Treadmill Calories

balancedbrunette
balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Often being told that jogging is one of the best ways to lose calories/keep yourself fit and its something I've enjoyed doing for about 3 years now. Lately I got a treadmill however I was quite surprised to notice how few calories I burn, I know a lot of people say it depends on the person etc but I was quite put out...for example a straight min jog for me at a high enough pace today showed 60 calories burned on the treadmill.

Just wondering what are other peoples views on this?

Despite calories burned jogging is something I love doing anyway so this has not decreased my motivation in any one I'm just wondering is there any way I can burn more from the run...also MFP seems to overestimate the calories burned from a 20 minute jog in comparison to what I do burn.

Thanks for any advice...be much appreciated :)

Replies

  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
    bump
  • emgel9
    emgel9 Posts: 218 Member
    What are you using to determine your burn? The numbers on the machine itself are almost always inaccurate. Your best bit for figuring out your burn while running is to use a heart rate monitor or something like a body media fit or a fit bit. As a general rule, 10 minutes of running will burn 100 calories (this is just a rough estimate that can be applied to a 10min mile pace, but it does vary for everyone and changes with terrain, etc...)
  • smurfette75
    smurfette75 Posts: 853 Member
    I always burn more running outside versus the treadmill...may have something to do with the extra effort when running without the help of the treadmill. I also use a heart rate monitor...the treadmill is always off from my actual number
  • annieu613
    annieu613 Posts: 143 Member
    Are you using your heartrate to determine calories burned? If you've been running for a few years and haven't increased your pace, then your body becomes more efficient and learns how to run better. So since you're heart isn't working as hard, and your body is used to the movement, then you're not going to burn as many calories and someone who is just starting out and has to work really hard.

    Also, I find MFP overestimates calories a lot. I try to go by my HRM and not their estimations.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    In 1 min you burned 60 cal, that is a lot. Most people can expect 6 to 15 cals/min depending on age, weight, height, gender, speed, intensity, fitness level etc.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    60 calories in a minute? Uh, that's a really really big burn. Did I read this wrong?!
  • carrotstick2012
    carrotstick2012 Posts: 161
    If I could burn 60 in a minute I'd take up jogging for five minutes each day. It sounds high to me (just thinking of what readout my treadmill gives me) but if you're in doubt maybe borrow or buy a HRM to determine through that?
  • annieu613
    annieu613 Posts: 143 Member
    Oops, I misread. Did you mean 60 cals/min or 60 cals/mile? Per minute would be insane, but per mile would be correct for someone who's been running a while.
  • Dethea
    Dethea Posts: 247 Member
    You should expect to burn 300-500 calories with a 30 minute jog, depending on your body and the intensity.
  • GibsonDarlin
    GibsonDarlin Posts: 202 Member
    I have read that its about 100 calories per mile.
    As stated earlier the more efficient you get at running the less you burn.
    Which it is great to be fit but really sucks if your trying to lose weight, when you get to that point - how much and what you eat become a BIG factor!!!

    I'm stuck at the body being more efficient and I need to really clean up my eating!! Its a mental thing Ill get there but its hard!
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 412 Member
    I vote for getting the heart rate monitor.

    My treadmill calorie counter does not take into account the incline I set it on. I can burn over 2 times the calories on the steep incline vs. the flat, that's a huge level of inaccuracy for the treadmill.
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
    I never trust the treadmill unless it is the kind that lets you enter your height and weight before starting your session. Otherwise the machine is not intuitive enough to tell you an accurate calorie burn. MFP at least already has your stats and is basing your burn on that. Not totally accurate but nothing is. If you are worried about it then only eat back part of your exercise cals.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    I don't have an HRM. I use this site http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm to calculate my cals burned. Take your resting heart rate then take your running heart rate (I do it about every 20 minutes and use the average, I run for an hour). Plug your numbers into the calculator. Subtract your resting from your running and get your burn. Probably more accurate than the treadmill since it may not take into account your effort, mine just does it by age, weight, speed and distance. The one at the gym only did distance and weight. Probably more accurate than MFP because it also doesn't take effort into account.
  • shirayne
    shirayne Posts: 263 Member
    My trainer has also told me that interval training will burn more calories (haven't tried it yet to confirm). So if you run at 5 mph, do that for 1 minute, then slow it back down for 1 minute to recover at about 3 mph, then repeat. Of course the speeds are just an example. Using a HRM, you should be in the fat burning rate for a minunte then allowing it to go back down for a minute. Hope this helps!
  • haylz247
    haylz247 Posts: 435
    best way is to use a HRM. I'm going to invest in one cause for all i know i could be burning more!

    60 cals a min has got to be wrong. Today it took me 16 mins to burn 148 cals. That was with about 3/4 mins fast walking.

    I was also told that interval training works better than just flat out running. Change your routine up too otherwise your body will think it's a walk in the park!
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
    Thanks so much everyone for your advice etc...makes a lot of sense, my treadmill has a pulse plug in so i'm thinking thats on the basis of a heart monitor you can attach to the treadmill and it reads up, definitely going to invest in one to see if there is any difference.

    Also I think the interval workouts are a good idea.

    I know I said I was jogging for about 3 years now but it wasn't intensive once a week running, maybe once every 2 weeks I'd go for a 2o min jog if I felt like it. More a pastime than an exercise if that makes sense. It's only lately I've started working more consistently at it and I suppose I was just a little surprised if anything by how few calories the treadmill showed
  • rblakeman
    rblakeman Posts: 25
    The treadmills I use at the gym say 120 per mile...but that does not take into account height or weight; likewise, it is essentially the same regardless of my speed. I did an extremely hard outdoor run yesterday (extreme hills, heat and humidity) and used my heart rate monitor for the first time...it said I burned 218 calories in a little over 2 miles (20 minutes). My heart rate remained between 190 and 200 for 90% of the run (I am 42). So it is much harder to burn calories than the gym treadmills would have you believe.

Categories