Burning calories – the fast way, and the slow way

In January’s Food Magazine we gave a list of of calorie expenditure for different physical activities in our ‘What the Doctor Reads’ report. Since then we have received several letters requesting information on calorie use for more sedentary behaviour.

Some teachers, for instance, wrote to say that they would find information about sedentary activities useful, to help children make the comparison between playing sport and watching sport.

Two tables follow, one showing calorie expenditure during sedentary behaviour, the other showing calorie expenditure during different activities over a 20 minute period.

Energy expenditure and activity – sedentary behaviour This table gives the energy you would expend above your basal level (measured asleep). As you will see, some of the ‘activities’ burn so few calories they are hardly worth recording. A sign of the times, perhaps.
	Kcalories
Using TV remote control	<1
Getting up to change TV channel	3
Sitting, talking on the phone, 30 min	4
Letting dog out of the back door	2
Walking the dog, 30 minutes	125
Using pre-cut vegetables	0
Washing, cutting vegetables, 15 min	12
Using auto car wash	18
Washing and waxing car, 1 hour	300
Using a lift, 3 floors	<1
Walking up 3 floors	15
Sending email to colleague, 4 min	2
Walking and talking to colleague, 4 min	6
Shopping on-line, 1 hour	30
Shopping, pushing trolley, 1 hour	200
Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings (77) 2002

Burning calories during different activities The following chart shows approximate calorie expenditure for a range of activities:
Activity	Kcalories used in 20 minutes of activity
Aerobic dancing – low intensity, equivalent to walking	80
Aerobic dancing – medium intensity, equivalent to jogging	130
Aerobic dancing – high intensity, equivalent to running	170
Bed making	100
Cleaning windows	60
Cleaning stairs	65
Climbing stairs (72 steps per minute)	95
Climbing stairs (92 steps per minute)	130
Cycling on flat ground (‘own speed’)	125
Dancing (waltz)	130
Dusting	70
Gardening	110
Golf	100
Knitting	25
Office work (general)	25
Operating electric sewing machine	25
Playing cricket	160
Playing pool	65
Playing squash	200
Playing tennis	140
Playing football	140
Playing table tennis	90
Playing cards	40
Running (speed unspecified)	190
Sitting typing	30
Walking on the level (1-2 km per hour)	45
Walking on the level (4-5 km per hour)	85
Watching football	40
Source: Human Energy Requirements: A manual for planners and nutritionists, by WPT James and EC Schofield, published by the Oxford University Press (1990).