Are Peloton Treads Good for Weight Loss? (Including Calories, Distance & Speed)


The Peloton Tread is the latest offering from the fitness giants Peloton. It’s essentially a sleek, compact treadmill with speed and incline controls plus a 23.8-inch touch screen to access Peloton classes.

Peloton are most famous for their bikes, but the Tread is gaining traction as the best way to improve fitness and lose weight. But is that true? Here we’ll break down whether the Peloton Tread is good for weight loss, how many calories you can burn, and which workouts will maximise your weight loss goals.

On average, Peloton treads are very good for weight loss because you can burn between 400-600 calories for a 45 minute Peloton run. If you run 3-4 time weekly you can expect to lose 1 pound of body fat each week from running on a Peloton treadmill without dieting.

How Many Calories Will I Burn on a Peloton Tread?

Everyone burns calories at a different rate according to their age, sex, weight, and height. The Peloton Tread has an in-built calorie counter which uses all your metric data to generate a more accurate calorie burn estimate.

In 2019 Global Triathlon Nation conducted a slick piece of research where they compared the calorie burn of participants on a Peloton Bike with a Peloton Tread. They found that participants burned an average of 594 calories after an hour on the Tread compared to 251 on the bike.

The easy speed control of the Peloton Tread allows you to increase the aerobic load of your workout, therefore burn more calories. Below is a table showing the average calorie burn of a 125-pound person running for 30-minutes on a Tread:

SpeedWeightCalories
5mph125 pounds248 calories
6mph125 pounds292 calories
7mph125 pounds328 calories

What makes the Peloton Tread so superior compared to other at-home treadmills is its incline function. Adding inclines to your workout significantly increases the calories you can burn. Below is a summary of calories burned by that same 125-pound person walking for 30-minutes at different inclines:

InclineCalories
0%98 calories
10%188 calories
15%214 calories

The maximum speed a Peloton Tread can reach is 12.5 miles per hour (20.1 kilometers per hour), which is equivalent to 4:48 minutes per mile (2:59 min per kilometer). If you are wanting to add those calorie-busting inclines into your workout, the Peloton Tread offers a maximum incline of 12.5%. It’s worth noting that a Peloton Tread+ can go even higher to a maximum 15% incline.

Add speed variation and incline intervals to your workout and you’re looking at some serious calorie burn with the Peloton Tread. For more on the benefits of incline treadmill running read this article. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry – we cover some Peloton workouts for weight loss later in this article.

Can You Walk on a Peloton Tread and Lose Weight?

If you aren’t someone who is a regular on any treadmill, then walking on the Peloton Tread will certainly help you lose weight. Remember – the key considerations in weight loss are movement and nutrition – so if you have to start with walking workouts, good for you! For everything you need to know about walking on a treadmill including calories burned, how many times a week and speeds read this post.

Your Peloton membership gives you access to thousands of different workouts including hiking, power walking, and regular walking classes. To maximize your weight loss results you should aim for routines that

  1. You can stick with – consistency is key in any fitness journey.
  2. Engage your cardiovascular system by increasing your heart and breathing rate.
  3. Targets all of your muscle groups.
  4. Incorporates elements of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Weight resistance is increasingly being recognized as a key component of weight loss, luckily for Peloton Tread users – incline walking counts as weight resistance as it engages muscles in your core, legs, and back.

HIIT training is also a big-hitter in the world of weight loss. During a HIIT session you will cycle through ‘work’ and ‘rest’ phases. By varying your walking speed and walking incline you can create an excellent HIIT workout with the Peloton Tread. If this is all new to you, then don’t worry! Peloton has plenty of HIIT and weight loss classes that cater to every ability.

Best Peloton Tread Workouts For Weight Loss

The best thing about the Peloton Tread is that whether you are an experienced runner or have only just bought a pair of sneakers, there will be a class for you and your needs. They have everything, from intense 60-minute HIIT sessions, to calm 20-minute guided walks and incline hill walking. Here’s our suggestions for the top 3 best Peloton Tread workouts for weight loss.

1. Peloton HIIT Run

This workout uses interval training to activate your cardiovascular system and get your blood pumping. These classes run between 20 and 40 minutes long and encourage you to push yourself for 60 seconds of hard running, followed by 60 seconds of rest.

You can modify the speed you run at during both the off and on phases allowing you to customize this workout according to your fitness levels. The Peloton HIIT Run is a great way to monitor improvement to your fitness capacity – how much faster were you able to run this week? And for how long?

2. Peloton Hills Run

Once you’ve mastered HIIT, or running on a flat surface, you could move on to the Peloton Hill Run workout. From the beginning, you will immediately notice your heart rate, breathing, and muscle effort increasing with that extra challenge. This workout is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular fitness as well as your strength as it engages all of your muscle groups.

3. EDM Run

Sometimes the best workout is one that is simple but effective. If you don’t want to be messing about with speed and incline, then try one of Peloton’s EDM running workouts. These workouts can be 30 minutes to 60 minutes long and combine motivational speaking from the coach with energizing EDM, techno, and dance music.

Ultimately, the best Peloton Tread workout for weight loss is the one that you can do, consistently, without injuring yourself. If you find running hurts your knees, then stick to walking workouts. If you want to improve your running ability, then try HIIT classes. If you want to lose weight, then try classes that combine incline and speed variations.

In conclusion

yes, the Peloton Tread is fantastic for weight loss. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or this is all new to you – Peloton will have a workout designed for your needs. With any workout program, the trick is to keep yourself motivated through proper rest and nutrition as well as finding a workout style that you enjoy.

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