How much exercise is required to burn off that treat?

The clocks have gone back, the nights are longer and the cupboards are probably full of chocolate from Halloween. This can be the time of the year when we go into hibernation mode and because we can’t go to sleep for 4 months, many of us will increase our intake of cake and biscuits to endure the long cold winter nights. And that of course is not to mention the run in to Christmas with the indulgences that often brings.

Of course this is all okay isn’t it? We’re going to do some exercise which will counteract all that. But do you know how many calories are in those treats and how much exercise you have to do to burn it off?

Lets take a look at the most common types of exercise and the usual foods we can be guilty of over doing it on at this time of year.

What is a calorie anyway?

Typically when we talk about calories in food we are talking about kilo calories.

A Kilo calorie (Cal or Kcal) is the amount of energy required to raise one kilogram of water through 1 degree Celsius.

If you think about the amount of energy required to boil a kettle of water you start to realise that burning calories takes a fair amount of effort.

What you also need to remember is that the same weight of different food groups have different calorific equivalents for example:

• 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
• 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
• 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories

Exercise

Running / Walking – A 68Kg person running a 10 minute mile pace burns roughly 1000 Calories in 90 minutes. Pick up the pace to the equivalent of a 6.5 minute mile and you’ll burn the same thousand calories in 60 minutes. It works out at approximately 100 Calories per mile that’s regardless of if you are running or walking. Exact figures depend on your body weight and gender but for the purpose of this article lets keep it simple.

• Cycling – Depending on speed, distance, the type of bicycle, your body weight and weather conditions the number of Calories burned will vary but you’ll burn approximately 483 Calories per hour.
• Swimming – Depending on the your size and stroke, 60 minutes of swimming could be anywhere from 180-780 Calories.
• Dancing – If dancing aerobically you could burn in the region of 443 Calories per hour.
• Skipping – You don’t have to even leave the house to burn Calories. Running up stairs and doing the house work all burn Calories but if you wanted to ad in a bit of skipping rope that could be 670 Calories per hour.
• Rowing – As we’re in Cambridge we have to consider rowing. That’s around 682 Calories per hour.
• Golf – A four hour round of golf could burn 1500 Calories. The more shots you hit, the more Calories you burn, but that’s not really the objective when it comes to golf!

So what does all that mean in terms of food and drink?

Alcohol & Running at 10 minute mile pace

• 1 pint of Guinness – 210 Calories = 19 minutes of running
• 1 pint of 4%ABV Ale – 182 Calories = 18 minutes of running
• 1 Bottle 330ml of lager – 142 Calories = 11 minutes of running
• 1 large glass of wine 13% 250ml – 228 Calories = 21 minutes of running
• 1 glass of champagne 125ml – 89 Calories = 9 minutes running
• 1 shot of whisky 40%ABV 25ml – 61 Calories = 6 minutes

Other drinks

• 1 Tall Full Fat Latte – 204 Calories = 18 minutes running
• 1 Can of Red Bull – 110 Calories = 10 minutes running
• 1 Can 330ml of Coke – 141.9 Calories – 13 minutes running

Fast food & Time Cycling at 12-14mph

• Fish and Chips – 800-1500 Calories = 3 hours
• Burger and chips – 880 Calories = 100 minutes
• 1 onion ring – 143 Calories – 16 minutes
• 10” Margherita Pizza – 870 Calories – 100 minutes
• Curry Chicken Tikka Masala – 1338 Calories = 2.5 hours
• Chinese – Sweet and Sour Chicken, Egg fried rice with a prawn cracker – 930 Calories = 105 minutes
• Full English Breakfast – 1200 Calories 2.25 hours

Sweet Stuff & Minutes Walking at 3 mph

Chocolate bar

• 1 bar 162g of Dark Chocolate – 884 Calories = 240 mins
• 100g of Milk Chocolate – 535 Calories = 145 mins

Cake

• 1 Chocolate chip muffin – 401 Calories = 108 mins
• 64g slice of chocolate cake – 235 Calories = 63 mins
• 1 slice of Carrot Cake – 854 Calories = 225 mins
• 100g of Sponge Cake – 374 Calories = 100 mins
• 1 sugar doughnut – 210 calories = 57 mins

Crisps

• 1 Bag 30g of plain crisps – 150 Calories = 40 mins
• 1 Can 198g of pringles – 1083 Calories = 291 mins

Biscuits

• 1 Chocolate digestive biscuit – 86 Calories = 23 mins
• 1 Custard cream – 64 Calories = 17 mins
• 1 Bourbon biscuit – 67 Calories = 18 mins
• 1 Rich tea biscuit – 38 Calories = 10 mins

Ice Cream

• Cornetto – 228 Calories = 61 mins
• Magnum – 280 Calories = 75 mins
• Feast – 280 Calories = 75 mins
• 500ml Tub Ben & Jerry’s – 1150 Calories = 308 mins

Prevention is better than cure. So have a think about what you’ll have to do to burn off that biscuit or bottle of beer before you reach for the cupboard on the winters nights. Life could be pretty boring without the occasional treat but just remember to ask yourself if you really need it or just want it!!

If you have any concerns about painful joints or muscles give us a call on 01223 350622.

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