Different treadmills=different calories lost? Is this possib

AJsMOM83
AJsMOM83 Posts: 6
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
(I apologize if I am posting this in the incorrect forum)

I have been doing the C25K workout on the Life Fitness treadmills at the gym where I work. I'm usually burning about 200-210 calories during the workout.

I am currently re-doing week 3 and on Monday (week 3, day 1), I used my mom's treadmill at her house. It's a ProForm treadmill and the display said I had burned 356 calories during the workout. Could this be a mistake? Could my moms treadmill display be broken? I did everything exactly the same as the previous week using my gym's treadmill. I ran and walked the same speeds on each workout. Both treadmills calculated the total distance ran/walked at 1.62miles. However, 356cals on my moms treadmill vs 200-210 on my gym's treadmill is a significant difference. So, what gives?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated!!! :)

Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    They are not broken, this just illustrates what I have said many times. The calorie measurements on any exercise machine is an ESTIMATE. It is not precise, it is not accurate, it is an average number of calories burned sometime using your weight to keep it closer, sometime not even if you enter that information. Either one of those could be closer to your calorie burn, but I doubt either one is exactly right.
  • fuzzymel
    fuzzymel Posts: 400 Member
    Its just an estimate. The best way to be accurate is to get a heart rate monitor.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    Unless you can enter your height and weight and age into a machine and it takes your heartrate, chances are it's not very accurate. I only trust my heart rate monitor when I record calorie burns for that reason. Using the calculator on MFP is somewhat better, but it depends on how high your HR goes. Some people can run and keep it under 160. When I run it averages 180, so I burn more calories than a clone of myself who has a lower heart rate doing the same workout.
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
    at least make sure you are entering in your age and weight into any cardio machine, that will make it somewhat more accurate.

    To get a more accurate read on any cardio you are doing, you should invest in a heart rate monitor watch. Polar and Garmin make them, I am sure there are a ton of other ones.
  • irishgal44
    irishgal44 Posts: 1,141 Member
    Every treadmill is different. Some have a weight preprogrammed in them and is calculating calories burned per that weight. What I recommend is either getting a HRM with a chest strap (such as a Polar HRM) to know exact cals burned or go by MFP's calculations which are more accurate in my opinion than a treadmill.
  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
    Usually the displays are inaccurate. The treadmill doesn't know your resting HR, your gender, your age, your BMI, your %body fat, etc. so they're usually programmed to over-estimate calories burned (because a treadmill that says you've burned more, even if it's wrong, makes people feel good).
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    machines aren't accurate in judging your heart rate nor the amount of calories that you burn
  • Soupskin
    Soupskin Posts: 74 Member
    To compensate for the different calculations, I always set the incline at 4% and my speed at 5.2 but I log it on MFP as though it was flat and only 5 MPH for the same time. This way I know that I did in fact burn the calories on my budget here.
  • AJsMOM83
    AJsMOM83 Posts: 6
    Wow, all these responses are great!

    I had never really thought of any of the reasons you all listed as factors in such a difference between the calories. In the treadmills at work, I am able to post my weight. At my moms, it didnt give me that option. I will most definitely invest in a heart rate monitor though! Thank you all!!
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