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). |
