How to Calculate Calories Burned During a Cardio Workout

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Calculating calories burned during a cardio workout is easy thanks to the many calorie burning calculators now available online. Follow these steps to find and use one.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Calculate Approximate Calories Burned During Your Cardio Workout

Step1

Visit a Web site with an online calculator for burning calories, such as ChangingShape.com (see Resources below). Simply enter your weight, what type of exercise you're doing and the duration of your workout. Click "Submit" and the calorie counter will give you the approximate number of calories burned.

Step2

Calculate how many calories you burn during 1 minute for each of your favorite cardio exercises. As you progress through your cardio workout, you can keep track of how many calories you're burning even if you're switching from one exercise to another. Use the online calculator to determine how many calories per minute you burn.

Step3

Let computers do the work for you. The actual formula for calorie burning is technical and requires a certain amount of professional knowledge. You need to know the metabolic equivalent (MET) for each different type of activity. An MET is a relative measure of intensity. The calorie burning formula looks like this: Total Calories Burned = Duration in Minutes x ((MET x 3.5 x your weight in kg)/200).

Step4

Visit a personal trainer periodically to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). These are important tools to manage weight loss. As you get in better shape, your BMR will change. You will begin to burn more calories while at rest. This means that your body will be a more efficient calorie burner, even when you're not working out.

Tips & Warnings

Include weight training as an integral part of your workout. Muscle burns more calories than other body tissue. The more muscle you have, the better your body will burn calories around the clock.
Remember to drink plenty of water. See your doctor if you experience pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath during your workouts.