Question: long workouts without high heart rate/calorie burn

goshnames

Do you need to get your heart rate up/get winded/get really sweaty to burn calories/lose fat?

I have been working on improving my distance in running for quite a while. I regularly run 10k every other day with a shorter run between. I also sometimes do Insanity workouts.

When I began this exercise (prior to being able to run 10k), I would be drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Fast forward half a year, and I just ran 20k in about 2 hours...and didn't get winded at all. I stopped because my knees started to feel it, not because I was at all tired.

I can't afford to buy a HRM right now, so I'm a bit confused about whether or not a long run like that actually burns a lot of calories. I was breathing in and out through my nose - no problem. No gasping for air. No fatigue during or after. Not even close to the amount of sweat that I would have experienced running even 2k 6 months ago.

Is this still good exercise for calorie burn even if I'm not feeling worked out at all? Confused!

goodtimezzzz

yes yes and yes! height and weight??

Hoosier96

You are just conditioned and in good cardiovascular shape now. Try working in hills or farklets (I think to is how they spell it). Basically- run intervals and work in some sprints. That will switch things up a bit and ratchet up the calorie burn.

goshnames

I don't weigh a lot, but I'm also working on increasing my weight with some muscle while trying to work off a bit more fat. I'm five feet tall.

So, when I enter my stats and workout info into myfitnesspal, should I assume that the calorie burn it tells me I accomplished is roughly accurate even if I didn't feel like I worked too hard/didn't get my heart rate up a lot?

affacat

So, when I enter my stats and workout info into myfitnesspal, should I assume that the calorie burn it tells me I accomplished is roughly accurate even if I didn't feel like I worked too hard/didn't get my heart rate up a lot?

double check the value with an online one like:
http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/calories-burned-calculator
to make sure you're getting values for your build.

zlauerMom

Use the Runner's World calculator. That will give you a good estimate of what you burn per mile.
You burn calories moving your body weight one mile, whether you find it easy or not indicates the condition of your cardiovascular system. Sounds like yours in pretty good shape. Good work.

I do think it good to continue to challenge yourself. I like to do intervals for that.

cmeiron

As my fitness level has increased and weight has dropped, my calorie burns have gone down significantly according to my HRM. I have to work way hella harder or longer to get even close to the same burns I was getting a year ago. I'm finding HIITs, interval training, etc. to be a better use of my cardio time than sustained activities (get better results in shorter time with a fast 5k than a LSD run).

tuckerrj

If you're not on the couch, eating Doritos & watching Oprah, HEY it could be exercise. If you're moving it's all good!