Fitness Simplified: 10 Everyday Activities, and How Many Calories They Burn

So, you're trying to lose weight, and you've been diligently counting calories. You've even started to exercise a bit, but the number on the scale just isn't going down. What gives? Well, it's possible that you're misunderstanding how calories are burned.  Even though a lot of people know that they should count calories in order to get fit, it’s often the case that focuses shifts to food more than physical activity.

Everything We Do Burns Calories:

Health/Wellness Writer Jenna Fletcher explains that “The number of calories burned each day is directly linked to weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance. For a person to lose weight, they must burn more calories than they take in, creating a calorie deficit. But, to do this, they need to know how many calories they burn each day.” Here’s a quick summary of caloric expenditure on typical physical activities:

1.       Climbing a Flight of Stairs with 10 Steps: The average body will burn around 1.7 calories when climbing a small flight of stairs
2.       Walking for 1 Mile: The average body will burn around 100 calories in order to walk for one mile.
3.       Riding a Bike for 1 Hour: The average body will burn around 500 calories when riding a bicycle for 1 hour.
4.       Doing Household Chores: The average body will burn around 200 calories per hour when doing household chores such as mopping and vacuuming.
5.       Gardening: The average body will burn around 300 calories per hour when gardening.
6.       Grocery Shopping: The average body will burn around 200 calories per hour spent at the grocery store.  This includes pushing shopping carts and reaching for items on shelves.
7.       Babysitting/Playing with Kids: The average body will burn around 80 calories per hour when carrying infants, playing with toddlers, or just generally keeping up with kids at the playground.
8.       Taking a Shower: The average body will burn around 80 calories for every fifteen minutes spent cleaning up in the shower.
9.       Commuting: The average body will burn around 100 calories per hour of driving, as opposed to 150 calories per hour of commuting via public transportation.
10.   Working Out: The average body will burn around 300 calories for every 30 minutes spent on a basic exercise like treadmills, stationary bikes, or workout-DVD aerobics.

Conclusion:

How many calories do you burn each day? This is a difficult question to answer without the help of technology like an activity tracker. But even if you don’t have one of these devices, there are still ways to get a good estimate of your caloric churn. The best way to start is by looking at your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and then factoring in your activity level. Once you have an idea of how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, it will be much easier to make small tweaks that result in gradual weight loss. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.If you like what you just read from our blog, you’ll love the various informative courses, workshops, and events listed on our websites and social media. Whether you’re interested in personal development, health and wellness, bettering your relationships, or the overall improvement of your business, give us a call at 1 (800) 913-0222 to find out how Richard Martinez can help you break past your daily struggles and start soaring in success.