When it comes to exercise, there’s not much that beats running in terms of burning calories and helping people get into shape fast. On top of improving your cardiovascular health, running burns an abundance of calories.
So how do you calculate calories burned while running? There is a simple equation to find out. The number of calories you burn when running is based on a number of determining factors. These factors include:
- How much you weigh
- How fast you run
- How far you run
For ease of use, most equations are based on running one mile. If you’re running more than one mile there is a bit of a snowball effect because it requires more energy to continue running. Additionally, the terrain and type of running will also affect the number of calories you burn. For example, if you’re running uphill outside against the wind you’ll put forth a lot more energy than running on a treadmill in your living room.
The basic equation for calculating how many calories you burn per mile is multiplying .75 by your weight in pounds.
This means if you weigh 130 pounds the calculation would be .75 X 130 or 97.5 calories per mile. However, this is an average. The harder, faster, and more difficult your training, the more calories you’ll burn.
You could always get a good heart rate monitor and take all the guesswork out too. I’m currently use the Fitbit Blaze, and I love it!
Putting It In Perspective.
An average running time is about ten minutes per mile. Assuming you run six miles in an hour, you’ll burn 585 calories in an hour. Swimming, treading water, or other moderate efforts for the same 130 pound person will burn 236 calories per hour. Walking burns 207 calories per hour – this is at a moderate pace of 3 miles per hour.
Aerobics, on average, burns about 354 calories per hour for the same 130 pound person, and a moderate effort on a stationary bike burns 413 calories. For comparison, moderate exercise on a bicycle outdoors burns about 60 more calories per hour.
A little calorie burning help.
It’s important to note that the more you weigh, the faster you’ll burn the calories. This is because it takes more energy to do the same amount of work. It’s also helpful to know that as you build muscle, you’ll also burn calories more quickly, even when you’re not exercising, because muscle demands more energy and it helps you metabolize your food faster.
If you’re just starting out with a running program, know that it’s important to start small. Begin combining walking and running for a specific distance or time. When I started running, I used the Couch to 5k program. I would recommend beginners start there.
Running is one of the best calorie burning exercises around. Approach it with a plan, pay attention to your body’s signals, and you’ll be at your healthy weight in no time.
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