Exercise Machines

MissMay87
MissMay87 Posts: 76
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
Is the "calories burned" count on exercise machines accurate? My mom got a new treadmill last week and I tried it for the first time yesterday. I walked 3 mph on a 20% incline for 60 minutes, and it told me I burned 685 calories. That seemed extremely high to me so I searched "walking" in my exercise journal and it said that walking 3mph for 60 minutes only burns about 165 calories, but that doesn't account for the incline. I also searched "treadmill" on my exercise journal and it said 425 calories are burned on a treadmill in 60 minutes. This seems like too huge of a difference not to be concerned. Which number should I be logging in my exercise journal? Yesterday I logged the 425. I also use eliptical and arc trainer machines at the gym and have always assumed that the calorie count was correct, but it is usually lower than what my moms machine said. For instance, 30 minutes on an eliptical at the gym I could burn between 200-300 calories depending on how fast I am going. Ugh... Someone please help me!

Replies

  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    I find the calorie burns on the machines to be a little high. The only way to know for sure is to use a heart rate monitor to track your calorie burn. What the machine gives you is an estimate, based on the factors you input. I always find my burn way higher on a treadmill than what I actually burn.
  • sherry9300
    sherry9300 Posts: 149 Member
    Actually, that sounds like it's in the right neighborhood. A 20% incline, if that is correct, is huge....like you're walking up a steep hill for an hour! For my cardio I alternate between several cardio machines and I alternate the treadmill between a slow run and walking at 3.0 MPH on an incline, although I am happy to get it to 10%. Please note that all machines are different. I'm just saying when you are looking walk at 3.0 MPH, make sure you are including the incline. I've also noticed that MPH calorie burn estimations seem to go significantly above what my machines say. Just keep in mind these are just estimates.
  • MissMay87
    MissMay87 Posts: 76
    *Bump*
  • KatyE213
    KatyE213 Posts: 447 Member
    Before I got my HRM, (which is the only way to be properly accurate) I used to look at the figure on the machine, MFP's database and another website I have saved in my favourites, and log the lowest figure to be on the safe side! Similarly if I am having to guess when I log food, I always log the highest value. I have found that a lot of people who have posted on here about why they are not losing, or not losing as fast as they want to, is because they are overestimating exercise calories. Good luck :smile:
  • sweetness48
    sweetness48 Posts: 61
    I find that the calorie burn on exercise machines are not very accurate. If you just get one them and go, it has no idea if you are 120lbs or 350lbs. Even when it asks for you to input your age, weight and height, when I compare it to my HRM, the machines estimate 100 calories MORE.
  • savlov30
    savlov30 Posts: 233 Member
    Your best bet is to get like a pedometer that has a calorie count. They are cheap at walgreens. I think the machines are just an estimate. Try the pedometer or a body bug and see how that stacks up to the machines. Good luck and I am sure you are doing a great job so far.
  • gordon53
    gordon53 Posts: 20
    If I'm getting this correctly, 3 miles in an hour at 20% is equivalent of climbing a 3,168 foot high mountain in an hour because, for every 100 feet you walk, you climb 20 feet! When I run on a treadmill I put the incline at 2.5%. I'nm told that the nearest simulation to outdoor running is 1%. I work on the basis that setting it at 2.5% allows for a bit of resistance more than just running outside and it does make a noticeable difference to 1%. Running for an hour, I am shown as "consuming" about 650 to 700 calories.....
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