What is the number of calories burned in running?

On an average, running burns 100 calories per mile (Image via Pexels @Pixabay)
On an average, running burns 100 calories per mile. (Image via Pexels/Pixabay)

If you’re running for fitness, knowing the number of calories burned in running is quite important. Especially, if running is a part of your regimen for losing weight, knowing the number of calories burned is crucial.

If you're not the type to spend time at the gym or play a sport, running is a fabulous cardio option. It's something you can do in your own time, and aside from a good pair of shoes, you don't need much else to get started.

Running is an excellent exercise that not only burns a lot of calories but also helps build muscle. So, what's the number of calories burned in running? As it turns out, your weight is a major factor in determining the answer to this question. The number of calories you burn is proportional to your weight.

Read more to learn about the number of calories burned in running and how to incorporate running into your workout routine.


Why is running good for health?

Running is not just a great sport but an excellent way to stay fit (Image via Pexels/Pixabay)
Running is not just a great sport but an excellent way to stay fit (Image via Pexels/Pixabay)

Running is an all-rounder when it comes to health and fitness. Not only does it help the body build muscles (a necessity for being fit and maintaining a high metabolism), but it also helps you sleep better, lose weight and live a longer life.

It improves bone strength, lower back strength and knee strength. Running without proper shoes can have an impact on the knees, though, so be very careful to only run with proper shoes.

Running also improves immunity and improves cognitive function. It also improves glucose regulation and lowers risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes. Top top it all, running is great for weight loss, because guess what?

The number of calories burned in running is proportional to your weight. Hence, if you're looking to lose weight, running is particularly effective.


Calories burned in running

Running is excellent for weight loss. (Image via Pexels/Tirachard Kumtanom)
Running is excellent for weight loss. (Image via Pexels/Tirachard Kumtanom)

A general estimate for calories burned in running a mile is 100. Of course, this average number changes from person to person. The individual's body mass index (weight) plays a crucial role.

The American Council on Exercise has compiled a chart showing that a 120-pound person can burn about 11.4 calories per minute through running. A person can burn 114 calories per mile if they run at a pace of 10 minutes per mile.

The calorie expenditure increases by 17 per minute for a person of 180 pounds. In the same 10-minute mile, the 180-pound runner would expend 170 calories.


Does running speed affect calorie count?

A 120-pound person can burn about 11.4 calories per minute through running (Image via Pexels/Pixabay)
A 120-pound person can burn about 11.4 calories per minute through running (Image via Pexels/Pixabay)

The number of calories burned in running holds fairly constant no matter how fast you're going. You can run four miles at a leisurely 15-minute-per-mile pace and burn 400 calories in an hour. To burn the same amount of calories (400) in 30 minutes, you would need to run four miles at a pace of 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

That's encouraging, as strictly speaking, pace is irrelevant with regard to caloric expenditure. If you prefer to run at a slower pace, you can achieve the same caloric expenditure by increasing your total time spent running.

The reason that heavier people expend more energy (calories) per mile is because it takes more energy (calories) to move a heavier body the same distance at a given pace. Hence, running can help burn more calories.


How does this principle work?

Running not only burns calories but is also good for heart health (Image via Pexels/Leandro Boogalu)
Running not only burns calories but is also good for heart health (Image via Pexels/Leandro Boogalu)

Exercising requires energy expenditure. The calories you consume provide that power. Roughly 3500 calories is equal to one pound. If you want to lose one pound per week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 more calories than you consume daily.

Running is an excellent activity to increase the number of calories burnt. The calories burned in running can easily be added to the calories burnt in your other daily activities to make the number of calories spent higher than those consumed daily.

Running can help you lose weight, but to do that, you will need to maintain a healthy low-fat high-protein diet. It's not enough to just go for a run; you will have to create a calorie deficit through careful planning.

While bodyweight is a more important factor than intensity when calculating calories burned during exercise, intensity plays a role in the number of calories burned in the hours following a workout. The greater the intensity of the exercise, the greater the oxygen expenditure during the recovery process.

This phenomenon, known as excess oxygen consumption, can have a major bearing on your daily caloric expenditure.


Calories burned in running: How to calculate?

Running improves bone, lower back and knee strength. (Image via Pexels/Dominika Roseclay)
Running improves bone, lower back and knee strength. (Image via Pexels/Dominika Roseclay)

Wearable fitness trackers such as Fitbit, can get pretty close to the actual number of calories burned during a mile run. These gadgets can track your running distance and heart rate as you go.

Once you input your stats, it does the math based on everything you've fed it. There are many fitness trackers available to use on the go, and many of them have storage space for your personal fitness records. In this way, keeping tabs on your development and establishing objectives becomes a breeze.

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