Calories Burned Running a Mile

Among the various exercises touted to lose weight or maintain it, running and jogging are perhaps among the most effective methods. Not only do they help lose weight, but they also have many health benefits. Among these are body toning, increase in metabolism, lowering the risk of injury, and a general energized feeling. Everyone is aware that running aids in weight loss by burning calories, but not all of us are aware of the number of calories burned in the process.

The calories burned when you run depends on a variety of factors. Your body weight is of utmost importance. If you weigh more, you will burn more calories, and if you weigh less, you will burn fewer calories. This is because you are carrying your own body weight while running, and the body is required to spend more energy when have more weight.

Secondly, the calories you burn depend on the terrain you are running on. For instance, if you are running on a leveled terrain, the calories burned will be different from when you are running on an uneven terrain such as sand or grass. Again, this is so because your body is required to expend more energy to run on an uneven surface.

Both these factors determine the speed at which you are running, higher the speed, the greater will be the number of calories burned. Finally, the environment in which you run, and the time duration also determines how many calories are burned. The calories burned while running on a treadmill and running outside also differ.

On an average, a person who weighs 150 pounds burns approximately 100 calories per mile. This is based on a 12-minute pace, while running on an even terrain. There is also a formula that has been devised in order to calculate the number of calories burned while running. This formula is:

Body Weight x 0.73 = Number of Calories Burned Running a Mile

This formula considers the aforementioned factors, i.e., the average time taken to run a mile (12 minute pace per mile), the type of terrain, and the speed. For more specific details, you may check the various calorie calculators available online.

It is advisable to keep a track of the time you take to complete a run. You may use a stopwatch to do so. If a person weighing 150 pounds burns 100 calories in 12 minutes, he/she can calculate the number of calories he has burned in the complete run. However, these will give you approximate values and not absolute figures.

You must keep in mind that this is a general formula and the actual values may differ a bit. Also, the number of calories may differ due to various factors. However, it is definitely helpful to gauge the average number of calories you are burning in the process.

Knowing the number of calories burned when you run a mile can enable you to keep a track of your weight loss or weight gain pattern. Though it depends on a number of factors, knowledge of average calories burned is usually sufficient for this purpose.