Calories Burned at the Gym

Many people take the calories-burned figure provided by the cardio exercise machine at their local Tampa, Florida gym as fact. However, they should realize that the number shown on the treadmill, elliptical machine, stationary bike or stair master is simply an estimate. While it’s a relatively accurate estimate, it can be off by as much as 10 percent.

The numbers presented on these types of exercise machines are based upon metabolic equivalents, or METS, which describes the amount of oxygen your body is using during a workout. The cardio exercise equipment at your gym uses your weight along with the number of METs necessary to perform a specific exercise to calculate the estimated number of calories expended. The calories burned estimate on cardio machines is more accurate if you input your age in addition to your weight.

That said, if you’re trying to improve your health after weight loss surgery, you may be more interested in knowing the exact number of calories you are burning during your workout. In that case, the best gauge to determine calories burned is a heart-rate monitor. Today’s newer heart-rate monitors enable you to program your age and resting heart rate, providing a more precise estimate of calories burned than the cardio machines.

Experts advise that if you are trying to lose weight, with or without weight loss surgery, don’t simply rely on your gym’s cardio equipment to provide you with the amount of calories burned. Instead, use the machine calculations as a rough guideline, but to maximize your burning of calories, find equipment that you enjoy using and use it frequently. Additionally, make sure the piece of equipment corresponds with your fitness level. In other words, if you are unable to maintain a workout on an elliptical machine, switch to a treadmill. Using a cardio machine that you enjoy often goes a long way in burning more calories.