Mini Stepper - Major Calorie Burn??

lynnog81

On a big health and fitness kick at the moment, not particularly into gyms so have my own equipment at home, treadmill, trampoline, weights, mini stepper, aerobics dvds etc.

Im just wondering about the stepper and the calorie counter on it. I would usually do half an hour on it (going fairly fast) and it burns roughly 350 calories. Which I think is fantastic but almost too good to be through.?!?!?

It would take me well over an hour on the treadmill to burn this much calories going at a fast walk of 4 mile per hour.

Can somebody please give me the good news that this seem accurate enough or else dash my hopes and tell me my calorie counter is losing the plot!!

Transform

Absolutely no way - one of those little stepper things!!

Go for a walk and use a decent weights program - lunges, step ups, press ups, dips, lateral raises, reverse ab curls, plank etc.

If your getting slimmer its working if not its either your program or your diet

rubadub

It is all estimates, a 50stone man walking 1 mile or doing a mile on a stepper uses more calories than a 7 stone woman. If you wave your hands while walking you burn more calories.

These machines are only rough estimates. But also they will nearly all OVER estimate. It makes sense to do so, you go off telling your friends, "ohh this stepper is great, I burnt off that mars bar I ate in only 20mins, it burns loads of calories", then they go off buying one too. It is bullsh!t marketing, just like food companies quote really small food portions so their food appears low in calories.

The treadmill in your gym is probably a professional model with a better reputation, so they are not as likely to be so extreme in their overestimations.

lynnog81

Thanks for your reply rubadub it was as i assumed , however i do feel i benifit from using the stepper as part of a varied exercise plan. i am losing weight ,to a good diet and getting plenty of varied exercise so personally i dont see the harm in using such equipment.

rccaulfield

Sounds very very optimistic! Curious if you can do all that why are you not running on the treadmill? Walking wont burn your fat much at all, unless your going for hours!!

Transform

lynnog81 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply rubadub it was as i assumed , however i do feel i benifit from using the stepper as part of a varied exercise plan. i am losing weight ,to a good diet and getting plenty of varied exercise so personally i dont see the harm in using such equipment.

Its not about 'doing any harm' its about what will give you the fastest results in the same or less time.

You can take a trip to belfast straight or make a detour via galway its up to you.

rubadub

Transform wrote: »

what will give you the fastest results in the same or less time

Yep, forget the numbers on these gadgets, if you feel more worn out walking around the block it has probably done more for you. I always wanted a go on a stepper so got one from argos (knowing I had the 16day return policy, now 30 days). It was useless, I could not nearly get any exertion going.

I prefer to get functional cardio in, clean the house fast, walk/cycle EVERYWHERE, it dublin rushhour it is faster to cycle, at times it is faster to even walk.

Most gadgets are next to useless, especially those ab roller devices. THis is a good pack for under €15 at the moment.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/3025374/Trail/searchtext%3EFITNESS+PACK.htm



Though I wouldnt bother doing situps.