How to Calculate Calories Burned During a Cardio Workout

Video Transcript

"Are you not only having a hard time committing to cardio, but really having a hard time, exactly what cardio exercise to choose? Hi, I'm Jani Roberts. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer, and also a graduate of the American Academy of Nutrition. Today, I'd like to help you make a better choice, by understanding exactly how many calories are burned,for whatever activity you would choose, for your cardio workout. This might help you to make a better choice. Let's start with walking. If we take into consideration about thirty minutes, you're looking at burning about two hundred calories. Now, it might not seem like much, but you can always advance that to a higher number. As you get more fit, you start building up your stamina. You can incorporate hand weights and different things, that will raise this number, but let's just say for the beginner, who's walking at a nice brisk speed, that would be realistic. Running, if we're going to go for thirty minutes, which is substantial. You're going to be looking at more like four hundred calories. Now, depending on whether or not you're just kind of shuffling along, or if you're really clipping along at a good pace, this number can vary quite a bit, but as long as you're moving from a run versus a walk, you should see somewhere between three seventy five and four hundred calories, there in thirty minutes. Again, try to move that upper body, and take nice long strides. That will really increase the burning value to it. Now, swimming. This is a whole other ballpark. First of all, thirty minutes is a long time to swim, so let's say you start out, and just do fifteen minutes of laps.You're really going to kick it up here, particularly, if you use any swimming devices. If you add fins, anything where you can really propel yourself more quickly through the water. You can definitely be looking at three fifty to four hundred calories, or more. Of course, this takes a little bit more cardiovascular endurance, simply because you go from holding your breath, to breathing, holding your breath, to breathing, so you'll probably have to work up to this, and we're looking at again, fifteen to thirty minutes, because thirty minutes is a lot, when you're first starting out. Now, cycling. This is a great place to start. There's no impact on the body, and you can really go for a long period of time, so again, based on your endurance and speed. You can kick up to, geez in a cycle class, up to seven hundred calories. Now, we're talking, right? and then if you go into the dancing arena, and do something like zumba. Again, seven hundred or more calories, so pick what you like, but certainly you can figure out how you're going to burn the most calories, in your cardio workout. I'm Jani Roberts. Thanks for joining us."