What does this tool measure?

Click here to find the number of calories you burn during exercise and daily physical activities.¹

This interactive tool estimates how many calories are burned during common activities. The food you eat is measured in calories. The energy you use every day is also measured in calories. You are using energy all the time, even at rest. The more vigorous the activity and the longer the time you do it, the more calories you burn.

This tool also uses your weight to calculate calories burned, because a heavier person burns more calories during activity than a lighter person.

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Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.

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	Calories burned

What do the results mean?

Your results estimate how many calories you burn doing a specific activity, whether it is housecleaning, gardening, skiing, running, or sitting still. This tool can help you think about the many activities you can do to improve your fitness and health.

What's next?

Start building more physical activity into your daily life. You don't have to "work out" to be active. The cumulative effect of lots of various activities can improve your health and help you burn calories. For more information, see the topic Fitness.

Used with permission from: Ainsworth BE (2002). The Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide. Columbia, SC: Prevention Research Center, Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. Available online: http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/compendium.htm.

Related Information

• Fitness: Getting and Staying Active
• Healthy Eating
• Interactive Tool: What Is Your Target Heart Rate?
• Weight Management

References

Citations

1. Ainsworth BE (2002). Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide. Columbia, SC: Prevention Research Center, Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. Available online: http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/compendium.htm.

Other Works Consulted

• McArdle WD, et al. (2007). Human energy expenditure during rest and physical activity. In Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance, 6th ed., pp. 195–208. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Credits