Discover the Factors Affecting Calorie Burn

How many calories will I burn while running? That is the question. Well, it is if you’re conscious about exercising to slim down or firm up.

The truth is, you will definitely burn calories while running, but how many depends on numerous factors. Keep reading to discover the things that can influence the relationship between running and calories.

The Nature of Calorie-Burn

If life were simple, you could work out how many calories you burned per session with a basic equation. For instance, there are about 3 500 calories in a pound of fat and most people burn around 255 calories every 30 minutes while running.

That means, you’d need to run for a very long time to burn 5 pounds of fat if you didn’t change anything else about your lifestyle.

Yet, even starving yourself (aside from being dangerous) wouldn’t help burn off excess weight.

The human body’s ability to adapt means that you’ll burn fewer calories every time you head out on the road. Changing up your exercise to include interval training or hill work can help keep your body guessing and ensure you keep up the burn.

What’s more, the heavier you are, the harder your body must work to keep you moving. That means you’ll burn a lot more calories when you first start your running program.

As you lose those the pounds, your gains will taper off.

Duration and Distance

In the most general terms, the average person will burn between 80 and 140 calories per mile. However, this depends on your weight, running speed and fitness levels.

For instance, a 200-pound person running at a 10-minute mile pace will burn around 155 calories per mile, while a 130-pound person will burn about 100 calories under the same conditions.

You can use this formula to get a rough idea of how many calories you burn while running:

Total calories burned = Duration of physical activity in minutes × (MET × 3.5 × your weight in kg) / 200

So, to calculate the calories burned by a 13- pound person running uphill for 30 minutes would work as follows: 30 x (15 x 3.5 x 58)/200 = 30 x (3045)/200 = 456 calories burned.

Where the MET (metabolic rate) for running is as follows:

• Jog/walk combination = 6.0
• Jogging, in place = 8.0
• Running at 8 mph = 13.5
• Running at 10 mph = 16.0
• Sprinting = 18.0
• Running, uphill or up stars = 15.0

Ideally, you’ll need to make some adjustments to account for metabolic differences relating to age and gender. It’s often easier to use an online calculator to do the maths for you.

Inclines

You’ll notice that running hills or up stairs has a higher MET than most other types of running. This is because uphill runs also offer the variety your body craves to burn calories at its best.

Studies show that you can burn as many as 250 calories more when you run uphill. Even a gradual incline will burn more calories than running on the flat.

Gender and Age

Women are inclined to have more body fat and less muscle than men. Muscles burn energy, while fat doesn’t, so women generally have a slower metabolic rate than men.

Your metabolic rate determines how many calories your body uses to perform daily tasks, like exercise. Since most women have a lower metabolic rate than men do, they usually burn fewer calories during a workout.

Of course, this depends entirely on the individual as a very muscular women will have a much higher metabolic rate than a man with a lot of body fat.

Likewise, as you age, your metabolism naturally decreases, so you’ll also burn fewer calories during your exercise sessions.

Keep Track of Your Progress

One of the best ways to keep track of how far and fast you’ve run is by investing in a fitness tracker, a running watch or a smartwatch and using it every time you venture out. Link a heart rate chest-strap to your device and you can gain some useful insights into your real-time performance.

Most modern trackers and watches record the distance covered, number of steps completed, and your heart rate, while an ECG-based heart rate strap such as the Polar H10 gives precision data. Other devices and trackers offer some interesting extras.

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro for instance, monitors your blood oxygen saturation levels and VO2 max, while the Whoop Strap 3.0 presents your outcomes in the form of easily understood metrics.

Others like the popular and more affordable Fitbit can sense what you’re up to (exercise-wise) and measure your performance accordingly.

Garmin has a lineup of watches for every kind of runner from the basic Forerunner which has all the general fitness features including GPS to the rugged Fenix multisport at the top end of the spectrum that takes tracked metrics to the extreme.

Choosing the right fitness device is not for the faint hearted and it’s worth taking the time to investigate the options before making the purchase. It all comes down to your training goals and budget but if you really want to develop healthier habits then a fitness device can be a great tool to give you a gentle nudge when you most need it.

Tips for Burning More Calories While Running

If you want to maximize your runs without splitting hairs over calorie counters and complex calculations, you can try the following tips:

• Include some explosive movements like jump squats, jump lunges, and burpees in your warm-up routine.
• Supercharge your workout with Interval training alternating fast and slower exercises.
• Using a resistance band or switching directions, i.e., running backwards or sideways, will force you to work more purposefully and burn more calories.

Due to the highly complex relationship between metabolism and exercise, it’s almost impossible to say with certainty how many calories you burn while running.

What we can tell you with certainty is that you do burn a lot more calories running than you will by carbo-loading on the couch though, so stop sweating the small stuff and get active.

Embrace the Fit Life to Meet Your Weight Loss Goals

No matter how far and hard you run, poor lifestyle habits won’t do you any favors.

Of course, we all know that overeating or indulging in fatty, sugary foods too often, will seriously hamper your progress when it comes to slimming down.

The best way to lose weight by running is to change your mindset. Instead of heading to the bathroom scale as soon as you remove your running shoes, rather focus on running for enjoyment.

Team up with some friends and make a date to go running every day at a certain time. Enter fun runs, explore new destinations, and take pride in racking up those miles as you progress. When you stop worrying about the details and embrace exercise for all the perks it offers, you’ll see benefits much faster.

Are you in need of some fitness motivation to keep you on the straight and narrow? Browse our website for more inspiration to keep you moving in the right direction.