It is common knowledge that your body burns energy during physical activity or exercise. Therefore, it makes sense that the intensity and duration of the physical activity will determine how much energy you use. Scientists have been able to count the number of calories utilized with regular physical exercise.

The table below shows examples of exercise and the calories used for someone who weighs 155 pounds ( Harvard Health Publishing).

Educating yourself on how physical activities will affect your overall caloric balance at the end of each day is essential. Exercise and calories need to be balanced. Some people may overestimate the role that their exercise play in the ability to lose weight. They end up consuming many calories through their meals, with hopes that they will be able to lose weight by just exercising. Unfortunately, it rarely works with such simplicity.

Essentially, weight loss and management is a nuanced process that needs a balance between what you take in, how much, and what you can utilize consistently (Reference). Therefore the relationship is not as linear as people may want. Also, you will need more than just physical activities to control your caloric balance in the long run.

Be aware of what you eat

Please watch what you eat daily to keep your caloric balance in check. While exercise is essential for your overall well-being, it is not in itself going to help you lose weight or maintain your body weight (Reference). Your diet still plays a significant role as this is how you get in calories.

I know a few people who have created a pattern where they allow themselves to binge on some high-calorie foods and then go for a run, thinking that the calories will go right out. This approach may not work because our bodies are more complex than that, and you can’t just lose the calories this way. Once you eat, how your body handles food is a complicated process. Your best bet is to be aware and mindful of what you allow in. Equipping yourself with knowledge about the relationship between food, calories, and physical activity will put you in a position to make better choices.

How much exercise?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (for example, brisk walking) exercise per week and two days of muscle-strengthening activity to benefit from training for their physical and mental health. It translates to about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. However, studies have also shown that to benefit from weight loss from exercise, the intensity of the activity must be higher than the one recommended by the CDC (Reference). In addition, the benefits tend to be dose-dependent, meaning you will use more calories as the activity becomes more intensive (jogging, running).

Practical tips!

You can break down your exercise according to what works best for you. Depending on your daily schedule, you can do 10 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon/evening or vice versa. What matters is you try to put time aside for your physical activities as best as possible. It can be imperfect. You can start small, do it consistently, and build on the momentum you will gain to add more time.

Once it becomes a habit, you will automatically find yourself doing things more effortlessly. I gravitate towards activities I enjoy, like walking outside, jogging, or doing free exercise on youtube. You can pick and follow many beginner, low-impact, or advanced videos online. I like to do these, especially when I can not exercise outside for whatever reason. I usually alternate between such activities and try to be consistent most days of the week.

In summary, although physical activities alone won’t significantly help you lose or keep you from gaining weight, they are still essential to your healthy living. Coupled with healthy diet plans, they help you achieve and maintain healthy body weight. You are also getting the other benefits of exercise, for example, preventing chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health conditions.