20 Minute Beginner Treadmill Workout – Burn Calories with Fun Walking Intervals!

Kaleigh Ray
X
Kaleigh Ray
Kaleigh received a master’s in Biomechanics from the University of Northern Colorado in 2022. She is a runner and competed in Division 2 cross country and track. Since college, she has competed in trail and road races from the mile to marathon distance. Kaleigh is certified as an exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine and has worked as both a personal trainer and a running coach. At TRG, Kaleigh combines her expertise in biomechanics with over a decade of running experience to review and test treadmills and other fitness equipment.
See full bio

July 26, 2025

Kaleigh Ray
Product Reviewer, Content Writer, Biomechanist

Let’s go for a walk! This 20-minute treadmill walking workout uses intervals to get your heart rate up and challenge your fitness just enough. Whether this is your first treadmill workout or your hundredth, I’m happy to guide you through the next step in your fitness journey.

You don’t need a treadmill with an incline for this workout, as we will be concentrating on speed only. However, if this is not your first time doing the workout, you can add some incline if you would like! Keep reading for the full details.

Take the Video Class

5-minute warm-up

Check that your treadmill is ready for use, that your shoes are tied, and that the safety key is clipped on. Children and pets should be removed from the area to ensure their safety and yours. Then you can get started at a comfortable pace. Stay here for a minute. After the first minute, increase your speed every thirty seconds until you reach four minutes.

By the 4th minute, you should be at the top walking speed that you could sustain, at least for a few minutes. Then, slow down as much as needed to recover for the last minute of the warm-up.

3 x 30 Seconds Hard with 1-minute of Recovery

Once you hit five minutes, it’s time to pick up the pace to the top speed you hit during the warm-up. Maintain that challenging pace for 30 seconds, and then follow it with a 1-minute walk at a pace that is as slow as you need it to be. Repeat two more times for a total of three hard intervals.

2 Minutes Moderate

At nine and a half minutes, it’s time for a 2-minute break between our interval sets. Walk at your comfortable walking speed (the speed that feels like your natural walking pace) for two minutes. If you need to walk slower to recover fully, go ahead. The point of this middle section is to prepare for the next set of intervals ahead.

3 x 30 Seconds Hard with 1-minute of Recovery

Repeat the intervals from the first section. If you are feeling strong, you can increase your speed. Recover at a slow pace.

Challenge Interval: 1-minute hard

Gear up for the final challenge. Push yourself to finish the work section of the workout with a longer interval. Keep your fast interval pace for a full minute.

3-minute cooldown

Drop your speed to your recovery pace. Gradually slow down over the next three minutes, while still keeping your legs moving. Breathe deeply and relax, absorbing the benefits and success of your walking workout.

Great job!