WIN Wyoming
Thought Bullets
for
June 2000
Shaping A Healthy
Future – A Rocky Mountain Conference
on Weight Realities was held the end of April 2000 in Jackson, Wyoming. The
conference attracted almost 300 participants from throughout the United States.
A promise was made during the conference to share the energy expenditure
information from a presentation by Steven Blair of the Cooper Institute.
This issue of the thought bullets provides this information.
The lifestyle and energy expenditure chart below compares a
sedentary way of completing a task with an active way and estimates calories
expended. Information is taken from an article by Laura Beil of the Dallas
Morning News*. Estimates are based on a 150-160 pound person. In a month’s
time, completing the tasks daily (or as listed) and following the active option
would burn 10,500 calories, while the inactive way would only burn 1,700
calories. The difference of 8,800 calories a month represents an estimated 2.5
pounds a month and 30 pounds a year. This thought-provoking comparison clearly
demonstrates the importance of daily physical activity.
|
Sedentary Way |
kcal |
Active Way |
kcal |
|
Use remote to change TV channels |
<1 |
Get up and change channels |
3 |
|
30 minutes of phone calls-recline |
4 |
Three 10 minute phone calls - stand |
20 |
|
Use garage door opener |
<1 |
Manually open garage door – twice a day |
2-3 |
|
Hire maid to clean & iron |
0 |
Iron for 30 minutes and vacuum for 30 minutes |
152 |
|
Wait for pizza 30 minutes |
15 |
30 minutes of cooking |
25 |
|
Buy pre-sliced vegetables |
0 |
Wash, slice, chop vegetables for 15 minutes |
10-13 |
|
Use leaf blower for 30 minutes |
100 |
Rake leaves for 30 minutes |
150 |
|
Use a lawn service |
0 |
Garden/mow for 60 minutes a week |
360 |
|
Use car wash once a month |
18 |
Wash/wax car for 1 hr/month |
300 |
|
Let dog out back door |
2 |
Walk dog for 30 minutes |
125 |
|
Drive 40 minutes with 5 minute walk from parking |
22 |
15 minute walk to bus stop twice a day |
60 |
|
E-mail colleagues for 4 minutes |
2-3 |
Walk 1 min. to colleague’s office-talk 3 min. (standing) |
6 |
|
Take elevator up 3 flights |
0.3 |
Walk up 3 flights of stairs |
15 |
|
Park close – 10 second walk |
0.3 |
2 minute walk from parking (5 times a week) |
8 |
|
Let cashier unload shopping cart |
2 |
Unload full shopping cart |
6 |
|
Ride escalator 3 times a week |
2 |
Walk 1 flight of stairs 3 times a week |
15 |
|
Shop internet for 1 hour |
30 |
Shop mall & walk 1 hour |
145-240 |
|
Sit in car at drive-up window for 30 minutes |
15 |
Park and walk inside – 3 times a week (total of 30 minutes) |
70 |
|
Pay for gas at the pump |
0.6 |
Walk in and pay, once a week |
5 |
|
Sit and listen to 60 minute lecture |
30 |
Give 60 minute lecture |
70 |
|
Monthly
calorie expenditure |
1,700 |
Monthly calorie expenditure |
10,500 |
* This information was taken from an article printed in the Dallas Morning News in 1999.
Originally compiled in June 2000 by Betty Holmes, MS, RD, 4-H Youth Specialist, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Wyoming as a link to the Dallas Morning News article. In March 2004, with the loss of the link to the original newspaper article, Betty (now the regional project coordinator for WIN the Rockies; bholmes@uwyo.edu) recreated the table for inclusion here.