Trust Issues with Technology

​If the treadmill says I ran 5 miles but my Garmin says I only ran 4.82, which is right? Map my run says my route is 8 miles, but Strava says I ran 8.237, what do I do? How do I know if the calorie counter thingie is correct?  If I wasn’t wearing my fitbit, my steps won’t count…
 
Technology has invaded our world.  We can keep in touch with everyone we have ever met in person and those we know only virtually.  Our phones store every phone number so that we no longer have to memorize the 7 or 10 digits we need to reach even our closest friends and family.  When things break down we are often at a loss to be productive.  This same technology that has taken over our everyday tasks has taken over our workouts.
 
So what does it all mean and how does someone safely navigate all of the information and technology out there?
 
I belong to a number of “support” groups for runners.  Just like every other group, there is a lot of good information floating around, but also a lot of misinformation and… while there are no stupid questions… there are some that are… shall we say… questionable questions…
 
Now, if you are new to working out I don’t want to discourage you but I do want to encourage you to always check your sources.
 
To address the above technology questions:  
 
Treadmills are calibrated. That means the machine counts the number of times the belt (you know, that thing that moves when you turn it on), which is of a specific length, goes around.  When it reaches a certain number of trips around, the treadmill measures a mile.  This is the same way that your car measures miles… how many times the tire rotates.  A watch counts the number of steps, based on arm swing, and estimates how many steps make up a mile. Therefore when you try to compare the two values, they are going t be different, especially if you hold on to the treadmill, which you shouldn’t do (but more on that in another blog).
 
Many Apps and watches like a Garmin work on GPS signals (those same things that help you from getting lost or shout recalculating at every wrong turn) and use those to determine the length of your run.  Some do a better job at picking up those signals (or maybe just don’t lose them as easily).  It is not unusual to have two runs seem identical but come up with different numbers. Even if you run the ‘exact’ same route two days in a row, it is possible that you strayed a little more to the left or the right and came up with different numbers.  So don’t stress, pick the one way of tracking your workouts that you like best and use those stats.
 
As for the calorie counter, they are based on formulas of guesstimation and shouldn’t be taken as the gospel truth.  As a rule of thumb, one mile burns about 100 calories, give or take up to 10%.  This is true for walking as well as running, but typically it takes less time to run a mile than to walk the same mile.  Some of the variation from the 100 calories can include things such as the terrain (hills can take more effort), heart rate (higher heart rate during the same mile can increase calories burned a bit) and even fitness level.  Plus, following exercise there is a physiological process called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which is the amount of oxygen used to return the body to its pre-exercise condition.  The harder the workout the potential for the longer EPOC and the more calories burned. Therefore while a mile burns 100 calories, the true cost of the workout can vary based on lots of other factors.
 
As for other potential glitches, most of the time the machine doesn’t differentiate between genders.  Male and female formulas for calories burned are going to be different.  The second thing they don't account for is body composition… the amount of lean muscle versus adipose tissue.  Even at rest muscle burns calories to maintain their tone while fat does not, so two people of the same body mass (what you call weight) with very different body compositions will burn differing amounts of calories during the day. The thing to understand is that the machine cannot accurately give you to the calorie the amount you burn.  If you are working out but gaining weight, keep in mind the calories you burn don’t give you license to eat uncontrollably.
 
As for the last point, every step counts and every time you move it is a good thing. If you find yourself obsessing over technology and what counts, maybe it is time to unplug and let go. There is something to be said for moving for the sake of moving. 
 
What are you waiting for… get off the couch!!!