How Many Calories Do You Burn When....?

A few weeks ago I had a workout slump. I did not feel like doing my usual routine which mostly consists of one of a couple workout dvds, or self magazine workouts that I have collected over the years, or a run/walk. And, although I was not in the mood to do my regular workout, I knew I had to do something so on some days I warmed up a bit with some jogging in place. And then I did a few push-ups and a couple of pilates planks. And on other days I just did some freestyle cardio, or dancing, or just stretching.

I then began to wonder how many calories I might have burned with just those few exercises so I did some google searches. And I literally typed "how many calories do push up burn" into the search bar. This search turned up a website called Fitday.com which had a page full of exercises (and other everyday activities ) along with how many calories these activities burn. The amount of calories burned are based on your weight, height, gender, and age. And according to my height, weight, etc... I can burn 420 calories an hour doing push-ups. And although I could never do an hour of push-ups row, I could break them up during the day. I also checked out a couple of other activities like running in place (420 an hour) and dancing (210 an hour). You can even find out how many calories you burn when walking and carrying a baby (150 an hour for me).

I guess the lesson here is every little bit does count-literally. Even on those days when I feel like I don't have energy or when I feel like I don't have time-I can do something. Whether it be a few push-ups, jumping jacks, run/jog in place, dancing around, or whatever. Some is better than none.