The elliptical trainer is a popular cardio machine that offers a low-impact workout, simulating stair climbing, walking, or running without excessive stress on the joints. Many people use ellipticals to burn calories and lose weight. Understanding how many calories you burn on an elliptical can help you tailor your exercise regimen to meet your fitness goals. This article delves into how to estimate calorie burn on an elliptical, the factors that influence it, and how to optimize your elliptical workouts for the best results.
How Many Calories Does an Elliptical Burn?
On average, a person can burn between 175 and 225 calories during a 30-minute workout on an elliptical machine at a moderate effort. The average person burns approximately 350-450 calories per hour on an elliptical machine when exercising at a moderate level. These numbers, however, are not one-size-fits-all. The number of calories burned on an elliptical depends on several factors, including your weight, the intensity of your workout, and the duration of your exercise session.
Factors Affecting Calorie Burn
Several factors influence the number of calories you burn during an elliptical workout:
Body Weight
The more you weigh, the more calories you burn because your body needs to work harder to move more mass. A 200-pound person will burn more calories during a 30-minute elliptical session than someone who weighs 120 pounds. A 180-pound (81.6kg) person burns 420 calories per hour at resistance level 5. In comparison, a 200-pound (90.8kg) person on an elliptical at medium resistance for 30 minutes will burn 234 calories. This is because the heavier person expends more calories in both exercising and rested states.
Workout Intensity
Not all strides are created equal. A light, casual pace with low resistance won’t burn nearly as many calories as a vigorous, heart-pumping session. Intensity matters. When you push harder, you increase your heart rate and activate more muscle groups, which leads to higher calorie expenditure. A low-intensity workout may help keep the body relaxed. A moderate-intensity workout helps burn a significant number of calories, especially if the time spent on the machine is at least 30 minutes.
Read also: Elliptical Trainer Benefits: Weight Loss
Workout Duration
The longer you stay active, the more you burn. The length of your workout session plays a vital role in the number of calories burned. Generally, the longer you exercise, the more calories you burn. However, quality beats quantity. A 20-minute high-intensity workout could match or exceed the calorie burn of a slower 45-minute session.
Resistance and Incline
Ellipticals are great because you can control the challenge. Crank up the resistance to activate your lower body muscles. Add incline to simulate uphill movement, engage your glutes, and increase your metabolic effort.
Use of Arm Poles
Active arm pole use increases calorie burn by 25-30%, according to research studies.
Stride Rate
Higher stride rates increase oxygen consumption and calorie burn.
Elliptical Calorie Calculator and MET Values
An elliptical calorie calculator estimates the total amount of calories burned on an elliptical trainer. These calculators often use the concept of MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) to estimate calorie expenditure.
Read also: Elliptical Training: Your Guide to Shedding Pounds
Understanding MET
MET is a unit that measures how much energy an activity consumes when compared to being at rest. A MET of 1 is equivalent to a person’s energy expenditure from sitting still at room temperature, not actively digesting food. A task with a MET of 2 uses twice as much energy as a task with a MET of 1.
MET values “do not estimate the energy cost of physical activity in individuals in ways that account for differences in body mass, adiposity, age, sex, efficiency of movement, geographic and environmental conditions in which the activities are performed.
MET Values for Elliptical Training
Elliptical training ranges from 4.6 to 5.7 METs, depending on the intensity:
- Resistance level 2, light effort: 4.6 MET
- Resistance level 5, moderate effort: 4.9 MET
- Resistance level 8, vigorous effort: 5.7 MET
These MET values are based on the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities Reference List.
How to Use an Elliptical Calorie Calculator
Online calorie calculators provide a convenient way to estimate your calorie burn. To use the elliptical calorie calculator effectively, you typically need to input the following information:
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Elliptical Weight Loss
- Your Weight: Enter your body weight in pounds or kilograms.
- Workout Duration: Specify how long you plan to exercise on the elliptical. You can also use values under an hour. For example, .5 would be thirty minutes and .25 would be fifteen minutes. Because there are 60 minutes in an hour, the max number of minutes that you can enter is 59.
- Workout Intensity: Select the workout intensity level (low, moderate, or vigorous) to match your exercise effort.
The calculator will then provide an estimate of the calories burned based on the formulaCalories Burned Per Minute = (MET x 3.5 x bodyweight in kilograms) / 200.
Practical Examples of Calorie Burn
Here are a couple of practical examples of calorie burn on an elliptical:
- According to Harvard Medical School, a 160-pound person burns approximately 345 calories in 30 minutes and 690 calories in 60 minutes on an elliptical.
- According to the elliptical calorie tool, a 125 lb person who exercises for 30 minutes at a low workout intensity will burn 128 calories. But let’s say a 185 lb person exercises on the elliptical for 30 minutes at a low intensity. They will burn 189 calories.
- Most people will take 13-17 minutes to burn 100 calories on an elliptical. A 120-pound (54.4kg) person will take 22.8 minutes at resistance setting 2.
- The average person takes 65-85 minutes to burn 500 calories on an elliptical at resistance setting 5.
- Most people burn 115-160 calories in 20 minutes on an elliptical at resistance setting 5. A 120-pound person burns 88 calories in 20 minutes at resistance setting 2.
Optimizing Your Elliptical Workouts
To maximize calorie burn and achieve your fitness goals, consider the following strategies:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT involves alternating between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and periods of lower intensity or rest. For example, you could do a 1-minute sprint at high resistance followed by 2 minutes of moderate pace at low resistance. HIIT is a great way to burn more calories in less time. This not only burns calories during your session, but research suggests you’ll keep burning calories after your workout ends.
Vary Your Routine
Switching up your elliptical routine not only keeps boredom away, but it also challenges different muscle groups and helps you get better results. Change resistance levels, pace, or stride length to avoid plateaus and boredom. Adding incline simulates uphill climbing.
Monitor Your Heart Rate
Keeping an eye on your heart rate can help you stay within your target heart rate zone, which is optimal for burning calories and improving cardiovascular fitness. Using a fitness watch or heart rate monitor helps ensure you’re working in your target zone, whether you’re aiming for fat burn or cardio conditioning.
Maintain Proper Form
Maintaining proper form and posture during your elliptical workout is crucial for efficiency and injury prevention. Wear supportive athletic shoes and focus on posture, stand tall, look forward, and engage your core.
Consistent Exercise Frequency
Exercising regularly ensures that you maintain a steady calorie burn and continue to improve your fitness levels: aim for at least three to five sessions per week on the elliptical to see significant results.
Warm-Up and Cool-Down
Start with a warmup, end with a cooldown. Never skip these! A 5-minute warmup at low resistance helps your body ease into the workout. Cool down for 5 minutes by slowing your pace.
Short vs. Long Sessions
Both short and long sessions have their benefits, depending on your fitness goals and available time. Shorter sessions, around 20-30 minutes, can still be effective, especially if you're doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Longer sessions, lasting 45-60 minutes or more, generally result in higher calorie burn.
Elliptical vs. Other Cardio Machines
Choosing between the elliptical and running depends on what you’re looking to achieve. Running typically burns more calories in less time, especially at a steady pace or during intervals. It also helps build bone density and strengthens lower-body muscles. The elliptical machine offers a low-impact workout that’s gentler on your knees and back, making it ideal for beginners or those recovering from injury. Ultimately, both are effective tools for weight loss and heart health. The best choice? The one you’ll stick with consistently.
Accuracy of Elliptical Calorie Counters
Elliptical calorie counters give a rough estimate, but they’re not perfect. Factors like your weight, age, and fitness level can affect the results. Elliptical calorie counters provide a good estimate but may not be 100% accurate, as body weight, age, gender, and fitness level can affect the accuracy of these counters. It's important to remember that these counters provide an estimate, and individual results can vary.
Benefits of Using an Elliptical
The elliptical machine offers several benefits:
- Low-Impact Workout: The elliptical is low-impact and easy on the joints, making it a solid choice if you have knee issues. Elliptical machines are an excellent option for individuals with knee problems because they provide a low-impact workout that minimizes stress on the joints.
- Cardiovascular Health: Consistent elliptical workouts can help you lose weight by burning calories and improving your overall fitness.
- Full Body Workout: The elliptical engages both the upper and lower body, providing a comprehensive workout.
Recommendations for Physical Activity
The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity) a week for adults. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week. This can be achieved through a few high-energy workouts on the elliptical machine, a spin class, or some heart-pumping treadmill intervals.
tags: #elliptical #weight #loss #calculator