Measuring Calories Burned During Exercise
To help you determine how many calories you use during
various activities, scientists recommend a common measure
called a MET, the amount of energy you use when you sleep. It
comes out to about one kilo-calorie per kilogram of body weight,
or one half a calorie per pound. For example, a 130-pound
person burns 60 calories per hour during sleep. A 155-pounder
uses 70 calories per hour.
When you ride a bicycle at 12 miles per hour, you are
exercising at about ten METS or 10 times the amount of energy
that you use during sleep. That's the same as running a
10-minute mile, playing racquetball competitively, jumping rope
at a moderate pace or playing in a soccer game. To show you
how much you increase your metabolism during exercise,
consider that 10 METS are equal to five times as much energy
as you use when you wash dishes, shop, cook, iron or walk at a
leisurely pace.
Checked 3/28/12