Weight Loss

Calories And Exercise May Be Trick To Losing Weight

As long as health conditions don't get in the way, the trick to losing weight and keeping it off is to carefully balance calories and exercise in daily life. To lose weight, a person needs to burn more calories than they consume. To keep it off, they need to maintain a careful balance of intake versus output.

While there is always a little wiggle room when it comes to calories and exercise, the reality is working activity into everyday life has benefits that go well beyond slimming down. Those who exercise on a routine basis are less likely to develop obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and many other dread conditions. When the right routine is selected, calories and exercise can go hand-in-hand for helping a person enjoy a longer, healthier life.

Considering the 2,000-calorie-a-day diet recommended for most healthy adults, the reality is there are many ways to enjoy fat-burning exercise on any given day. Some of the most routine activities and even the most enjoyable ones can all help with calorie burning.

Some of the most unusual calorie-burning exercises are those that people take part in on a daily or even weekly basis. Gardening, for example, is reported to burn an estimated 324 calories an hour. This is especially so if lifting, weeding, digging and other physical labor goes into the act. This actually constitutes "real" exercise.

Cleaning the house can actually help with the calories and exercise equation. When heavy cleaning comes into play, an estimated 432 calories are burned in an hour. Lighter cleaning can help too, but its calorie burn comes in much lower at 240 calories an hour.

Other activities that burn calories are a little surprising. They might not constitute "exercise," but they do nick away at that 2,000-calorie mark. These include office work at 240 calories an hour, sleeping at 45 an hour, and watching television at 72. A more fun approach to having one's cake and eating it too is to play with the kids. This tally, when a little rough housing comes into the effort, adds up to about 214 calories an hour.

To really reap the rewards of the right calories and exercise balance, most doctors recommend a few things. People should generally include cardiovascular exercise in their routines along with a little strength training to keep bones and muscles healthy. Cardiovascular can include anything from jogging and running to swimming or just doing aerobics in front of the television. The trick to sticking with a good plan is to find an exercise that's enjoyable personally. There are enough options for almost any taste.

When losing weight and keeping it off is desired, calories and exercise are major factors to consider. If the right balance is struck, the results can be amazing.