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Treadmill Numbers and What they really Mean
Author: Dale MillerWhen it comes to working out and burning fat few things match up to the calorie busting and cardiovascular workout of the mighty treadmill. However, at times the numbers you are faced with can be more of a source of confusion than reliable information. When it comes to reading treadmill stats, many people wonder not only how accurate the information is, but just what exactly those shifting numbers mean.
Treadmills generally offer a few different sources of information during and after a workout. Most treadmills will calculate speed, distance, pace and total calories burned.
According to experts, the treadmill can calculate pace, speed and distance. The treadmill does this based on the computer inside the machine that totals the revolutions of the belt per minute.
When you adjust the speed, obviously this means that the belt turns at a different rate. This then speeds up the turns of the belt per minute.
With the length of the belt (already preprogrammed before the machine leaves the factory) and the revolutions it makes per minute, the computer in the treadmill can then calculate your distance run.
Besides this then, the computer can also calculate your pace. Since the treadmill knows the time elapsed since your beginning and the distance you've run based on the above information, then the computer can then also calculate the pace at which you are moving.
The pace is calculated by simply dividing the distance by time elapsed. When you speed up by increasing the revolutions of the belt, the treadmill will immediately calculate your new pace.
Now, while you may be able to run an 8 minute mile on the treadmill, if you are training for a race you won't want to depend on this time. This is simply because running on a treadmill takes less effort than running on the road. When outside resistance makes it more difficult to run. You need to expend more energy to simply run at the same speed as you would on a treadmill.
Most fundamentally this occurs because you need to propel yourself forward when outside on the road, whilst on a treadmill the belt moves for you.
Another factor to consider is that when running outside you will need to come up against various terrain and weather conditions. Thus when preparing for a race you will want to spend some time training outdoors in order to become accustomed to these conditions. If you train only indoors on a treadmill, you will certainly be in for a rude awakening when it comes to the day of the race. This is particularly so should there be a strong wind, rain or any other unforeseen conditions.
Now because treadmills often do not have all the information concerning your weight and age (though you can programmed into the machine in order to make it more accurate); the total calories burned can only be an estimation.
No treadmill can know exactly how many calories your specific body burns with exercise. At best these can only be an educated guess based on what an average body will burn going at a certain speed and running for a certain period of time.
This of course does not mean that the numbers are meaningless. On the contrary, the treadmill's information can be a good source for calculating a variety of things. Most importantly, these numbers can help you to monitor your progress through time.
For instance, perhaps you run at the pace of 6 on your treadmill. This means that you will be doing a ten minute mile if you keep up this pace. Thus if you run for ten minutes at this pace you should have completed a mile.
As you go you may start to up your speed to 6.5 or so. As such you will be cutting down on your time. Most joggers complete a mile in 8-10 minutes.
While treadmills can't tell you everything you might want to know about your calories burned, you can invest in a good heart rate monitor and watch that will be more accurate. Since you can program your specific information into hear and because it monitors your heart rate you should get a more accurate readout.
Most importantly though, you will be able to use these when running outside and thereby get information you otherwise wouldn't about your pace, distance, and speed per minute.
Using a treadmill is an important part of training if only because there are days in which weather conditions may prevent you from going for a run. So if it comes down to going for a run on a treadmill or not going at all, well you know what the verdict should be. While treadmills have their imperfections, they are certainly an important component of any runner's training program.
When it comes to working out and burning fat few things match up to the calorie busting and cardiovascular workout of the mighty treadmill. However, at times the numbers you are faced with can be more of a source of confusion than reliable information. When it comes to reading treadmill stats, many people wonder not only how accurate the information is, but just what exactly those shifting numbers mean.
Treadmills generally offer a few different sources of information during and after a workout. Most treadmills will calculate speed, distance, pace and total calories burned.
According to experts, the treadmill can calculate pace, speed and distance. The treadmill does this based on the computer inside the machine that totals the revolutions of the belt per minute.
When you adjust the speed, obviously this means that the belt turns at a different rate. This then speeds up the turns of the belt per minute.
With the length of the belt (already preprogrammed before the machine leaves the factory) and the revolutions it makes per minute, the computer in the treadmill can then calculate your distance run.
Besides this then, the computer can also calculate your pace. Since the treadmill knows the time elapsed since your beginning and the distance you've run based on the above information, then the computer can then also calculate the pace at which you are moving.
The pace is calculated by simply dividing the distance by time elapsed. When you speed up by increasing the revolutions of the belt, the treadmill will immediately calculate your new pace.
Now, while you may be able to run an 8 minute mile on the treadmill, if you are training for a race you won't want to depend on this time. This is simply because running on a treadmill takes less effort than running on the road. When outside resistance makes it more difficult to run. You need to expend more energy to simply run at the same speed as you would on a treadmill.
Most fundamentally this occurs because you need to propel yourself forward when outside on the road, whilst on a treadmill the belt moves for you.
Another factor to consider is that when running outside you will need to come up against various terrain and weather conditions. Thus when preparing for a race you will want to spend some time training outdoors in order to become accustomed to these conditions. If you train only indoors on a treadmill, you will certainly be in for a rude awakening when it comes to the day of the race. This is particularly so should there be a strong wind, rain or any other unforeseen conditions.
Now because treadmills often do not have all the information concerning your weight and age (though you can programmed into the machine in order to make it more accurate); the total calories burned can only be an estimation.
No treadmill can know exactly how many calories your specific body burns with exercise. At best these can only be an educated guess based on what an average body will burn going at a certain speed and running for a certain period of time.
This of course does not mean that the numbers are meaningless. On the contrary, the treadmill's information can be a good source for calculating a variety of things. Most importantly, these numbers can help you to monitor your progress through time.
For instance, perhaps you run at the pace of 6 on your treadmill. This means that you will be doing a ten minute mile if you keep up this pace. Thus if you run for ten minutes at this pace you should have completed a mile.
As you go you may start to up your speed to 6.5 or so. As such you will be cutting down on your time. Most joggers complete a mile in 8-10 minutes.
While treadmills can't tell you everything you might want to know about your calories burned, you can invest in a good heart rate monitor and watch that will be more accurate. Since you can program your specific information into hear and because it monitors your heart rate you should get a more accurate readout.
Most importantly though, you will be able to use these when running outside and thereby get information you otherwise wouldn't about your pace, distance, and speed per minute.
Using a treadmill is an important part of training if only because there are days in which weather conditions may prevent you from going for a run. So if it comes down to going for a run on a treadmill or not going at all, well you know what the verdict should be. While treadmills have their imperfections, they are certainly an important component of any runner's training program.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/treadmill-numbers-and-what-they-really-mean-6035582.html
About the Author
Dale Miller is a health, sports, fitness and nutrition enthusiast. He operates http://centurysupplements.com/ and writes a blog at http://centurysupplements.com/blog/
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