Many centuries ago, the way people lived often resulted in a healthy lifestyle. They walked more, engaged in gardening, and engaged in other physical activities that ensured their bodies were well exercised. However, even as we celebrate the advancement of technology, we are silently suffering the consequences of the convenience it brings to us. In our era, a sedentary lifestyle is the order of the day. Technology has made so many activities convenient that a person may not leave his home and will work and get paid right in their pajama as food will be delivered; shopping will be done online; basically, everything can be achieved when you have a smartphone. This is quite impressive, but unfortunately, calories are stored up because there are no physical activities to help burn them. Needless to say, for health and a good mental outlook, we need to burn calories because this is fundamentally required to maintain our overall health and well-being.

What are Calories? 

Calories are the units of energy that we derive from what we consume, such as food and other liquids. It is this same energy that we use to carry out every physical activity. However, plain water has no calories in it. Every food we consume, irrespective of the class of food, contains a certain amount of calories, which can either be high or low. Once our body derives these units of energy, it puts some of them into use immediately, while some are transformed into fats and others are kept for future use as a source of energy. These stored calories are referred to as glycogen. Basically, calories aren't bad for us; however, there are some that don't give the body any good nutrition. 

For instance, if your body requires 100 calories, there are several foods and drinks that can give you that. You can get those units of calories from farm fresh vegetables, and you can also get them from soda. However, the difference lies in the quality of the two sources. The vegetable sources will nourish your body with quality calories derived from the nutrients they provide, while all you will get from soda is simply sugar. Moreover, too much sugary food often negatively affects our body systems. Does that mean totally cutting off soda to avoid bad calories and eating so much "good-calorie food"? No. This is because even those foods we categorize as "rich in nutrients" can be harmful to our body systems when we eat them in excess. This is the reason dietitians always advise practicing portion control for our meals to ensure everything is in the right proportion. A person is expected to consume as many calories as they can burn because, if they overeat, they get stored as fat. Once this builds up over time, it leads to weight gain, which may result in obesity. 

The Two Effective Ways to Burn Calories

One of the hardest things to do is to burn calories. Many people struggle with being overweight. Obesity, or being overweight, is a health condition brought about by excess fat deposits. According to a study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of 2022, the total number of overweight adults who are 18 years of age and older was 2.5 billion adults. Among these, a total of 890 million were obese. This is a serious health condition because it can increase the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain types of cancer. To avoid being overweight, how can one burn calories effectively? 

1) Diet

Many have often wondered if dieting is an effective way of burning calories. Dieting is the method of rationalizing the food one consumes for the purpose of losing weight, burning excessive calories, and staying healthy. It is also a method of preventing diseases associated with excess weight, such as diabetes and chronic joint pain. Some people prefer dieting as a means of losing weight because, when one loses weight through other means, dieting serves as a method to stay in shape for a longer period of time. Dieting is of great importance since the ideal way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you eat. When we take in calories from our food, the unused ones remain in our bodies to be stored as fat. So, when you diet and cut your calorie intake, your body will be forced to turn to the reserved fat for energy. Through this method, there will be gradual weight loss. Therefore, if you are aiming at losing weight and staying in shape, you have to be mindful of reducing the calories you consume.

What Causes Water Weight Loss When Dieting?

Water weight, also referred to as edema, is a health condition that occurs when a person experiences water retention in their body. Usually, an adult is expected to have up to 60 percent water in their body composition. Therefore, when there is more water in the body than this acceptable threshold, such a person has a water weight that is unhealthy. This condition occurs when we consume carbohydrates in excess. All the calories not used up in that period are stored as glycogen molecules. Guess what is stored with glycogen? A lot of water. So when the body is in need of extra energy due to low carbohydrate intake when dieting, it reaches out for glycogen. Once this happens, the water stored with it is released, which results in a buildup of fluid in the body. To lose this water weight, ensure that the carbohydrates we eat daily, such as rice and bread, are replaced with foods rich in protein, such as eggs and lean meats. 

Great recipe: When considering dieting, you have to be intentional about what you eat. You must avoid processed food, candy, artificial sweeteners, chips, fried food, white rice, white bread, potatoes, candy bars, and every food that has high calories and low nutrients. Instead, your diet must include foods that have few calories, are rich in nutrients, and are high in protein and fat. This will support your overall health and keep you full and satisfied for longer periods, thereby stopping you from eating more. Include the following in your diet: broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, kale, spinach, collard greens, beans, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, eggs, nuts, dark chocolates, soups, fish, chicken breast and some lean meats, avocado, Greek yogurt, etc. 

When you lose weight, where does the fat go? The process of losing weight is internal. Since the fats are stored inside the body, when a person diets or engages in physical exercise aimed at cutting or burning calories, the stored fat in their body gets metabolized and breaks down into energy. One of the by-products of the metabolized fat is carbon dioxide, which is released through exhalation through the lungs, and finally, water, which is released through sweating. Other waste products are passed out while you are urinating.

2) Physical Exercise

Another prominent way of burning calories is through engaging in physical exercise. That is a series of coordinated movements that help to expend energy and burn calories. Just like calculating your calorie intake when dieting, you can control how many calories you burn through physical activity. The more active you are, the more calories you burn. While calories are aimed at cutting calorie intake, which may lower your metabolic rate, regular physical exercise increases your metabolic rate due to constant movement, thereby helping you burn more calories. 

There are several ways to burn calories through physical exercise, which include jogging, stationary cycling, weightlifting, squat jumping, boxing, and jumping rope, among others, but the most effective way is by running. The reason for the effectiveness of burning calories is that almost every muscle in the human body is used for running. To achieve more doesn't necessarily mean you have to run for longer periods. All you need to do is increase the intensity of your running, and you will burn even more calories. Therefore, to achieve your weight loss goals faster, engage in regular walking, jogging, and running. 

There are times when you may not have the luxury of time to go out and engage in physical exercise. Not to worry; technological advancement has made things easier. With the availability of a treadmill, you can achieve your walking, jogging, or even running goals. 

If you want to work out many more muscles, consider using an elliptical. For instance, an elliptical with moving handles engages your entire body—shoulder, chest, arms, and back—in the workout. While a treadmill mostly works the lower body, an elliptical engages the entire body, thereby burning more calories. 

Another physical exercise that burns calories is cycling. If you need an alternative to running due to an injury to your leg, this is it. Although it is a low-impact activity, it burns a great deal of calories as well. 

WalkingPad Under Desk Treadmill

The WalkingPad under-desk treadmill is an exercise machine that is designed to help you achieve your fitness goals right from the comfort of your home. It is designed similarly to traditional treadmills, but it is a mini version that can easily fit under your work desk. This is an ideal exercise machine for someone who mostly works from home and is at risk of living a sedentary life. This machine is lightweight, flat, and compact, and it can easily be stored even in small spaces. The WalkingPad will help you easily achieve your walking and running goals. With its inbuilt quiet motor, you don't have to worry about disturbing the neighbors while using it or even interrupting your work calls. 

All The Questions of Burned Calories You Want to Know 

How many calories do you burn running a mile? 
An average adult runner will burn approximately 100 calories when they run a mile. However, factors such as weight and intensity may make the result vary because if you are heavier, you will burn more calories, and if you increase your workout intensity, you will burn more as well. 

How calories are burned in 30 minutes of running?
An average adult runner will burn between 220 and 500 calories in 30 minutes of running. 

How many calories are burned in 1 km running?
An average adult runner will burn approximately 60 calories when they run 1 km. 

How many calories does a 5 km run burn?
An adult who weighs 60 kg and runs at a pace of 8 minutes per km will burn about 305 calories. 

How much does jogging burn 500 calories?
If an average runner burns 100 calories when they run a mile, then to burn 500 calories, they need to run for 5 miles. 

Calories burned on a treadmill?
Estimating the number of calories burned on a treadmill can be tricky because this is also dependent on several factors, such as incline, weight of the person, duration, and running speed. However, if someone who weighs 60 kg runs at 8 minutes per km for 5 km, they would burn 330 calories on average. 

How to calculate calories burned running?
The formula for calculating calories burned when running requires some factors, such as weight in kg, duration in hours, and MET value. MET, which is the metabolic equivalent of a task, refers to the rate of energy used per unit of time based on how intense the activity being done is. This value is standardized, meaning it can be used for every group of people regardless of their gender or even age. Therefore, to calculate calories burned when running, the formula is Calories burned = MET value ×weight in kg×duration in hours.

What affects calories burned while running?
The factors that affect the number of calories you burn when running include speed, weight, gender, age, workout intensity, level of fitness, temperature, and diet.

How to burn more calories running?
To burn more calories when you run, you must ensure you gradually increase the intensity of your workout, eat a proper diet when warming up, add in some jumping exercises, and ensure you have a good night's sleep.  

How to calculate the calories every day?
One way to calculate the calories a person burns in a day is by using the Physical Activity Level (PAL). This formula is used to calculate the total energy a person burns within 24 hours through daily activities and exercise. The formula is PAL = Total daily energy expenditure (TEE)/Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

How many calories do you need to lose weight?
To lose weight, aim to cut up to 500 calories from your diet daily. This way, you can lose up to 1 pound in a week. 

Important Running Tips to Keep in Mind
When you are embarking on a running exercise to lose weight, keep these tips in mind:

1) Have a progressive training plan that you will strictly adhere to.
2) Get comfortable running shoes.
3) Keep your pace controlled.
4) Take weak breaks to avoid fatigue.
5) Begin each run with a 5-minute warm-up to get your muscles ready.
6) Ensure your posture is upright and your shoulders are relaxed.
7) Stay hydrated by drinking water before, during, and after your run.

Conclusion: 
Achieving your running exercise goals has been made easy with the availability of the WalkingPad under the desk treadmill. As you work, you are actively burning calories and can say goodbye to a sedentary lifestyle. Your health is a priority, stay fit!