How to increase calories burned running for long-term weight loss, per experts
Whether you’re a lifelong marathoner or you just joined a run club yesterday, lacing up your trainers and hitting the trail can be great for your mind, body, and can even jumpstart weight loss.
However, how many calories you burn while running depends on a lot of factors, experts say. There are ways to optimise your workout to maximise results, if losing weight is your goal.
Running has a variety of benefits including physical, mental, and emotional, per a 2020 review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
And while it’s not necessarily an overnight solution for weight loss (it’s a marathon after all, not a sprint!), running consistently helps you torch calories and potentially lose weight over time (if that's your goal), experts say.
Here is everything you need to know about calories burned while running, how much you should run to lose weight, and how to ramp up your routine for safe, sustainable success.
Meet the experts: Kristen Hislop, is an ACE personal trainer, certified triathlon coach, and owner of Hislop Coaching. Alesha Courtney, CPT, is a fitness trainer, nutritionist, and coach in private practice. Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is the CEO of Promix Nutrition and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. Ash Wilking is a NASM-certified personal trainer, certified functional strength coach (CFSC), and functional range conditioning specialist (FRCs) based in New York City. Doug Sklar is a NASM-certified personal trainer, running coach, and owner of New York City fitness training studio PhilanthroFIT. Hallie Labrador, MD, is a primary care sports medicine physician at Endeavor Health.
How many calories can you burn running?
In general, most people tend to burn about 100 calories per mile, says certified trainer and coach Kristen Hislop, owner of Hislop Coaching. It’s hard to pinpoint a universal number, though, since the exact number of calories you can burn depends on many factors like age, sex, and metabolic rate, she says.
Your menstrual cycle also plays a role, since you tend to burn more calories after ovulation in the luteal phase, Hislop says. This isn’t to say you should automatically quit running at a certain time of the month, but know that if you don’t feel at your strongest during certain times of your cycle, it’s totally normal and expected. '[If] some runs feel fantastic and others are flat, there is a reason,' she says.
Your body weight can also impact how many calories you burn while running. The more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn, and vice versa, Hislop says. 'Men tend to have a higher metabolic rate because, on average, they weigh more and have a lower percentage of body fat,' Hislop says.
If you want to know the exact number of calories your body burns while running, you can get your resting metabolic rate (RMR) and VO2 max tested at a gym or clinic. 'RMR is the number of calories you need to function doing normal activities,' Hislop says. VO2 max, which is often used as an indicator of overall cardiorespiratory fitness, can also serve as a metric for tracking progress, she says. These tests can help you determine how many calories you burn in your everyday life (just by existing) and how many calories you burn while exercising, Hislop says.
Is walking or running better for weight loss?
Although both activities can be beneficial for weight loss, running tends to burn more calories than walking, says personal trainer Alesha Courtney, CPT. That’s because running burns more in less time, which may lead to faster results, she says.
But if you’re new to working out or have an injury, walking can still help you lose weight, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, the CEO of Promix Nutrition and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
Plus, it’s sustainable and pretty safe. 'Since walking can burn calories and increase your heart rate without too much effort from your body, you can do it more often and for longer durations,' says Ash Wilking, a NASM-certified personal trainer based in New York City.
The bottom line? The ideal option is the one that works best for you.
How much to walk or run for weight loss
Walking five to six times a week or running three to four times a week can help you reach your weight loss goals, Wilking says. Remember to schedule rest days and cross-training sessions in between those days to ensure optimal time for recovery, too, she says.
Pace, distance, and speed are a personal choice, but monitoring your heart rate can help you determine the optimal amount for you, Wilking says. The slower your pace, the longer you can go in running or walking and the more sustainable and safe your workout will be.
Zone 2 training, a steady-state workout that’s performed at an easy to moderate level of intensity, can be a great place to start, Hislop says. This type of exercise can increase metabolic efficiency—basically, your ability to switch between using fat and carbs for energy, which is what you want to strive for when trying to lose weight, she says. (And if you’ve hit a weight loss plateau recently, keeping track of your heart rate can also let you know when it’s time to go a little harder.)
How to optimise your workout for calorie burn
If you’re new to working out, aim for a low-intensity, attainable walking routine that does not seem overwhelming, says Doug Sklar, a NASM-certified personal trainer, obstacle race coach, running coach, and owner of the fitness training studio PhilanthroFIT. Then, over a period of a few weeks, increase the time and intensity of your walking, he says.
Then, when you need a challenge, add an incline to your walk or run, says Wilking.
A 135-pound woman running on an incline of five percent might burn about 128 calories per mile. If the same woman was jogging up flights of stairs for nine minutes, she might roughly burn about 154 calories, according to Wilking.
Another way to up calorie burn is speed. If you’re on a treadmill, increasing your speed from 3.0 to 4.0 could help you burn an additional 10 calories per mile, Wilking says. Add an incline and you might burn three to five more calories per minute, possibly adding a 50 to 60 percent increase in calorie burn per mile.
Frequently asked questions
What other forms of exercise can help me burn calories?
Good news: Just about any type of aerobic exercise can increase calorie burn. Rowing, cycling, and high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes can help get your heart rate up and help you burn more, Hislop says. Swimming is also super effective and is great for boosting heart health, she adds.
Adults typically need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Alternatively, you can also do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity. Adults also need at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week, so all the more reason to add some weights to your workout routine.
A good weekly goal would be to do a couple of strength training sessions, one really hard workout, and three to four lower-intensity aerobic workouts (meaning you can still hold a conversation while doing them), says Hislop.
It is also super important that people have a rest day. 'You will not lose weight, gain muscle, gain cardiovascular benefits, or be able to be consistent if you do not allow your body to recover,' says Hislop. 'It is during recovery that we make the gains!'
How many calories do I need to consume for my runs?
What you eat should match your training, says Hislop. Have some fuel before a run (bananas, applesauce, crackers, bread, and peanut butter are popular options), and within 30 minutes of wrapping your workout, aim for protein and carbs, Hislop says. 'For most people, eating protein can help get the body into a fat-burning state—and it also helps with muscle repair and recovery,' she says. 'You would not try to drive your car across the state on an empty tank, so your body will not go far on empty,' she says.
'There is no one-size-fits-all calorie recommendation for runners,' says Hallie Labrador, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician at Endeavor Health. But if you’re running for more than one hour, you should generally aim to consume 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour during your run, she says. High-carb sports drinks, energy gels (like Gu or SiS), and even fruit snacks can help provide a boost, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. Fuelling your body will help you avoid hitting 'the wall'—essentially, when the body runs out of carbohydrate stores and has to switch to burning fat, Dr. Labrador says. 'This can cause fatigue and cause your pace to drop.'
If you’re running short distances with the goal of losing weight, you probably do not need to increase your calorie intake by much, says Dr. Labrador. 'But if you are running long distances, like marathon training, and/or you’re underweight to begin with or have a high metabolic rate, you should increase your calorie intake,' she says. If you enjoy doing speedwork, make sure you’re fuelling with carbohydrates to keep up the intensity.
Additional reporting by Jasmine Gomez and Tianna Soto.
Read now: 5 things to consider before getting a bob haircut
More workout content
These 2 types of training could be best for cardio health in postmenopausal women
'I turned to bodybuilding at 75 following a cancer diagnosis'
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
