Clark’s 24-Hour Marathon JourneyOn the morning of 15th March, a battered Scotty Clark was lowered into an ice bath, feeling the cool sting calm his ...
Read more
Training | March 10, 2026
Meet the Man Who’s Running for 24-Hours StraightThis former AFL sports trainer is taking ultra-marathons to another level with his 24-hour treadmill challenge.
Read more
Ice baths | February 20, 2026
A Cold Plunge to HealthIn 2002, British long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe won the 10,000m gold medal at the European Athletics Champions...
Read more
Cardio | February 06, 2026
Effects of Exercise on Mental HealthDid you know that regular physical exercise can actually increase the volume of parts of your brain? Namely, the par...
Read more
Cardio | January 12, 2026
Belt Slipping: Cause and CureBelt slipping is what happens when the belt moves out of sync with the treadmill motor and rollers. This can happen ...
Read more
gift | December 19, 2025
Christmas Gifts for Gym Lovers: The Ultimate Holiday Fitness Gift GuideDo you have someone in your life who's a meal-prepping, gym-obsessed, endorphin-chasing fitness junkie? Then you hav...
Read more
Cardio | December 08, 2025
12 Days of Christmas Fitness: Unwrap Your Best Self with These Holiday WorkoutsThe 12 Days of Christmas Fitness is a simple, engaging way to stay motivated during the holidays. Each day introduce...
Read more
November 06, 2025
Your Questions Answered: Our Most Common Service & Product QueriesEvery day, we hear so many interesting and unexpected questions from customers in-store, online and over the phone. ...
Read more
November 05, 2025
Kettlebells vs Dumbbells - Which is Best for You?They may look the same (and have very similar names), but dumbbells and kettlebells can create very different workou...
Read more
October 20, 2025
The Different Types of Weight Plate (and How to Tell them Apart)If you're at all serious about building a solid home fitness setup, you can't skip on weight plates. They have a spe...
Read more
Exercise | October 02, 2025
Gym Rubber Flooring: How Good Is It for Home GymsTo build the home gym of your dreams, you've got to start from the ground up. Gym flooring often gets overlooked, as...
Read more
Treadmill | September 22, 2025
Lifespan Fitness WalkingPad M2 Featured on SunriseOur WalkingPad M2 treadmill was recently featured on Sunrise, where wellness expert Lizzie Williamson showed just h...
Read more
pilates | September 12, 2025
Lifespan Fitness Contour Pilates Reformers Featured on The BlockWeek 6 of The Block saw police-officer duo Britt & Taz take a bold leap: transforming their rumpus room into a P...
Read more
pilates | September 05, 2025
The Ultimate Guide to Reformer PilatesYou’ve probably heard all the buzz around Reformer Pilates. Post-COVID has seen a huge surge in interest in this near...
Read more
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Join our subscribers list to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly in your inbox.
Connect with us
