How to Burn More Calories on a Treadmill

Using a treadmill is a common way to support cardio fitness and burn calories, which in turn can help with weight loss goals. Most treadmills have a calorie calculator built into the display, which will give an approximate number of calories burned during your workout, but there are other factors to consider, including age, sex, and bodyweight, and exercise intensity and speed.

This article will discuss using a treadmill calorie calculator to find the estimated number of calories burned on the treadmill, plus other methods to track and increase calorie burn.

Factors Affecting Calorie Burn

Understanding all of the elements that can determine calorie output is the first step in estimating the final "calories burned" number at the end of your workout. While the treadmill dashboard may display a calorie burn total, it's important to note that this number is approximate.

Everyone is different, and a number of factors come into play when determining how many calories a person burns during exercise and when at rest.

Efficiency

The smoother your motion and the more trained you are in it, the fewer calories you will burn over a given distance. Some speeds are more natural and efficient for your body, and this will vary from person to person. At higher speeds, running can be more efficient than walking fast or using a racewalking technique.

Exercise Intensity

The harder your heart and lungs work, the more calories you burn. Exercise intensity can be measured by your heart rate or pulse. You can also use a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale—a simple method of assigning a number to how hard you feel that you are working.

Holding Onto the Handrails

You will likely burn fewer calories if you hold onto the rails while walking or running on the treadmill. Treadmill calorie counters don't account for holding handrails so, if you're gripping the rails, the total number you get is likely higher than what you are truly burning.

Motorized vs Manual Treadmills

The moving belt and smooth surface of a motorized treadmill reduce your calories burned per mile compared with a manual treadmill or walking or running outdoors. The difference in calorie burn can be made up by having at least a 1% incline on the treadmill.

Speed and Incline Settings

If you cover the same distance in a shorter amount of time, you'll burn more calories due to the higher intensity. And when you work out at a higher intensity, you'll also burn more calories for a longer period of time after exercise.

Walking or running uphill burns more calories than going downhill or on a level surface. You will burn an extra 3 to 5 calories per minute depending on the incline of your treadmill.

Body Weight

Your muscles use calories to move your body mass across a mile or kilometer. Bodyweight is the most crucial factor in calculating treadmill calories burned. The more you weigh, the more calories burned per mile or kilometer.

Age

As you age, your daily caloric intake naturally decreases and your metabolism slows. This means that the younger you are, the more calories you burn throughout the day, both at rest and during exercise. Age is significant in calculating your calories burned on a treadmill.

Sex

Your sex also plays a role in the number of calories you burn during your treadmill session. Scientific research has found that men and women burn calories at different rates, primarily due to body composition. Men tend to carry more muscle than fat, which means they burn higher calories during a workout and while at rest.

Calorie Burn Estimates

Many treadmills have a calorie display, and you can improve its accuracy by entering your weight (including your clothing and shoes). Remember, the more weight, the more calories burned. If the machine doesn't ask for weight, the calorie data it displays will very likely be inaccurate.

If the treadmill asks only for weight, it estimates your calorie burn based on what you enter, plus your speed, distance, and incline. It is not accounting for other factors like your stride length or exercise intensity.

Calorie Calculator

It can be helpful to use multiple tools to accurately estimate how many calories you're burning during a workout. While the treadmill display can give you a general estimate of how many calories you're burning, consult a calorie calculator (like the one below) for an additional calculation.

Using multiple calculators can be especially helpful if the treadmill you're using does not allow you to enter your weight to give a more precise count.

Heart Rate Monitor

A heart rate monitor or fitness tracker, along with accurate weight and speed info, should produce the best estimate of treadmill calories burned. Using a heart rate monitor with a chest strap connected to the treadmill will factor exercise intensity into the calorie estimate. Some treadmills can even sync to wireless heart rate monitors.

The result may or may not be more accurate than just wearing a heart rate monitor that estimates calories burned by age, weight, and heart rate. But using these health and fitness tools should be more accurate than only basing calories burned on weight, speed, and distance.

Keep in mind that there are several methods for measuring your heart rate, and some are more accurate than others. Heart rate monitors with a chest strap tend to be the most accurate. Wrist-worn monitors can also be accurate, although their accuracy can depend on how the wristband is worn. Other methods, such as grips on exercise equipment or finger clips, may be less accurate.

Fitness Tracker

Fitness wearables can be an effective health tool, but they may not always have the most accurate heart rate reading and calorie burn count. Put to an accuracy test, fitness trackers have been found to overestimate calories burned anywhere from 16% to 40%.

Remember this when using your fitness wearable to track calories, and compare that count to your treadmill display and calorie calculator to get the best estimate of calories burned.

How to Burn More Calories on a Treadmill

While calories burned vary, there are ways to increase your overall workout energy expenditure. Try practicing interval training on the treadmill by increasing your speed or incline for short bursts of time, followed by a recovery period walking on a flat setting.

Increasing your workout time can also help burn more calories, but make sure to follow the 10% rule: Increase the distance you're walking or running on the treadmill by no more than 10% from week to week. Using this rule will ensure you're not overextending your muscles and can instead build endurance over time.

A Word From Verywell

No matter the source of your treadmill calorie-burn figure, it is best to take it as an estimate. Use the tools you have to measure calorie output, but remember that this is only an approximate calculation and to tune in to your body to understand your rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Carefully and gradually change your workout intensity to avoid overexertion and injury.