Treadmill Calori Counter

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mmatteson
mmatteson Posts: 24
in Fitness and Exercise
I was walking on my treadmill today and a thought popped into my head....how does a treadmill determine how many calories you burned while walking. I have a limited time so I incline the treadmill throughout my walk, which shows me as burning more calories. However, today I introduced hand weights to work out my arms. When I finished, my calories burned were higher today than the past two days without the weights. How does this work?:noway:

Replies

  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    Does your treadmill have the ability to weigh you? If it does (although I've never heard of one that can), that would explain it. As long as all your other factors (speed, incline, time, etc) remained the same as the days you are comparing to.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Are you hooked up to or does the treadmill take your heart rate? If not then either the info you entered (age, weight, sex) must have been different or you went at a faster speed or a steeper incline or it was a different treadmill.

    The most accurate estimate of calories burned would be by wearing a personal heart rate monitor.
  • carrie145
    carrie145 Posts: 297
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    I just logged my exercise and noticed the counter on my treadmill showed 100 calories more burned than the MFP database..I'm gonna go with what my treadmill says!! ;)
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
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    Interesting, that's a very smart Treadmil you got there!

    So let me get this right, All the settings were the same only difference was you introduced hand weights?
  • BexC
    BexC Posts: 53
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    Magic? lol not sure very interested to know though
  • p90xokc
    p90xokc Posts: 66
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    Heart rate monitor! Heart rate monitor! Heart rate monitor!
  • c7eat2live
    c7eat2live Posts: 308 Member
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    wow thats interesting! I use a HR monitor which my trainer says is much more accurate than the machines but who knows...I would check the settings and make sure you use manual and enter your data. otherwise its set to auto start or whatever and the generic weight for that is 150 lbs and it will adjust calories to that and hr I believe.
  • mmatteson
    mmatteson Posts: 24
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    Yes...only difference was the hand weights. I know I worked harder today than the past two days, due to the hand weights. Things you think about when walking...huh. I don't "hook" myself to the treadmill when working out. As far as I know, my treadmill doesn't weigh me each day either....ok I'm blabbing so I'll stop.

    Thanks everyone.

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