Overweight and obesity are defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat, with overweight being a milder excess and obesity a much more pronounced one.
Both conditions occur over time as a result of a positive energy balance, when more calories are consumed than are expended. This extra calorie consumption is reserved in the form of fat; it is NEVER stored in any other way.
An effective way to reduce excess weight is to increase movement and daily activity without increasing food intake, as this is the way to start burning the fat reserve that has accumulated over time.
Moving more can range from simple activities of daily life, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing household chores, and cycling to work instead of driving or using public transport, to sports activities such as going to the gym, taking dance classes, practicing yoga, or swimming.
Every action taken to increase movement and activity is valid, as a sedentary lifestyle is one of the main enemies of health and well-being.
Below, we provide an estimate of the calories you could burn performing some activities:
*Data for one hour of exercise
It should be clarified that caloric expenditure varies from one person to another, mainly depending on their weight and gender; for example, if two women with different weights are evaluated performing the same activity at the same intensity, the woman who weighs more will burn more calories than the one who weighs less. The same applies to gender: if a man and a woman are evaluated performing the same physical activity at the same intensity and for the same amount of time, the man will burn more calories than the woman.
By: Camila Henao Uribe.
Nutritionist Dietitian U de A – Laboratorios Funat