How to Burn More Calories on the Treadmill

Don’t Read
Everyone has seen someone at the gym reading while they are jogging on the treadmill.  They are not only putting themselves at risk for injury, but they are also not maximizing their calorie burn.  You can’t get the full benefits of a treadmill workout when you are trying to read a book or magazine.  Focus on running, and save the reading for after you cool down.
Get Your Hands off the Rails
Don’t fool yourself…holding on to the rails while running 7.0mph is not effective.  The calories burned will read a big number, but don’t be fooled by the numbers. When you hold onto the rails you’re supporting your upper body against gravity, which means you’re burning fewer calories and getting an inferior workout.  Let go of the rails, and concentrate on good hands-free running form even if you have to lower the speed and the incline.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re doing more than you are.
Move Your Upper Body
Once you let go of the rails, start moving those arms. Hold your arms at a 90 degree angle close to your body, and pump them in a smooth, fluid motion as you move your legs. You burn more calories, and the arms will help to drive your legs.  Aim for smooth coordinated movements of both arms and legs.
Add Intervals
Interval training burns more calories and activates hormones that will keep you burning fat even after your treadmill workout is over. Warm-up for 5 minutes, then jog at a comfortable pace for two minutes, then turn the treadmill speed up until you’re sucking wind for one minute.  Repeat this pattern for 20-30 minutes.  You will get a high calorie burn with less time required and best of all, you’ll benefit from the afterburn for hours afterwards.
Increase the Incline
You should set the incline to 1.0 % to compensate for the lack of air resistance you’d receive if running outside.  But don’t stop there.  Challenge yourself even more by varying the incline during your workout.  Only raise the level as high as you can handle without grabbing the handles or the sides of the machine.
Add Strength Training to Your Treadmill Workout
This is one of my favorite workouts.  You can burn more calories by circuit training using the treadmill.  After a 3-5 minute warm-up, run on the treadmill for three minutes, then jump off of the treadmill, and immediately do an upper body exercise targeting your triceps, biceps, chest or shoulders using free weights. Then immediately jump back on the treadmill for another three minute interval before moving on to the next upper body resistance exercise. Alternate back and forth for 30 minutes. This burns significantly more calories, is a real time saver and burns more calories even after the workout is completed.
(Some tips above Cathe Friedrich’s suggestions.)