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Running is often hailed as the most effective calorie-burning exercise, with roughly 500 to 1,000 calories burned per hour. That said, the number of calories a person burns while running depends on many factors, including weight, pace, speed, and endurance.
Why Running Burns More Calories
When running, the body uses several muscle groups to perform the exercise. Because you’re working more muscles in the body, it burns more calories.
Another reason why running burns more calories is because it increases heart rate. Compared to other exercises, running amps up the heart more effectively, leading to the body using more energy. The more energy the body uses, the more calories burned.
If You Cannot Run, Try Walking
Not everyone can run due to their current health. For example, people with osteoporosis are often unable to run because putting too much weight on weak bones can lead to fractures (bone breaks).
Those with heart or lung conditions may also reconsider running because it puts unhealthy levels of stress on the organs, which could lead to issues with breathing or the cardiovascular system.
Heart Events and Running
People who try to run if they have certain heart conditions may increase their risk for heart attacks, overexertion, and death. Always speak with your healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise program.
Why Weight Lifting Is Also Important
Lifting weights uses less energy than running, thus burning fewer calories. It is still an important aspect of calorie burn because it builds muscle mass.
Lifting weights can also help to burn more calories while at rest by increasing your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the rate at which you burn calories while the body is at rest. Weight lifting can also increase the body’s ability to burn calories after a workout by boosting excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
How Many Days a Week Should You Weight Train?
Anywhere between two to five days lifting weights per week will be beneficial. As you get stronger, you can add more weight to the workout and add more sessions per week.
Factors That Determine How Many Calories You Burn
Several factors will determine how many calories you burn through running. They include:
- Speed and pace: The faster a person runs, the more energy they will use, leading to higher caloric burn.
- Terrain: A flat terrain vs. one with hills will burn fewer calories because the body expends less energy on flat running surfaces.
- Endurance: The longer a person can keep the same pace during a run, the more calories they burn.
Other Top Calorie-Burning Exercises
The number of calories certain exercises burn per hour include:
| Exercise | Body weight of 125 pounds | Body weight of 155 pounds | Body weight of 185 pounds |
| Water polo | 566 | 703 | 839 |
| Rowing | 420 | 520 | 622 |
| HIIT | 375 | 465 | 555 |
| Swimming | 396 | 492 | 587 |
| Jump rope | 453 | 562 | 671 |
| Hiking | 340 | 421 | 503 |
| Dancing | 396 | 492 | 587 |
| Bicycling | 480 | 596 | 710 |
| Stationary bicycling | 420 | 520 | 622 |
How to Calculate Calories Burned
You can use a calorie calculator to learn exactly how many calories you burn during exercise. You will enter your activity length and weight to get the most accurate prediction of how many calories you burned.
That said, the most accurate way is to use a tech tool, such as an app or smartwatch, that monitors your heart rate during exercise to estimate your calorie burn.
Summary
Running is an excellent option for burning the most calories. However, it’s not for everyone, and there are plenty of other workouts that can provide the caloric burn you want. For example, swimming is better for people who prefer low-impact but high-calorie workouts, whereas hiking may be more enjoyable for some than simply going on a run.
Before you start any weight loss journey, you should talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you determine the best course of action based on your current health.
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