If you are thinking about what you can do to get in shape and lose weight, you should consider walking on treadmills. Many people have walked their way to fitness and weight loss-and away from bad health-using treadmills. Treadmills are great machines for someone who is new to exercise because they are made to accommodate any person's fitness condition and they grow with you.

Many people opt for walking on a treadmill instead of outdoors because it keeps their exercise regimen on course. Being unable to exercise for any reason, such as bad weather, can easily take good exercise intentions and derail them. Having your own personal treadmill that you can use at any time of the night or day takes away virtually all excuses a person may have for not exercising.

A question that is on the minds of many people who are beginning a walking workout program is how much time they should walk. How long you should walk for will be based on your health and fitness condition and what your goals are. Most health professionals and exercise experts recommend that people try to walk 30 to 60 minutes at a pace that will bring their heart rates up to 50 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate.

You can estimate your maximum heart rate by applying a simple formula of 220 minus your age. For example, if you are 25 years old you take 220 minus 25 to get a maximum heart rate of 195. Fifty to seventy percent of that would be 98-137. Following the expert recommendations, you should strive to keep your heart rate between 98-137 beats per minute during your entire workout.

If this sounds too difficult for you, don't panic. Simply cut those minutes into blocks. It may be easier for you to walk on your treadmill three times a day for ten minutes. The most important thing is that you try to walk every day, or as many days as you can out of the week and to keep your heart rate in that 50-70 percent zone during your workouts.

In a short amount of time you will find that your walking program will become easier and easier. This means you are getting in better fitness condition and your maximum heart rate has increased. When this happens, it's a sign that you should intensify your walking program and go to the next level. Keep your heart rate at 60-70 percent of your new maximum heart rate and you will continue to get a stronger cardiovascular system, too.

No matter your fitness condition or your age, it's always a good time to start getting healthy. Walking on a treadmill is a great way to do it, too. They serve as personal trainers as they keep up with your calories, walking distance and speed, heart rate and more. The great news is as your endurance increases, so can your workout on a treadmill.