Normal activity

We have seen that the body burns calories all the time to keep it functioning normally. When we are active we burn additional calories over and above those used by the basal metabolism. The amount used can be estimated by determining what our typical activity levels are and then using that to multiply up the value established as our BMR.

How does daily activity affect calorie burning?

The more active a person is the more calories they need just to maintain their current body weight and composition. The baseline for exactly how many calories is their basal metabolic rate. The individual’s BMR is multiplied up by a percentage or factor which is determined by how active, typically, that individual is in normal day to day behaviour.
the more active person can consume over 500 calories per day more than the sedentary person

For example, someone who has an office job, spends a lot of the day sitting down and does little or no exercise outside of that routine could add 20% to their BMR. If their BMR had been calculated at 1,800 calories per day, then their sedentary daily routine would only allow a further 360 calories. This would give them a total allowance of 2,160 calories per day required to maintain their current weight.

By comparison, if another person also had a BMR of 1,800 calories per day but was much more active – perhaps a manual job involving lifting and a couple of session per week in the gym – then they could add a higher percentage to their BMR. In this case that would be an additional 50%, or 900 calories, giving a total daily calorie intake of 2,700 to maintain body weight.

So, perhaps not surprisingly, the more active person in this example can consume and expend over 500 calories per day more than the sedentary person. In extreme cases such as endurance athletes and polar explorers they sometimes struggle to eat enough as their gruelling regimes burn off over 5,000 calories each day.

How can I calculate my own calorie intake allowance?

Your normal calories allowance can be estimated by multiplying your body's resting calorie burning rate, your BMR, by a factor. The value of the factor depends on how active your are in your normal daily life. The higher your level of activity the higher the multiplying factor and the more calories you need to consume just to maintain your current body weight.

Is it easy to burn extra calories in my current daily activity levels?

Yes, there are many small and practical steps that can help improve your daily activity levels. The great news is that most will be very easy to put into practice and, when taken together, they can have a very positive effect on your calorie burn.

Take a look at each area of your day and try to identify opportunities to become a little more active.

For example:

• Consider walking rather than taking the car on short journeys

• If you do arrive by car consider parking further away from your destination than normal and walking the rest. This could even mean choosing the car park spaces furthest away from the entrance to the supermarket or work. Naturally you should take care that you never compromise your safety when deciding where to park.

• If you use public transport you could get off a stop earlier or later than you need and walk the reminder to your destination

• Use stairs instead of escalators

• If you have to use a lift consider getting out a floor or two below your final floor and walking up the stairs for the last part of the journey

• Don’t always watch TV from your favourite armchair. Sitting on a stool or a cushion on the floor means your body will be continuously working to maintain your balance and posture.

• Make time for yourself to go for a walk every day, maybe with a colleague at lunchtime, maybe with a friend in the evening. Walk briskly rather than leisurely but not so fast that you can’t hold a normal conversation with your co-walker.

• If you normally spend time on the sidelines while your children play sports you could walk around the pitch or sports grounds a few times instead

Each change in itself will make only a small difference. However, the improvements will combine together to be more significant and they will also build over time to deliver a positive impact.

For example, if someone was to burn off just an extra 100 calories each day from Monday to Friday and kept that going all year they would lose around 7 pounds in weight.

And it is not as hard to fit in as you might think. Make all your phone calls standing up instead of sitting down. Walk around or, if you’re not cordless, shift your weight from one foot to the other. This one simple change can cause a 12 stone person to burn an additional 76 calories per hour. As an additional benefit it will also make you sound more energetic and interesting to the person on the other end of the line.

What if I am ready to make bigger changes to improve myself?

As well as the small steps that almost everyone can undertake, some people will be ready to take on more of a challenge. The first step is to check with your doctor that you are not going to cause yourself damage. Assuming that the go ahead is given then you could take more radical steps in increasing your daily activity levels.

Consider taking on additional activity with a friend, relative or colleague. The support and motivation to be gained from such a joint effort can be considerable. That alone may make the difference between you trying out a new idea for only a few weeks or sticking with it for longer. When you find the activity that suits you best you want it to become a part of your normal routine; establish a good habit.

The section on Additional Exercise, specific activities for burning energy, holds more information on general activities such as walking, running, swimming, cycling and sports.