FRIDAY, July 9, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- While there is debate about the specific amount of time you need to exercise each week to get maximum health benefits, many experts agree that burning calories is a good way to maintain healthy weight.
Burning an extra 700 to 2,000 calories a week through exercise provides significant health benefits, says an article in the Harvard Heart Letter.
The number of calories you burn during exercise depends on your weight and the intensity and duration of your workout. For example, a 155-pound person:
- burns 150 calories by walking briskly (4 miles an hour) for 30 minutes.
- burns 250 calories doing heavy cleaning for 45 minutes.
- burns 300 calories during an hour of singles tennis.
The intensity of your exercise determines how fast you burn calories. Brief sessions of intense activity burn the same number of calories as longer or more frequent, but less intense, workouts.
Walking is an inexpensive and accessible way of burning calories, the Harvard Heart Letter says. Walking prevents or helps control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Treadmills are also a good way to burn calories.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about physical activity and weight control.
