Some feel-good news about that walk you took this morning: You may have burned even more calories than you thought, according to new research.
Apparently, the way scientists (and your fitness tracker) typically estimate calorie expenditure is underestimating your overall benefit. The most commonly used equation to calculate that burn comes from the American College of Sports Medicine, explains study author Peter Weyand, PhD, a professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and the director of the Locomotor Performance Laboratory in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development. "That equation predicts 74 calories would be burned by a woman with a height of 5'4" and weight of 140 pounds walking at an intermediate speed of 2.9 miles per hour to travel 1 mile," he says.
Now don't forget, using a fitness tracker, or pedometer is the best way to keep track of your movements throughout the day. But you want a reliable one and where better to purchase one than from a company you trust like PedometersUSA.com. Try the Omron HJ-320 Pedometer It features a smart sensor that is less likely to miscount steps than the standard pendulum design, which also allows it to be placed anywhere comfortable, whether it be in a pocket, clipped to the waist, or put in a bag. The 320 will track steps and distance to help motivate you to walk further.
But Weyand and his colleagues' new equation predicts that same woman would burn closer to 90 calories in the same scenario—and the difference between the two estimates gets even bigger the faster that woman walks, he says.
The new model is roughly two to three times more accurate for adults and takes a person's height better into consideration. "On a per-pound basis, tall people burn fewer calories at any speed or covering any distance because they take fewer steps," Weyand says. "The shorter the person is, the greater the under-prediction factor for the ACSM equation is."
More Caloric Burning News: The six activities below, most of which you would never consider in burning any calories, actually can burn more calories than you might think. (Note: Calorie counts are estimated based on a 140-pound person
Fidgeting
Your tendency to fidget might be distracting in meetings, but you could burn 350 more calories than your neighbor, who can (somehow!) sit still, according to a Mayo Clinic study.
Downward Dogging (For those Not familiar with Yoga moves, yes, this actually is one! It is a great way to help align and stretch your body, naturally.
You might think of yoga as more of a meditative stretch session than a cardio workout, but expect to work off 259 calories an hour.
Taking the Family Bowling;
Yes, getting yourself all set up to throw that 10-16 pound ball down that alley will not only help you work off some stress, but can actually help you to shed about 191 calories in an hour. Did I mention its also a great stress reliever??
Cleaning the House, Car, Boat……..
Nothing's going to make any of the above fun exactly, but you'll cross it off your to-do list and burn 325 calories in 45 minutes. Remember, you’re going to be putting yourself in various bent and stretched poses while you’re getting at those hard to reach places. And if you throw in putting on some wax on you vehicle, car, boat, motorbike, you’re really going to be giving yourself a nice arm/shoulder workout… Remember the “Karate Kid” -- Wax On,,,, Wax Off”
All this activity is great and you are burning off some calories, but again, instead of just tracking your steps, why not also track your total movements and calories burned with the Garmin Vivofit Fitness Activity and Sleep Tracker Vivofit monitors your sleep and shows your steps, goal countdown, calories, distance and the time of day on an easy-to-read display. You can also pair it with a heart rate monitor for heart rate data during fitness activities.
Letting out a Belly Laugh:
Well, maybe you’re the life of the party or the funny guy at the office who can always be counted to liven up a long boring work day. OK, so you might not exactly laugh yourself skinny, or the people around you either, but 15 minutes of chuckles throughout the day could burn away from 10 to 40 calories, according to Vanderbilt University researchers.
Mowing the Lawn: You know that this time of year the grass seems like it never stops growing. By the fall, you’re waiting to put the lawnmower away and say goodbye to it till next season. But a great motivation to walking behind that lawn mower is your typically burning around 330 calories each time you either pull that cord or turn that key. But remember those calories that you’re burning only happen when you’re walking and or pushing your lawnmower. Unfortunately, sitting down and riding along while you’re cutting the grass,,, well it just doesn’t cut it. Pardon, the pun.
So you see, movement is the key so go ahead, get off of that couch and start getting those chores done that you've been putting off. On top of checking off your to-do list, your also burning some calories and helping yourself be a better YOU!