I’m going off-topic today and will get back to the “Back” theme tomorrow. I have received so many questions about converting calories to fat  loss, converting Mets to relative VO2 (you guys are serious about your fitness, aren’t you?!), and how to figure out accurate calories burned per workout session, that I thought it would be a good time to finally address this for the masses.

I know many of you are addicted to your heart rate monitors, and if you have your height, weight, and age  plugged in to your watch, you will get a fairly accurate calorie count for your workouts. If you’d rather do this old school and learn a little exercise physiology along the way, go grab a sheet of paper and a pencil and let’s get busy with some math!

METABOLIC CALCULATIONS

Alrighty, let’s pretend you are working out on a stationary cycle that is older and therefore isn’t set up for heart rate tracking and calorie counting, and you don’t have a heart rate monitor, AND you desperately want to know how many calories you will burn during your 30-minute sweat fest…where do you begin?

• Begin with Mets (this is a setting on the machine)
• Multiply Mets by 3.5 to get your Relative VO2 max
• Mulitply Relative VO2 by your body weight in kg to get your Absolute VO2 (ml/min)
• Divide this number by 1000 to convert VO2 to L/min
• Multiply this number by 5 to get Kcal/minute
• Multiply this number by the total number of minutes you exercised to get the Total Kcal burned
• Divide this number by 3500 to get the amount of fat burned (remember, 3500 Kcal = 1 lb of fat)

Fortunately, most machines will do this math for you and also take into account your age. Some even account for sex (the kind you are, not the kind you do). A good heart rate monitor, as you can see, is handy, in that you never have to worry about whether the machine you are on is doing the right math, or even calibrated correctly. A HR monitor also calculates your calories all day long (as long as you wear it all day), so you can figure out how many calories you burn doing strength training, chasing your kids around, or sitting on the couch eating bon bons You will find you don’t burn many calories while sitting , but you already know that: 60 minutes of sitting x 2!  My 6 yr olds could do that math in their heads.

The interesting thing about calculating calories burned using Mets and VO2 is that you sort of get an idea how VO2 affects the body’s ability to burn fat. Read up on the important role VO2 plays in calorie burning: Target Heart Rate Training: A Formula For Success and why I scream and holler about maintaining your cardiovascular fitness: (Don’t stop now! 5 Reasons to stick with your exercise program

Actually, the question went more like this: “I hate to run. It is hard. Did I already say that I hate it? Yet, you talk about running so much. Why?” There was more, but for the sake of this post, let’s just say that this reader’s negative feelings about running ran deep (no pun intended).

Why am I so hip on running? Well, for one thing, it is hard. I like things that are hard to do. Second, it is “me” time, and often the only time I have for finishing a thought. Four kids…enough said. And finally, (and let’s face it, this is important stuff) few physical activities burn as many calories per minute as running. Check it out…

Table:

110 lb woman, 3 miles, 215 calories

130 lb woman, 3 miles, 255 calories

150 lb woman, 3 miles, 294 calories

170 lb woman, 3 miles, 333 calories

True, other cardiovascular activities come close to these stats, but in my opinion, they aren’t nearly as much fun. I can spend 40 minutes running through the woods and enjoy nature, or I can spend 40 minutes on an elliptical machine smelling the garlic spew from the pores of the sweaty guy next to me. And by the way, rec center staff, ESPN is not enjoyable to women, even when displayed on a fancy flat screen TV. Naw, it is outdoor running that I like – even when it involves chasing turkey vultures out of my way as I go. Now back to the topic of calories…

Tip: Want to find out how many calories you burn running? Look it up on Run the Planet. Enter your weight, gender and distance or speed and the handy calculator does the thinking for you!

Running has many perks

• Running is appropriate for a variety of fitness levels, and virtually any age can participate. Leave from your doorstep, cruise a scenic trail, or wind your way through Chicago’s historic neighborhoods. There is no shortage of places to run, and no telling what you’ll see along the way.
• Running is easy to learn. While running for sport and competition does require good form and some knowledge of proper training progression, the skill required is low compared with other sports, such as tennis or golf.  Regardless of your size, age, speed, or experience level, whether your goal is fitness, weight loss, or competition — nearly anyone can run.
• Running is portable. How many activities can you think of where you can wear your equipment, and that is all that is required to begin your workout?
• You can take it with you when you travel. There is nothing better than sightseeing on foot, and if you are a runner, you can see it all a bit faster. Quaint cafes, one-of-a-kind boutiques, off-the-beaten-path art galleries, and unique neighborhoods are among the many hidden treasures and well-kept secrets that would be easily missed when traveling by car.
• With enough practice, running can become a competitive endeavor for your. From 5K to ultra-marathons, there is a challenge ripe for the picking, no matter what your level of fitness may be. This may possibly be what I like most about running – the dangling carrot.

So there you have it. I’m hip on running – other people, not so much, and that is fine. The important thing is to find an activity (preferably a physical activity that you enjoy, and will stick with, for the long haul. I won’t hold it against you if you hate running too.

If you’d like to give running another shot, you might like to read, “Run/Walk/Jog: Footprints toward fitness,” to learn about getting started, even if you have no experience. Also, “Running Resources” is chock full of, well, running resources, from trail and map information, to running groups for women. Finally, if you live in the Columbus area and are looking for local resources, “Columbus Area Running Groups for Women” dishes about area running groups.

Have a favorite activity other than running? Let’s hear it…

Have you ever wondered whether gardening counts as physical activity? Or carrying groceries to and from your car? All activity adds up, even short bouts of what you think are merely “household chores.” So if you don’t have time for your full workout, find out what other activities you can fit into your day to burn some extra calories.

Find out how many calories per minute or calories per hour you are burning during your workout. These great websites do the math for you:

Health Status
Calories Per Hour

Health A to Z

For more information related to this topic, visit: Self Growth