Wellness Center


Assessments & Quizzes

Physical Activity Calculator

Do you wonder how many calories you burn each day? Add up your daily physical activities to find out how much you burn.

Instructions: 
First enter your weight (in pounds). Next, select an activity from the drop-down list below. To find an activity, either press the key of the first letter of the activity desired, or scroll through the list. Enter the number of minutes you spent doing the activity. Click the "Compute" button to see results. You can enter up to five activities.

   Weight lbs (required)

 
Activity List METS Min. Exer Cal  
 

For good health, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you burn at least 200 exercise calories per day. Burn at least 1,200 to 1,500 exercise calories per week to get good changes in your HDL cholesterol. In the Harvard Alumni Study, people who exercised 2,000 calories or more per week cut their risk of heart disease in half.

For weight loss, cut your calorie intake by 400 to 500 calories a day. Also, burn at least 300 exercise calories a day to lose one to two pounds of fat per week.

Sources:

1. American College of Sports Medicine. Supplement to Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise; 32(9).
2. Diet and lifestyle recommendations: Know how many calories you should eat. American Heart Association.
Written by: Don Hall, DrPH, CHES
Date Published: May 21,2001 Date Reviewed: September 08,2008
Disclaimer:

This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis of specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt professional medical attention if you have a particular concern about your health or specific symptoms. Wellsource, Inc. is not liable for any health consequences resulting from your use of this site.

 

© 2007 Wellsource, Inc.