Fitness Tip of the Day: Friday's Facts and Findings -- How many calories burned?

You may wonder how many calories you burn while working out, but what about while doing chores?  Yes, you do burn calories while doing housework--some tasks burn quite a few.  This list is taken from Shape.com:

(All calorie counts are estimates based on a 150-pound person, and will vary with intensity, body composition and weight.)

1. Mopping: Take care of those dusty, dirty floors with an hour of mopping and you'll shed 153 calories.

2. Washing floors: If your floors require a little extra elbow grease, you can shed as many as 187 calories in just 30 minutes.

3. Scrubbing the tub: It might not take you as long as those floors, but some similar umph is required to ditch that soap scum. In 15 minutes, you'll burn more than 90 calories—and you might feel it in those arms, too!

4. Vacuuming: Depending on the size of your home, vacuuming could make a significant dent in your 10,000 recommended steps a day. In the process, you could burn 119 calories per 30 minutes.

5. Sweeping: A 30-minute dance with the broom will burn off 136 calories.

6. Washing the car: Winter road salt still covering your car? Skip the drive-thru and scrub it by hand to burn 153 calories.

7. Cleaning windows: Get the grime off the inside and the outside and let the springtime sun shine in. You'll burn 167 calories in 30 minutes.

8. Rearranging the closet: Ready to put away those sweaters and your heavy winter coat? Moving around some lighter options can burn about 85 calories.

9. Redecorating: Painting your bedroom a springy pale green? Knock off 167 calories in 30 minutes of indoor remodeling.

10. Moving: Got any furniture to move? You're in luck: You could burn another 100 calories in just 15 minutes, and even more if you have to move anything up and down 

To read entire article, follow this link:  http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/spring-cleaning-how-many-calories-do-you-burn-doing-chores

But if you want to know how many calories you specifically are burning during a workout or activity go to one of the many websites I featured with that free tool.  You input the activity and how long you did it for along with your weight and it will calculate for you how many calories you burned.

Want to know how to burn 500 calories?  Also from Shape.com:

How to burn 500 calories*

Golf 1 hour, 45 minutes
Race-walking (4.5 mph) 1 hour, 10 minutes
High-impact aerobics 1 hour, 5 minutes
Rowing 55 minutes
Jumping rope 45 minutes
Running (6 mph) 45 minutes
Group cycling 45 minutes
Rock climbing 40 minutes
Boxing 40 minutes
Elliptical trainer 40 minutes

Biking (12-14 mph) 1 hour

Inline skating  1 hour

*based on a 145 pound person

How about 700 calories*?:

Swimming: Whether you're training for your first triathlon or burned out on cardio machines, swimming is an excellent head-to-toe workout (700 calories burned in an hour!). Here's how to get started:

• Find a pool: Try a community center, YMCA, health club, or even a local community college. Many offer weekly times when anyone can swim.
• Start small: Do two full laps (back and forth equals one), pause to catch your breath, and repeat three times. Try to practice two or three times a week.
• Perfect your form: Use every other lap to do a different drill. Hold a kickboard to concentrate on your kicking, or swim with a buoy between your legs to work on your stroke.
• Build it up: When swimming 300 yards feels easy, increase your total distance by up to 10 percent per week. Join a masters team for built-in guidance and motivation (find one at usms.org).

The average calories burned in one day swimming can help you lose a pound - or more - per week.

To see the entire article, follow this link:  http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/workout-routines-calories-burned-during-exercise