Exercise Calories

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Shannonk507
Shannonk507 Posts: 252 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Wondering.....if I do a DVD (say 30 Day Shred) I burn about 200 calories in half an hour, but if I do elliptical at the gym for the same amount of time, I burn 377 (or so). Is it better to do elliptical, as I burn more or as long as I get some workout in, that is alright? I seem to think the higher burn is better, but not sure physiologically if there is really a difference? Dumb question, yeah. I hope to work out 6 days a week, so maybe it will even out in the end.....Right now, I did gym once a week and DVDs 2 or 3 times a week. Hmm....

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  • aysegul2
    aysegul2 Posts: 28
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    I think consistency is important. When I do the same thing to burn more calorie over and over, I am developing aversion towards that exercise. For me variety helps to keep it up. I think you are doing great by doing both.
  • Shannonk507
    Shannonk507 Posts: 252 Member
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    Thanks, I appreciate it. :)
  • purplepanda
    purplepanda Posts: 30 Member
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    I think it's good to have a variety of exercises. Sometimes you need a lighter day to allow your body to recoup from a stronger workout. A variety of exercises will also help your body not get too used to a routine which could cause a plateauing effect. I like to have some days where I get in a lot of aerobic exercises where I burn more calories and other days where I don't get as many calories burned but get in some good strength training to build muscle strength
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Most exercise machine readouts aren't very accurate. Depending on the brand, type of machine and what info you input (age, weight, etc.) they can generally be off by 15-30%. Meaning, they overestimate your calorie burn. So an exercise dvd that has you working your whole body may actually be giving you a better workout and a higher calorie burn than an exercise machine.
  • bounce0033
    bounce0033 Posts: 31
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    I am going to purchase a HRM so I can get an accurate calorie burn. I try to mix up my workouts. It is amazing what you can find on youtube and the web (livestrong.com/fitness).
  • RogerParrish
    RogerParrish Posts: 5
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    Personally, I like to walk. I walk in Balboa Park in San Diego. I walk at about 3MPH and I usually walk 5-6 miles each weekday. As an example, today's walk of 6.5 miles netted me available I-Phone apps. Hope this helps you. Good luck!
  • rachmaree
    rachmaree Posts: 782 Member
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    I also don't entirely trust the exercise machine number for calories burnt, ı will buy a heart rate monitor as I think I would trust that more. Whatever exercise you are doing is helping, by the way, don't forget that! Sometimes we can get impatient to see results.

    And I believe variety is the key, change up your routine, muscles have memory, and they say it takes less than 2 weeks for your body to get used to a workout program, so I wouldn't worry about being too consistent.

    Good luck!

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