Winning the battle of the bulge isn’t rocket science: If you want to lose it, you have to move it. The good news is that you can boost the calories you burn every day with regular physical activity. This doesn’t mean sweating it out for hours at the gym, either.

Many experts now say it’s actually the little things you do daily that really makes the difference. Like what? Here’s how many calories a 150-pound man or woman would burn by doing any of these activities for a half hour. (If you weigh less, you burn fewer calories; if you weigh more, you burn more.)

Exercise calories burned per half hour

Leisure

Dancing 150

Horseback riding 140

Stretching or yoga 140

Walking (3 mph) 120

Bowling 100

Cooking 80

Sports

Swimming laps, slowly to moderately 270

Aerobics, high impact 240

Roller-skating 240

Jogging 240

Tennis 240

Bicycling, light 200

Aerobics, low impact 170

Softball 170

Golf 150

Ping Pong 140

Around the house

Gardening 170

Cleaning the house, heavy 150
(washing the car, washing windows, etc.)

Mowing the lawn (power mower) 150

Raking leaves 140

Food shopping (with a grocery cart) 120

Walking the dog 120

Cleaning the house, light (dusting, etc.) 80

Other tips for burning calories:

• Devote your lunch hour to exercise.
• Make use of downtime at work. Stand and lunge when opening your mail. Do squats when you’re on the phone. Try a few push-ups against the wall while waiting for a fax.
• Don’t just take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Tone up your legs by hopping up the stairs two at a time (while holding on to the handrail).
• Ask co-workers to go for a walk in order to talk business. Instead of going out for drinks after work, organize a group run or exercise class.
• Get into the habit of walking to your co-workers’ desks, rather than using e-mail or the telephone.

Stuck at your desk?

Do this move five times a day to strengthen your upper body: Sit with your feet on the floor and grab each side of your chair. Slowly straighten your arms and lift yourself out of the seat. Hold for 5-10 seconds.

Visit the Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center site for more tips on starting a fitness program, or call for membership information at (502) 896-3900, ext. 302.