What Burns More Calories, Running on Treadmill vs. Running in the Pool

by William McCoy
Running on a treadmill provides a rapid calorie burn.

Running on a treadmill provides a rapid calorie burn.

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If you're careful about what you eat, frequent exercise such as running can help you begin to lose weight. Any form of exercise is better than none, but picking one that burns calories faster is ideal if you're anxious to drop a few pounds. Running in a pool provides a different form of exercise than running on a treadmill, but the treadmill workout typically helps you burn calories quicker.

Splashing the Calories Away

You can leave your running shoes behind for a water jogging workout. This exercise is suitable to do in home pools or community athletic centers. Water jogging can help you burn hundreds of calories. According to CalorieLab, a 165-pound person burns about 525 calories during a 60-minute water jogging session. Someone who weighs 215 pounds burns about 683 calories during the same length of jog.

Run Toward a Thinner Physique

Running on a treadmill more closely simulates traditional outdoor running. It won't take long for your treadmill session to work up a sweat. CalorieLab reports that a 165-pound person burns about 503 calories in an hour of running at a light effort, 675 calories in an hour of running at a somewhat hard effort and 818 calories in an hour of running at a hard effort. In the same three workout intensities, a 215-pound person burns about 653, 878 and 1,063 calories, respectively.

Healthy for Your Joints

It can take a period of transition until you're comfortable with water jogging. The water provides considerable resistance, which means you won't be able to move your arms and legs at a typical jogging pace. The perk of this workout, however, other than its ability to keep you cool and refreshed, is its low impact. If traditional jogging results in too much joint pain, water jogging can provide a pain-free alternative.

Track Your Workout Progress

If you use a treadmill for your running workout, you receive a number of perks that can make this activity favorable over outdoor running. Not only can you enjoy a climate-controlled room and access to TV, but many treadmills provide significant versatility. You can adjust the speed, length and incline of your workout, keep your runs interesting by choosing one of the treadmill's preset workouts and monitor your heart rate, distance you've traveled and approximate calorie burn.

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