How Many Calories Are Burned

How Many Calories Are Burned During Exercise     Our body needs constant energy to maintain itself, so even when we're fast asleep, it is still burning up calories! However, most of us do not take enough exercise during our waking hours! Ideally, we should aim to take 20-45 minutes exercise a day. To see which exercise burns up what calories, see chart below.     Type of Exercise Calories/hour Sleeping 55 Eating 85 Sewing 85 Knitting 85 Sitting 85 Standing 100 Driving 110 Office Work 140 Housework, moderate 160+ Golf, with trolley 180 Golf, without trolley 240 Gardening, planting 250 Dancing, ballroom 260 Walking, 3mph 280 Table Tennis 290 Gardening, hoeing etc. 350 Tennis 350+ Water Aerobics 400 Skating/blading 420+ Dancing, aerobic 420+ Aerobics 450+ Bicycling, moderate 450+ Jogging, 5mph 500 Gardening, digging 500 Swimming, active 500+ Cross country ski machine 500+ Hiking 500+ Step Aerobics 550+ Rowing 550+ Power Walking 600+ Cycling, studio 650 Squash 650+ Skipping with rope 700+ Running 700+     Exercise for your health! It has been calculated that 1 pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories. This means that in order to lose 1 pound we have to walk for about 12.5 hours. So don't expect fast weight loss and remember to eat sensibly.       Calorie Savings There are two easy ways to reduce calories. Either swap a high-calorie food for a lower-calorie item (eg. choose a cup of skim milk - 90 calories - rather than whole milk - 150 calories). Or, cut out a small high-calorie eating habit. For example, if you drink one less 16 fl oz can of beer a day, you save 67,000 calories a year - equivalent to about 19 pounds of body fat. Calorie-Intake Affects Weight But Check Nutrition Too Although weight reduction is founded on the energy equation (energy expenditure must exceed energy intake), calorie-counting does have its limitations. Nutrition is also important. According to at least one world expert in fat-metabolism, food energy cannot be properly metabolised without sufficient minerals and vitamins. This is why a healthy calorie-controlled eating plan should be based on nutrient-dense meals and snacks.       Metabolic Rate Affects Calorie Burning Our metabolism determines how rapidly our body burns calories while at rest. Some people have a relatively fast metabolic rate, so they burn energy faster than people with a slower metabolism. This is why they appear to be able to eat relatively large amounts of food without gaining weight.   Although our metabolic rate is part of our genetic inheritance, we can raise it somewhat by taking regular aerobic exercise and by increasing our muscle-to-fat ratio. We can also maintain an efficient metabolism by eating nutritious food, by ensuring our energy-intake does not fall below about 1200 calories a day, and by eating something every 3-4 hours.