85 common ways to burn more fat: we break down the calorie-consuming events in your day and show you how to turn up the heat - Outdoor Fitness

Men's Fitness, Nov, 2002 by Tom Weede

You're burning calories reading this, even if you're not huffing through a stationary-bike workout at the same time. Stand up and read, and you'll fry even more calories. As a matter of fact, you burn calories 24/7 just keeping your body's internal functions humming along.

Throughout your day, you burn calories whether you're trying to or not, at different rates depending on what you're doing. What determines how many calories you burn? "One of the biggest things is the amount of muscle mass that's involved in an activity," says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. "The more muscle mass you involve, the more caloric burn you'll have." Hence, yet another reason to do resistance training--to increase muscle mass so as to improve your ability to burn fat.

Also, Bryant adds, if an activity is weight-bearing, you'll burn more calories than you would doing a weight-supported activity. "For a given perceived exertion level, you'll burn far fewer calories on a stationary bike than you would, say, running on a treadmill or exercising on a stairclimber," he says. "These force you to bear your body weight against gravity, whereas on the bike you're supported."

To give you a comprehensive look at which activities will torch the most calories, the chart below is adapted from the American College of Sports Medicine's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Training and Prescription. How accurate are the numbers? "They're reasonable estimates for those activities, but there is a range," says Bryant. "They basically put you in the ballpark." A heavier person will burn more calories than a lighter person, because of the extra effort required to move more mass. Also, the better you are at an activity, the fewer calories you'll burn per minute, because your movements will be more efficient (but the upside is you can do the activity for longer).

But don't shy away from the activities that burn fewer calories. "The activities that are going to be most beneficial in helping you control your weight are those that you're going to do consistently," says Bryant. "So if you love biking, that's great. It's just that you're probably going to have to invest a little bit more time than you would on a treadmill, because you're not going to burn as many calories per minute."

How can you ratchet up your calorie burning? "Look for ways to increase movement in your daily routine," says Bryant. In addition to the standard advice to use stairs instead of elevators or escalators, try standing at your desk when you're on the phone. "For example, when I give interviews I'm always walking around," says Bryant. "I'm not sitting at my desk." If you work in an office, walk over to a colleague rather than send e-mail.

So stand up, pace around, and keep reading.

CALORIES FOR FUNCTION

You burn calories to support your body's essential life functions. Most people expend about 65 percent to 70 percent of their total daily calories via their resting metabolism. "Only about 20 to 25 percent is the result of actual physical activity--higher for the people who are very active, lower for the people who are sedentary," says exercise physiologist Cedric Bryant, Ph.D. "The other remaining 10 percent is what's referred to as the `thermic effect of feeding.' And that's the energy that's associated with consuming, digesting and metabolizing a meal."

THE AFTERBURN

Your body burns calories at an increased rate even after you've finished an activity, because of a brief spike in your metabolism. But "it isn't as much as many people think," says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., of the American Council on Exercise. "It's generally a function of how many calories you burn during the activity." A good rule of thumb is that for every 100 calories you burn during an activity, you'll burn an additional 15 or so from the "afterburn effect."

YOUR TWO CENTS

What's your favorite calorie-frying activity listed on our chart? Do you have any favorites that we missed? Log on to www.mensfitness.com and let us know what you think.

THE CHART

ONE HOUR OF ACTIVITY                  155 LBS   190 LBS

CARDIO

Running, 12 minutes per mile              562       689
Running, 10 minutes per mile              703       862
Running, 8 minutes per mile               879     1,077
Running, 7 minutes per mile               984     1,207
Running up stairs                       1,055     1,293
Swimming laps, freestyle,
  vigorous effort                         703       862
Swimming laps, freestyle,
  moderate effort                         562       689
Bicycling, 12-13.9 mph,
  moderate effort                         562       689
Bicycling, 16-19 mph,
  very fast                               844      1034
Mountain biking                           598       733
Bicycling, stationary,
  moderate effort                         492       603
Bicycling, stationary,
  vigorous effort                         738       905
Walking, pushing or pulling
  a stroller with child                   176       215
Walking, up stairs                        562       689
Walking, 3 mph, moderate pace,
  level surface                           246       302
Walking, 4.5 mph, brisk pace,
  level surface                           316       388
Walking, 3.5 mph, uphill                  422       517
Rowing, stationary, moderate effort       492       603
Rowing, stationary, vigorous effort       598       733

RESISTANCE TRAINING

Weightlifting, vigorous effort            422       517
Weightlifting, light or
  moderate effort                         211       259

RECREATION

Fishing in a stream,
  in waders                               422       517
Ice fishing, sitting                      141       172
Stretching (hatha yoga)                   281       345

CHORES

Washing car, vigorous effort              316       388
Vacuuming                                 176       215
Grocery shopping                          246       302
Making your bed                           141       172
Moving furniture                          422       517
Sweeping                                  281       345
Auto repair                               211       259
Installing rain gutters                   422       517
Hanging storm windows                     352       431
Painting                                  316       388
Chopping wood                             422       517
Mowing the lawn                           422       517
Operating a snowblower                    316       388
Shoveling snow                            422       517
Baling hay                                562       689
Milking a cow                             211       259

SPORTS

Basketball                                562       689
Billiards                                 176       215
Bowling                                   211       259
Boxing (punching a heavy bag)             422       517
Football, touch or flag                   562       689
Golf, carrying clubs                      387       474
Golf, using a cart                        246       302
Handball                                  844      1034
Judo, jujitsu, karate, kickboxing,
  tae kwon do                             703       862
Racquetball                               492       603
Rope jumping, moderate effort             703       862
Soccer                                    492       603
Tai chi                                   281       345
Tennis, singles                           562       689
Backpacking                               492       603
Hiking                                    422       517
Kayaking                                  352       431
Snorkeling                                352       431
Surfing, body or board
  variety                                 211       259

AT WORK

Desk work                                 127       155
Carpentry                                 246       302
Fire fighting (climbing ladder
  with full gear)                         773       948
Policing (making an arrest)               562       689
Sitting in a meeting                      105       129
Bartending                                176       215
Making photocopies                        176       215
Walking around the office
  at a moderate pace                      246       302

WINTER SPORTS

Ice hockey                                562       689
Ice skating, 9 mph                        387       474
Ice skating, over 9 mph                   633       776
Cross-country skiing, 4.0-4.9 mph,
  moderate effort                         562       689
Cross-country skiing, 5.0-7.9 mph,
  vigorous effort                         633       776
Cross-country skiing, uphill            1,160     1,422
Curling                                   281       345
Downhill skiing, moderate effort          422       517
Sledding, tobogganing,
  bobsledding, luge                       492       603
Snowshoeing                               562       689
Snowmobiling                              246       302

MISCELLANEOUS

Watching television or a movie             70        86
Sleeping                                   63        78
Gardening                                 352       431
Reading                                    91       112
Toweling off
  after a shower                          281       345
Sex, vigorous effort                      105       129
Sex, moderate effort                       91       112