Ask the Expert: What constitutes exercise and how many calories does each activity burn (depending on a person's weight)?

By by jessica gibbons, certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian
Submitted by John Crowley — September 22 at Sep 22

"What constitutes exercise and how many calories does each activity burn (depending on a person's weight)?"

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Answer:

Exercise is generally made up of stretching, aerobic exercise and weight training.

Stretching helps you reduce your chances of injury as you get older and increases your flexibility. Stretching for 5 to 10 minutes before you do aerobic exercise or weight training helps your body warm up. A physical therapist can help you learn to stretch if you are not sure how.

Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, and your breathing rate. The recommendation is to aim for a total of about 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. If you are new to exercise, even 5 or 10 minutes a day is better than nothing! Examples of aerobic exercise include taking a walk, playing tennis, riding a bike, going dancing or going swimming.

Weight training helps build strong muscles and bones, and makes daily activities easier. Most folks will join a class at a gym using weights or elastic bands or they will lift light weights or even soup cans at home. Again, a physical therapist can help you determine what the best weight training regime would be for you.

I found a great table on the internet showing how many calories are burned with one hour of various exercises. The table is broken down to show calories burned for someone who weighs 130 lbs, 155 lbs, and 190 lbs. Remember, too, that the more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn! The website is

http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist3.htm