Exercise Question

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lina1131
lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't even know how to ask this question without seeming like an idiot.

Are all calories equal?

Usually I jog/walk (mostly jog) 3 to 4 times a week for about an hour each time. On a good day i'll burn in between 500 to 600 calories. However, I have really bad shin splints (ugh!) right now and cannot jog. The other day I walked for an hour and 20 minutes. I burned 550 calories. At the end of my jogs i'm usually really sweaty and it takes me a while to get myself together. After my walk I was fine. Barely broke a sweat. Are the 550 calories that I burned from walking the same as the 500 or so calories I burn from jogging?

Am I the dumbest person on the planet for asking this question? LOL!

Replies

  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
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    I think it's a great question!! Now....am I dumb for not having an answer??? lol
    Seems to me if I burned 300 calories from jumping rope or 300 calories from swimming or 300 calories on elliptical....it's all the same to me. But...I don't know the right answer.
  • Lovemylife67
    Lovemylife67 Posts: 19 Member
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    That's a good question. I hope someone knows the answer to that. If nothing else. google search it. Also..as for the shin splints...try powerwalking instead. Basically it's just speedwalking. You can still work out but not get shin splints in the process. If you want a little more resistance..try wrist and ankle weights while speedwalking.
  • countingdown
    countingdown Posts: 25 Member
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    I am so waiting to hear responses to this question. So I guess that makes me the second dumbest on the planet. I'm honored to be in company with you. I haven't been able to excercise with any intensity due to surgery. I am however able to use an excercise machine which allows me to break a small sweat. My HRM tells me I'm burning about 300 calories but I just don't feel that I'm really putting in a good workout.
  • bjjmitchell1
    bjjmitchell1 Posts: 12 Member
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    That is a great question. I do the same thing too. I had a fractured hip last summer so sometimes I run well and know I worked out BUT sometimes I take it easy and walk/jog slower for longer and dont feel as give out. I wish I knew the answer!
  • lunglady
    lunglady Posts: 526 Member
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    All a calorie is is a unit of measurment. It is a measurement of energy (like how an inch is a measurement of distance). A calorie is a calorie, now matter how you burn it.
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    I guess the reason I ask (and a big shout out to all the people that didn't think I was dumb for asking) is because when I walk, it's like nothing for me. I do speed walk. I barely sweat. I want to FEEL that burn but I can't because my shins hate me.
  • leeslim4life
    leeslim4life Posts: 371 Member
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    Were you using a Heart Rate Monitor to get the calories burnt on each exercise? If so, your HR never lies & I would assume that they are the same. I'm curious to know if I'm correct in thinking this! :happy:

    EDIT: Oh Wait, now that you said that about your heart pumping & ect while running.... you have a HR range for example my HR rang is 60%9Low-85% High if you're over your High HR you aren't burning calories, your building muscle.

    I am going to find that post b/c I know I'm not explaining it right!!! BRB!!!!!!
  • Lovemylife67
    Lovemylife67 Posts: 19 Member
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    I went to Google and typed in "are all calories burned the same". Alot of different resources came up. Try that and see what you can find. Now alot of us are curious..LOL!
  • SarahJoy_79
    SarahJoy_79 Posts: 107 Member
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    Technically a calorie is a calorie. So no matter how you burn that calorie it's the same. However, the amount of calories your body continues to burn after you do certain excercises is the difference. After a run your heart rate remains up and your muscles that have worked continue to burn calories for a longer period post workout as compared to if you walked. Same as working out with weights. You may not burn as many calories during a weight training session as you would during cardio but your muscles will continue to burn calories at a higher rate post workout. I suck at trying to explain things...so I hope that makes some sense :)
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    Yes, I use a HRM.
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    Technically a calorie is a calorie. So no matter how you burn that calorie it's the same. However, the amount of calories your body continues to burn after you do certain excercises is the difference. After a run your heart rate remains up and your muscles that have worked continue to burn calories for a longer period post workout as compared to if you walked. Same as working out with weights. You may not burn as many calories during a weight training session as you would during cardio but your muscles will continue to burn calories at a higher rate post workout. I suck at trying to explain things...so I hope that makes some sense :)

    This does make sense. I am so annoyed with my shin splints. I'm going to have to get on the dreaded elliptical this week to give them a rest and to get a better workout in. The walks are just not cutting it for me.
  • countingdown
    countingdown Posts: 25 Member
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    @sarah.......that makes so much sense.
  • leeslim4life
    leeslim4life Posts: 371 Member
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    Here Lina check this post out!!!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/76488-i-got-told-gym-won-t-help-me-lose-weight?hl=trainer+said+I+won't+lose+weight&page=2#posts-1047884

    I hope this helps you hun!
  • shelloli
    shelloli Posts: 13
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    First thought-calories burned are really just estimates. Here is my second thought-You may be anaerobic on your run and aerobic on your walks. Both beneficial, but to my knowledge, aerobic is better for weight loss and anaerobic is good for building endurance either muscular or cardiovascular.

    When I ride my bike to and from work I burn about 650 calories. When I do plyometrics I burn about the same. I recover much faster from my bike ride that I do from plyo! (It is a real butt kicker)

    I am not an expert, but if I were you I would consider alternating both as they each have their benefits.

    As for the walk, if your shin pain will allow it increase your intensity to the point where you feel it would be difficult to carry on a "normal conversation." This should be your aerobic zone.

    You are NOT dumb at all for asking this question. I have had fitness as a hobby for about seven years, and I am still trying to figure it all out! It is tough unles you are one with a degree in the field!

    I hope this helps. Good luck, and remember just keep moving. Even a little bit is better than none.

    -=m=-
  • OddSquid
    OddSquid Posts: 107 Member
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    A "calorie" isn't a tangible element, like water, sand, or salt, but a measure of heat energy. You don't have calories floating about you, nor are there "quality" calories, and calories are not ingredients in food.

    Calorie is a measurement, like grams, liters, centimeters, etc. What it specifically measures is heat energy but for simplicity's sake in food and exercise, it's a measure of how much energy is required to break down that food into what our bodies can use and how much energy you used to break down whatever you took in.

    A food that says "200 calories" is effectively saying "you need to expend 200 calories of effort to break this down."

    1 gram of fat requires 9 calories of effort to burn off, while 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate require 4 calories of effort to burn off. This is why if a person eats a high-fat diet, they'll gain weight faster and more than someone who may eat an equivalent amount of food, but consisting of low-fat products and have the same exercise profile.
  • samseed101
    samseed101 Posts: 97 Member
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    As stated above, for the most part a calorie is a calorie. Whether it's running, swimming, or anything in between a it will essentially be the same. However, there are slight differences when it comes to certain goals.

    When it comes to "burning fat" you may have to differentiate between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Typically, it's harder to burn visceral fat through diet alone or through light excise (such as walking.) That is why something more aggressive such as high intensity interval training is recommended for that goal.

    Now keep in mind, this won't be an issue for many people until they really start fine tuning what they want to do. but for those that do it is something to keep in mine. It doesn't mean you won't lose weight or burn calories. it just means that it may not target exactly what you want it to target.

    As far as the bigger issue...shin splints (aka medial tibial stress syndrome.) The obvious is to make sure you have decent shoes and a good surface to run on. But it could also be caused by other issues. Shin splints occurs because the ankle dorsiflexors (the shin muscles which pull the top surface of the foot toward the shin) keep the foot from being pulled away from the shin too rapidly and are not functioning as well as they should.

    This article I linked to below gives some basic exercises to help with shin splints. I did them for awhile and it made a huge difference.

    As stated above, for the most part a calorie is a calorie. Whether it's running, swimming, or anything in between a it will essentially be the same. However, there are slight differences when it comes to certain goals.

    When it comes to "burning fat" you may have to differentiate between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Typically, it's harder to burn visceral fat through diet alone or through light excise (such as walking.) That is why something more aggressive such as high intensity interval training is recommended for that goal.

    Now keep in mind, this won't be an issue for many people until they really start fine tuning what they want to do. but for those that do it is something to keep in mine. It doesn't mean you won't lose weight or burn calories. it just means that it may not target exactly what you want it to target.

    As far as the bigger issue...shin splints (aka medial tibial stress syndrome.) The obvious is to make sure you have decent shoes and a good surface to run on. But it could also be caused by other issues. Shin splints occurs because the ankle dorsiflexors (the shin muscles which pull the top surface of the foot toward the shin) keep the foot from being pulled away from the shin too rapidly and are not functioning as well as they should.

    http://ezinearticles.com/?Shin-Splint-Treatment---Top-Shin-Splint-Exercises-You-Should-Be-Doing&id=2443421
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    ... Are the 550 calories that I burned from walking the same as the 500 or so calories I burn from jogging?...

    Am I the dumbest person on the planet for asking this question? LOL!

    First, no it's not dumb at all. You should be proud you were brave to ask the question everyone wanted the answer to!

    2nd, 500 from jogging is the same as 500 from walking. But that doesn't mean one isn't better than the other:
    Moderate to intense workouts have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In other words, lung and heart health are tied to these kinds of workouts. So the best thing you can do is burn calories in a good intensity workout, the next best thing you can do (especially when in pain) is do a low intensity workout. The worst thing you can do is wait on the couch until you feel 100% again.

    Hope that helps! :-)
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    The differences between your exercises are:

    one is fat-burning (fast walking)
    the other is fat-burning combined with cardio (jogging)

    they are determined by your heart rate levels
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    Thank you all for the replies. It really did help to hear the different answers!

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