Health Notes for April 2016

aaaHealthNotesButtonSpring means “shorts weather” is back, so everyone’s doing the math to know exactly how much exercise to do to fit into last year’s pair.  Is that extra cheeseburger worth a half hour on a treadmill, or a half marathon?  You use calories just sitting and breathing, so how long do you have to sit and breathe at the computer to burn that Snickers bar?  RestOfNewsletterRead this article from BBC Future and you’ll know exactly how much exercise how much exercise it takes to burn off a wide variety of foods.  There is good news, though… the Snickers WILL disappear with computer time, and the article tells you how much it will take…

How Far Do You Have To Run To Burn Off A Burger?

David Robson on BBC Future, Oct 2015

“The gym bunny’s equation is simple enough: calories in versus calories out. After you’ve worked up a sweat in the gym, you should have gained the licence to treat yourself to a snack afterwards.

In practice, the maths is difficult to get right: it’s all too easy to overestimate how much we’ve burnt in a session, and underestimate the calories in a snack. The depressing result is that many people (up to 68%, in one study) hoping to shed pounds actually put on weight during their exercise regime.

Fortunately, BBC Future has scoured Harvard Medical School’s comprehensive table of the calories burned during everything from sex to long-distance cycling. Using this information, we equated exactly what it would take to burn off your favourite snacks. (The exact figures will vary from person to person – all the data here assumes an 11-stone, or 70kg, frame.)

You may be surprised by just how little you burn during seemingly energetic activities, such as sex.  Compared to sleeping (which itself burns some calories), even something as simple as sitting at a computer, chewing gum or reading a book is equivalent to eating some modest nibbles. You may be surprised, however, by just how little you have earned during seemingly energetic everyday activities, such as sex – or how far you have to travel before you have burnt off a burger and chips. Exercise offers many benefits besides weight loss, of course. But if you are aspiring to a trimmer, more toned figure (or simply want to remain a stable weight), it’s worth knowing the facts before you hit the gym or raid the pantry.”

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