Running or walking on a treadmill is more beneficial compared to running or walking. Using a treadmill indoors is an excellent way of avoiding many obstacles associated with the outdoors, such as the blistering sun, traffic, exhaustion, air pollution, and potential heat exhaustion. This equipment can also make any workout more effective and safer.
Running on whatever surface may be a high impact exercise, but the softer track on treadmills works to reduce your body’s impact. It protects your knees and joints from excessive wear and tears as compared to the concrete sidewalks. One of the reasons why many people go for the treadmills is to burn calories. This article will keep you informed on how many calories you burn when running on a treadmill.
How Do Running on a Treadmill Burn Calories?
We will start with a quick biology refresher. Any time you exercise, your body runs on energy units that are ingested from the food. These energy units are called calories. The number of calories burned on any given activity mainly depends on several variables.
Body composition, gender, and weight are critical factors that you cannot significantly control when we talk about the burning of calories. Those who weigh more will most likely burn more calories since their weight adds extra resistance during the workout. More bodyweight translates to more fuel expended to lift the body mass, and that is why the addition of resistance training to any exercise helps one burn more calories.
Body composition is simply the percentage of muscle and fat in your body. Those with higher muscle percentage will burn more calories during a similar workout as those with an equal weight but have a higher fat rate. That can be explained by the fact that muscle uses more energy to move. And this also explains why the addition of strength training in any workout routine enhances weight loss.
Gender comes in as a critical factor as typically, men have a higher muscle percentage than most women. It, therefore, plays a role in calorie expenditure.
The other variables, which you can control are duration and intensity of the workout. Power can be explained as to how hard you work out, and you can track this using your heart rate. The term is simply the length of time spent during a workout.
There are apps such as Lose it! Or the Calorie Control Council’s Get Moving! Calculator or online calculators which take your data and tell you just about how many calories you burn in a specific workout. These numbers should be compared to the figures recorded on the treadmill as the data may vary.
Running will help you burn more calories an hour, but it may not be the best workout for you, especially if it is your first time working out. It makes it easier for you to hit your target heart rate if you are used to it. Now let us do some simple calculations on the calories burned on a treadmill.
If you weigh 145 pounds and run ten mph for 15 minutes, the number of calories burned will be 198. Running is a more efficient way to burn more calories and get you reaching your fitness goals. Running also provides more resistance to your legs, so you will be toning muscles as you engage in cardio.
What Determines Treadmill Calories Burned?
When determining the number of calories, you can burn while running on a treadmill, you need to understand that several factors determine the calories burned on a treadmill. They include:
Efficiency
You are most likely to burn fewer calories in a given distance if the motion is smooth, or you are more trained in it. Some of the speeds are efficient and natural for your body- this varies depending on the individual. At higher speeds, running is naturally efficient compared to using a race-walking technique or when you attempt to walk fast.
Exercise intensity
Running is more intense while walking is a lower impact. It is general knowledge that more calories are burned if the lungs and heart are working harder. You can measure this using your pulse or heart rate.
Holding onto handrails
Fewer calories are burned if you are holding onto the handrails while running or walking. Remember that the calorie counters on the treadmill do not account for gripping the bars. You will likely get a higher number than you are burning if you are engaging in the rails.
Incline
Running or walking uphill will burn you more calories than on a level surface or downhill. You will therefore burn up to 5 extra calories every minute depending on the treadmill’s incline.
Top-rated Incline Treadmill For Running to Lose Weight Effectively
Motorized treadmills
The smooth surface and the moving belt significantly reduce the number of calories burned per mile than non-treadmill running or walking. This difference can be compensated for by having an incline of at least 1% on the treadmill.
Speed
You will most likely burn more calories when you cover a similar distance in a shorter period because of the higher intensity. You will also most likely burn more calories for a more extended period after exercising when you work out at higher power.
Stride length
A shorter stride will mean you pick up and put down your feet more times per kilometer or mile, which results in more calories burned. Your muscles are built to use calories in moving your body mass for a kilometer or mile.
Amount of Calories You Burn When Running on a Treadmill
If you weigh 145 pounds and run for 45 minutes at seven mph, you will burn 451 calories. Raising the incline by two will enable you to burn 108 more calories. If you add in intervals of running at 9mph for 15 minutes, on a 2-degree slope, the number of calories burned will be increased by 217. That means that in an hour’s long workout, you can burn up to 776 calories.
Treadmill calorie displays
Most of the treadmills feature a calorie display. Their accuracy can be increased by entering your weight truthfully. If the calorie display does not prompt you to enter your body weight, it will likely be inaccurate. If it asks for bodyweight, the treadmill will estimate the number of calories burned based on the incline it is measuring, the distance, speed, and the entered bodyweight. It does not factor in your exercise intensity or stride length.
Treadmill heart rate estimates
When you use the heart rate monitor that has a chest strap which connects to the treadmill, you will be able to factor in exercise intensity in the estimated calories burnt. This factor, along with the accurate speed and weight, will produce a precise estimate of the calories burned in a given duration of the workout. Some treadmills are designed to sync to the wireless heart rate monitors. This result is most likely accurate than the one based on speed, weight, and distance.
Remember, there are several methods of measuring the heart rate. Others may be more accurate than some. The heart rate monitors that have a chest strap are usually the most accurate. The wrist-worn types can also be correct, although it depends on how it is worn. The other methods, like finger clips or grips on exercise equipment, can be less accurate.
How to Increase Your Calorie Burn?
There are several ways in which you can increase your calorie burn while you exercise. For example, treadmill incline increase improves the number of calories burned to up to 12% to every incline degree. You can also gradually increase the speed.
For running, you should always aim for 4.5 to 10 mph. Another thing is learning to let go of the handrails and try pumping your arms. You can add more weights once you are comfortable. Always remember to tighten your core to reduce the risk of falling.
Tips for More Effective Workouts
No matter the type of workout you are engaging in, always stay hydrated. The treadmill is crucial as it will keep you feeling your best during a workout. For optimal results and the best performance during an exercise, drink water at least an hour in advance.
Listening to music is another way to keep you energized during your exercise routine. You can find or create a playlist that will keep you moving to a chosen tempo. You will be able to regulate your speed and be pumped up for your workout’s duration.
To reinforce the positive habits that you are trying to establish through the workout, stick to a healthy sleep schedule and diet. It would be best if you always did what feels right for the body, and once you become accustomed to the pace, you can increase the intensity of the workouts.
Conclusion
Exercising is essential to add to your daily routine if you are trying to lose or maintain weight. Treadmills are an excellent addition to any workout. But it is important to note that walking is a much better way to introduce your body to cardio. Once your body gets accustomed to it, you can increase the intensity by running. As long as you are challenging your body with physical exercise every day, you will see results in no time!
